There’s never a better time than summer to reset your health. The seasons’ nicer weather, travel opportunities, and less demanding schedule makes pursuing positive changes possible. Create lasting change this summer and improve your health, happiness, and outlook on life.
1. Find Your Wellbeing Baseline
You may suspect that something regarding your health is off, but now is the time to know for certain. Keep a detailed journal and log your sleep, diet, activity, and stress levels for at least a week. Identify trends that cause concern and bring them to your healthcare provider to discuss. Make a plan to revise your routine, and discuss with your healthcare provider if they recommend ordering bloodwork to determine any underlying causes for your symptoms.
2. Incorporate Supplements
Once you’ve cleared things with your healthcare provider, incorporate supplements that fill in the gaps of your diet. Some nutrients, like vitamin D, are hard to get enough of through food alone. If you experience frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs), a UTI supplement can help you balance the pelvic triangle–the gut, vagina and urinary tract. Genetics, long-term antibiotic use, and aging can make UTIs more prevalent, and supplements can help reduce repeat infections.
3. Improve Your Sleep Hygiene
The importance of sleep is a mantra you won’t stop hearing any time soon; most people operate with a significant sleep debt and it may be the source of many health and wellness issues. Try to get at least seven to eight hours of quality sleepin your dark, blue-light-free bedroom. For optimal sleep quality, avoid blue light-emitting devices before bed, and maintain the same sleep and wake time each day.
4. Make Daily Movement a Non-Negotiable
There’s a reason you feel sore and creaky – you aren’t moving enough. Take advantage of summer’s better weather and take walks during breaks and after meals. Walking after eating helps improve digestion, puts glucose to work, and can reduce post-meal sluggishness. A short, ten-minute walk is enough to reduce stress, clear your mind, and can even boost creativity. Make a plan to continue your summer walking habit by using a walking pad or treadmill indoors.
5. Care For Your Gut Health
The gut contributes greatly to your overall wellness and bodily processes, but it’s often ignored and abused. Restore your gut’s healthy bacteria by incorporating probiotics through food, like yogurt and fermented foods. Supplements can help your food-based probiotics do their best work. When you have a balanced digestive system, you can reduce brain fog, increase energy levels, and improve regularity.
6. Crack the Code on Stress
Stress is a normal part of life, but if you’ve been on high alert for too long, it can have a negative impact on all areas of your life, including your health and personal relationships. Identify areas of your life that cause you stress and consider what you can realistically change. Some jobs are naturally high-stress, like those of a first responder, but you can manage stressors outside of work. Strive to balance stress where you can, do deep breathing exercises, mediate, and create a sense of calm at home.
7. Get Outside
The sun, fresh air, and summer breeze can do wonders for your outlook and health. Get outside throughout the day to get the mood-boosting benefits of sunshine as well as natural vitamin D. Wear sunscreen daily to protect your skin and wear sunglasses to ensure your healthy habit doesn’t cause damage. Get 15-30 minutes outside daily, which you can get during your new walking routine. For the best benefits and least UV exposure, schedule your walk during the morning or late afternoon.
8. Nourish Your Skin
Give your skin the moisture it craves by establishing a skin-loving routine. Keep hydrated to nourish the skin and keep your body feeling great. If you struggle to get enough water, add fresh fruit to mix things up. Exfoliate the body weekly, paying special attention to the feet, whose soles take a toll thanks to summer footwear. Use lotion with lactic acid for additional moisture and exfoliation, which will extend hydration and reduce bumps and ingrown hairs.
9. Prioritize Your Mental Well-Being
A healthy mind is critical for your wellbeing, and in some communities, caring for your mental health is uncommon. Even if you aren’t experiencing a mental health concern, having a person to talk with is beneficial. Your loved ones, friends, and partner are there for you, but your therapist provides an essential outlet for your feelings. Trained to listen, support, and counsel, a therapist can provide much-needed perspective and space for you to work through things. You’ll learn healthy coping skills, receive focused support, and have space to explore issues and new ideas.
10. Make Time for Personal Pursuits
All work and no play makes life a drag, but it doesn’t have to be. Life’s demands can make it seem like there’s no time for fun, but you can’t afford not to have fun. Carve out time for things that are just plain fun, with no expectation of the activity to yield additional rewards. Set aside your obligations and opt for silliness, novelty, and new experiences, all of which infuse joy into your day. When you do, you feed your soul, feel lighter, and can have a brighter outlook on your entire life.
Make Summer Your Season of Renewal
Healthy habits can be synonymous with your lifestyle in just a few months. Take this season to establish new routines, try different approaches, and reset your baseline health factors. When you do, you’ll improve your livelihood, address long-overdue issues, and elevate your life for years to come.
