It’s almost time for the spring solstice and the wonderful moment the clocks spring forward – literally – and we can all look forward to longer, warmer days and embrace the great feeling of ‘newness’ and rebirth that spring brings after a long, chilly winter.
Whether you’ve prioritised this spring to work on your wellness by improving your diet, getting more exercise or just spending a little more time on self-care, here are some great ways to help you blossom into a brighter, more positive you.
Now it’s drier underfoot and there’s long nights, why not take your work out outside? We should all be aiming for 10,000 steps a day to maintain healthy weight and improve our heart health but just taking two shorter but brisk walks a day is a great start to wake up your immune system and mobilise your joints.
Find a good route to follow: coastal and river walks are inspiring or why not get a friend to join you and take off to a woodland where you can breathe in some fresh forest air and even do some forest bathing: find a lovely clear spot in the middle of the trees, stand with your feet grounded, open your arms wide, gently arch your back to look at the sky, close your eyes and gently breath in and out for a count of 10 and see how your body and mind react. Repeat three or four times to improve feeling of calm and ease stress.
Think about taking up a new exercise hobby: look out for local Park Runs that you can walk or jog or even consider a wild water swimming group: you don’t have to be a very strong swimmer as they usually take part in calm stretches of river and lakes and it’s a great way to meet new friends, too.
TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT WHAT YOU EAT
We all know we should be eating our five a day but it’s a whole lot easier when there’s so much more to choose from in spring.
Head for your local farmers market to get some great seasonable produce you can whip up into tasty soups and veggie stews including asparagus, leafy greens and peas and make this a time to switch to eating more whole grains, seeds and nuts. Just adding a handful of mixed chopped nuts and seeds to tasty spring salads and soups can give you a valuable boost of omega fatty acids that help preserve skin and healthy joints and give a pleasant crunch, too.
MAKE TIME FOR YOU YOU
Just as we like to declutter around spring-time to give our homes a fresh new look, we can do the same for our health and wellness routines.
Take a look at your first aid and vitamin cupboards and throw out any products that are out of date or you simply don’t use any more. Make-up and skin care products have sell buy dates too, especially eye products including mascara that you really shouldn’t keep for more than three months to prevent eye infections.
Treat your make-up brushes to a lovely spring-time wash using a gentle baby shampoo and dry thoroughly before using again.
DRINK MORE WATER
As the days warm up it’s important to drink more water to ensure your body stays hydrated for healthy functioning and to keep skin looking fresh and plump.
If you don’t like drinking water straight, keep a jug in the fridge topped with lemon and lime slices to give a citrus twist and sip during the day.
TIME TO SLEEP
We all head for the duvet as soon as the nights draw in but as spring arrives it’s time for our bodies to adapt again. As we grow older we lose the ability to produce melatonin the sleep inducing hormone that babies have in abundance which is why they are able to sleep so easily but getting into a routine will help improve your sleep pattern.Â
We all head for the duvet as soon as the nights draw in but as spring arrives it’s time for our bodies to adapt again.
As we grow older we lose the ability to produce melatonin the sleep inducing hormone that babies have in abundance which is why they are able to sleep so easily but getting into a routine will help improve your sleep pattern.Â
Make time to wind down with a gentle walk after dinner, read a book or indulge in a self-care beauty ritual before bed including a foot massage and be sure to switch of mobile phones, ipad at least an hour before bed time.
Get out of the habit of watching tv in bed and do some gentle stretches instead to loosen out tight muscles and improve circulation. Spritzing your pillow with a calming, sleep inducing lavender spray will encourage a good night’s sleep and if do wake up in the night, rather than tossing and turning, get up and make yourself a mug of camomile tea. Take yourself out of the bedroom to drink to break the cycle and you should soon be able to return to a restful sleep.
Happy spring everyone!
