It’s still springtime, but Summer is near. Why not use the change in season as a fresh start for making healthy choices to improve your physical and mental health? I love the quote “You don’t have to be great to start; you just need to start to be great.” We all know how great we feel when we do a closet cleanout or some deep cleaning, but what if you could dust off those health and wellness routines? Healthy food choices and increasing daily activity can have a huge impact on how you feel, how well you focus and even help with improving sleep. Do you have a spring to do list? What if you made time for your health and put yourself on that list and just get started?
- Enjoy some time outside.
It’s the perfect weather to get outside and enjoy a little sunshine. Research suggests that spending time outside can improve your health by helping to reduce stress, lowering blood pressure and even improving Vitamin D levels. In the winter, we don’t spend as much time outside and may be lacking in this vital nutrient obtained from sunlight. Extra daylight hours, also gives you more time to get in some afternoon or evening exercise. You can mow your yard, work in your garden or go for an evening walk to improve your hearth health and wellness. Find ways for more daily movement and get outside every day.
- Enjoy what is in season.
There are some great fruits and vegetables that will be in season and ready for you to enjoy. Check out your local grocery store or farmer’s market and enjoy some fruits and vegetables you missed out on during the winter months. Peas, asparagus, kale, radicchio, apricots, avocados, strawberries and oranges are just a few examples of fruits and vegetables at their prime in the spring. Try a few new fruits or vegetables each week and keep your plate bright and colorful for more appeal. You can enjoy them raw or cooked, but find ways to fill your plate with a good variety of fruits and vegetables each day.
- Take time to unplug
Spring can also be a reminder to stop and smell the flowers or at least take some deep breaths to help you with destress. It may be helpful to leave the phone or computer and take some mental breaks to just unplug. Too much time engaging in sedentary activity, such as watching TV, scrolling through social media on your phone and playing video games, can be a risk factor for becoming overweight. Track the time you spend watching TV or playing on your phone and you may find that you are wasting several hours a day that could have been spent being more active. Taking a break from these devices before bed can also help improve sleep.
So let’s spring into better health. Don’t wait for a Monday or the perfect time to make changes, just start where you are and those little changes can mean big improvements to your mental and physical health.