Spring is a great time to jumpstart your health and wellness goals and reevaluate what you’re eating, how much exercise you’re getting, how well you’re sleeping and more.
When spring comes around, it doesn’t just bring flowers and warm weather. It often brings spray bottles full of cleaner, dust rags and bins filled with stuff to donate. Spring cleaning is a ritual for many of us — we wipe windows, reorganize our closets and scrub our floors to get our homes ready for the spring and summer months ahead. But why stop there? You can use your motivation to “spring clean” your health as well.
Spring is a great time to jumpstart your health and wellness goals and reevaluate what you’re eating, how much exercise you’re getting, how well you’re sleeping and more.
Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Health
- Get outside. According to the National Library of Medicine, natural light and sunshine can have a positive effect on your health, including boosting your mood, increasing your energy levels and helping you prevent the bone condition osteoporosis. See if you can carve out a time in your day to get outside — maybe right after work, early in the morning or during lunch. Even a few minutes can help.
Eat a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Depending on where you live, seasonal produce might include salad greens, carrots, asparagus, mushrooms, bell peppers or berries. These foods have many of the nutrients we need for a healthy diet. Not sure what to do with your produce? Nutrition.gov offers healthy recipes using seasonal ingredients.- Establish healthy screen time limits. Now that the weather is warmer, rethink the amount of time you spend indoors on your devices. Can you find ways to balance your screen time in a healthy way that includes getting outside, making time for exercise and connecting with friends and family?
- Practice mindfulness. According to the National Institutes of Health, more and more studies show the importance of mindfulness as a way to reduce anxiety, help us focus and reduce stress levels. Start your day with a few deep breaths, schedule a five-minute meditation during lunch or take a quiet walk after work. Mindfulness and Meditation: An Easy Guide for Getting Started offers some additional tips for incorporating this into your daily routine.
- Maintain healthy sleep habits. Even with longer days and warmer nights, it’s important to be consistent with your sleep and wake times. Try to get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night. You can do this by helping your body prepare for sleep. Stop using screens late at night, try to do calming activities and avoid large meals before bed. Here are some additional tips for getting your sleep schedule on track.
- Make good choices. As the weather warms up and BBQ season gets going, choose lean options for the grill, such as fish or chicken, and learn how to grill your veggies too. The Food Network offers several healthy grilling recipes like grilled zucchini, fish tacos and marinated chicken thighs. Think about swapping alcohol and sugary drinks for flavored water as well. MyPlate offers fun flavored water recipes like watermelon lime, berry kiwi and more.
- Stay hydrated. Making sure you have enough water can help to control your appetite and keep your body functioning properly. Water helps you absorb nutrients and flush toxins from your body.
- Find new ways to move. If you’re in an exercise rut, spring gives you a chance to try something new. Take hikes, walk with friends, drag your yoga mat outside, join a sports league, try your hand at gardening or do some outdoor chores to get yourself moving again.
- Take control of your allergies. It’s hard to think about kickstarting healthy habits if you’re bogged down by spring allergies. Check out Take Control of Your Spring Allergies to get tips for reducing the impact your allergies have this spring.
Get up to date on health screenings. Use this time to check in with your health care provider. Is it time for an annual physical? Are you aware of your current cholesterol and blood pressure levels? Do you have any screenings or vaccinations you missed during the winter months? Your health care provider can help you determine what steps you need to take to ensure you’re up to date.- Boost your mood. It’s time to shake off the winter blues, so pinpoint small things that bring you joy and try to prioritize them. What brings you joy? Reading a new book? A long walk? Meeting for coffee with a friend? Make time for these mood-boosting activities.
- Seek support. Sometimes it takes more than just a spring clean to get back on track. If you’re struggling to get a handle on your mental health, it may be time to reach out and get some additional support. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers mental health resources to connect you to the care you deserve.
Resources
- VA has several resources that can help you with your health and wellness goals.
- VA’s Whole Health Program allows you to determine what areas of your health you want to focus on to live your best life. It offers things like yoga, mindfulness exercises and weight loss strategies. The program also offers a video series on health-related topics such as back pain, Tai Chi, healthy recipes and more.
- VA also offers help from certified nutritionists to help you analyze your eating habits and make a personalized plan for healthy eating.
- VA’s MOVE! Weight management program is designed to help you eat healthier, increase your activity and get in shape.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers tips for staying up to date on all of your preventative care, including cancer screenings, vaccinations and checkups.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture offers a seasonal produce guide to help you keep track of what fruits and vegetables are in season all year round, so you can save money and still eat fresh and healthy foods.
This year, make sure it’s not just your closet that gets an overhaul. Put that same emphasis and energy into your health!