Have you ever thought of spring cleaning for your health? We pay a lot of attention to our house and surroundings. Spring is an appropriate time (and a gentle reminder) to clean up the “house” we carry around—our bodily temple! In the spring, we’re a couple months removed from New Year’s resolutions and perhaps have slipped back into less-than-healthy routines. Just like spring cleaning the different rooms in your home, there are several areas in your life you can freshen up before things get too messy!
Spring Cleaning Your Diet: Back to Basics
Food choices affect all aspects of your health. Some foods make you feel amazing, and some make you feel heavy and bogged down. So, when you’re looking at how you’re choosing to fuel your body, go back to nutrition basics. Ask yourself: Am I nourishing my body? Do I have enough energy to tackle my tasks every week, or do I feel depleted? Am I having trouble focusing? If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll know if you’ve gotten off track; there should be no surprises here. If you’ve been frequenting the drive-thru too often you’re likely not getting adequate servings of fresh fruits and vegetables. Here is an easy and fun fix: venture out to a local co-op or farmer’s market to find the freshest, most abundant and least expensive seasonal fruits and veggies.
Remember, your gut health affects both your mental health (it’s called the second brain for a reason) and your immune health—you may have heard “immunity starts in your gut.” You can maintain a healthy gut through your diet by eating fermented foods like yogurt, getting enough fiber (through fruits, veggies and whole grains) and supplementing with a probiotic daily (especially during and after a course of antibiotics).
Checking In: A Mental Spring Cleaning
You’re likely on autopilot as you meet your daily responsibilities. However, taking time for introspection is an essential part of good mental health. Spring is a great time to let some rays of sunshine reveal the thoughts and feelings that might be piling up in the dark corners of your mind.
There’s no one right way to do this. You can do a “brain dump” where you jot down what’s on your mind, using either paper or an app on your phone. Writing can give you the mental space to process your thoughts. If you don’t want to write, at least take the time to think; analyze your thoughts and your feelings and take deep breaths. Envision negative thoughts and feelings being released from your body. This is very therapeutic and helps keep you feeling balanced and centered.
Sometimes you’re going to feel as if you have a dark cloud hanging over your head. Give yourself permission to take out your frustrations on that tennis ball or cry in your room for a few minutes. Allowing yourself to feel your emotions and work through them disburses the black clouds instead of allowing them to accumulate. This refills your tank. In this state, if life knocks you down, you’re able to get up and dust yourself off a little more easily. On the other hand, if you stuff your feelings and don’t process them, you’ll likely to explode later, which can hurt all your relationships.
Sleep Hygiene: An Often-Overlooked Candidate for Spring Cleaning
The definition of sleep hygiene is: habits and practices that are conducive to sleeping well on a regular basis. Sometimes, we don’t realize how important sleep is and even pride ourselves on how little sleep we manage to function on.
Check in on your sleep habits to see what needs some spring cleaning. Are you getting in all the hours of sleep you need? Can you fall asleep without a device or some sort of stimulation? Are you sleeping through the night, or are you restless? Are you going to bed, but then looking at your phone for two hours?
Tips for better sleep:
- Go out in the sunlight during the day (this helps maintain your circadian rhythm and melatonin production)
- Don’t go to bed with a full or empty stomach
- Make sure your bedroom is cool and dark
- Stop using devices and wind down an hour before you go to bed
- Go to bed and get up at the same time every day
If you’re having trouble sleeping, talk to your health care professional about supplements, like melatonin, that can help. When you have healthy sleeping habits, it’s the foundation of a good day. You’ll be more alert and mentally capable to tackle all the challenges that come along.
We hope you find these spring cleaning tips useful as we head into the summer, and all the activities that come with it. Putting these tips into action now can slowly build into habits that can last you all year long!
