Spring has sprung — or it will soon, depending on where you live. And even though humans don’t hibernate, per se, spring is still a good time to embrace a few new habits to wake ourselves up. Here are 11 to try.
Open the windows
Taylor Nappi, at Let’s Live Lively, wants you to let the sunshine in. Open the shades. Crack the window. Air out your rooms. And, if you’re really diligent, clean those windowpanes.
Go outside
Once you’ve let the outside in, get outside yourself. Chances are, you’ve been hunkered down inside for several weeks now. Take a morning walk. Sit on a park bench. Trade your sad desk lunch for lunch on a patch of grass.
Take advantage of the extra hour
Jessica Levinson, a writer and professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, is pro-daylight saving time. “For anyone who has experienced the joy associated with the simple pleasure of an evening walk thanks to a ‘late’ sunset, you know very well that you are, even temporarily, winning against time’s relentless march forward,” she wrote for the Sacramento Bee.
Buy yourself flowers
Flowers are gorgeous right now. Blogger Jenna Barclay writes, “Nothing says spring like fresh flowers.”
Visit the farmers market
Better yet, buy flowers at your local farmers market — another key tip from Barclay. The bounty is just beginning.
Detox your skin
You’ve probably been slathering on thick, moisturizing products to keep dry skin in check all winter. Now is the time to lighten up your skin-care routine. Kate Harveston, at Life Goals Mag, suggests exfoliating and switching to a less heavy moisturizer — one with SPF. (See: Go outside.)
Eat your greens
Ayurvedic medicine reminds us what mom always said: Eat your vegetables — especially the dark, leafy greens. “The spring harvest includes important foods for promoting a healthy liver, colon, and lymphatic and immune systems, all of which can become stagnant when you spend a lot of time indoors,” writes Scott Blossom, in Yoga Journal.
Plant something
Joanna Hawley, of the blog Jojotastic, says now is the time to start your garden. “I truly believe that digging in soil helps to ground me and makes me feel connected and happy,” she writes.
Take a Facebreak (a Facebook break)
Hawley also suggests taking a break from social media — a self-care tip that really applies to every season. But now, in particular, give yourself the gift of no FOMO about everyone’s spring break posts.
Purge
Beth Deyo, on Thrive Global, suggests capitalizing on the notion of spring cleaning by clearing away the clutter in your home and in your mind. “Clearing your home of things that no longer serve you is a great way to get your creative juices flowing and create space for fresh new energy,” she writes. Same goes for negative feelings you’ve been carrying around.
Sleep better
More often than not, when you “spring forward,” your sleep schedule goes haywire and you’re groggy for a week. Take it as an opportunity to revamp your sleep hygiene and create solid sleep habits that will take you through spring and beyond.
