Spring means new beginnings – and a great time to tidy up your overall wellness routine. Here are tips for a fresh start.
Kitchen Cleanse
Start with a food safety check. Scour your cabinets and fridge for spoiled food. Look for changes in smell, flavor, or texture. Check expiration dates.
Throw away spoiled items and restock with fresh, seasonal produce. Visit the farmer’s market or grocery store. Stock up on spinach, beets, asparagus, strawberries, and other fresh vegetables and fruit.
Bathroom Makeover
Go through your bathroom drawers and cabinets and throw out expired sunscreen, medicine and makeup. Emerson has a prescription medication drop-off box located near the Emergency Department for safe and environment-friendly disposal. Or contact your town to find other drop-off locations.
Makeup usually lacks dates, but bacteria and other contaminants build up on these products over time. Get rid of any that clump, smell bad, or have changed color.
Also toss:
- Lip products after six months
- Eyeshadow after six to nine months
- Concealer and foundation after a year
Pay attention to what adolescents use for skin care. Some ingredients are harmful for young skin. Check with a dermatologist to be sure.
Fitness Refresh
Experts recommend the following:
-
150 minutes (about 2 and a half hours) of moderate activity, such as hiking, biking, pickleball, or brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, such as swimming, running, singles tennis, or basketball, and
-
30 minutes of muscle-strengthening exercises twice a week, such as lifting weights, hill walking (outside, or on a treadmill set to an incline that feels steep to you), working with resistance bands, and push-ups and sit-ups.
Visit emersonhealth.org/strength for information about Emerson’s Strength and Conditioning programs.
Digital Detox
Social media keeps us connected. Yet too much time on screens negatively affects mental health. Aim for less than an hour of social media time a day. Unfollow accounts and people that do not bring you joy. Keep your phone in another room during meals, family time, and bedtime.
Try a digital detox. In one study, limiting social media use to 30 minutes daily for two weeks improved people’s health and well-being. Some people turn in their smart phone for a flip phone to remove the temptation of social media, with good success.
Brain Boost
Develop a stress relief plan to use when you feel particularly overwhelmed. This might include breathing exercises, meditation, journaling, doodling, creative arts, exercise, calling a friend, playing with a pet, or regulating your sleep schedule.
Mind games boost memory and reduce the risk of dementia. Crossword puzzles, word games, chess, sudoku, and jigsaw puzzles give your mind a good workout.
Contact your provider’s office with any questions about your health. Visit
emersondocs.org to find a primary care provider.
Visit
emersonhealth.org/digitalwellness for Emerson's digital wellness program and podcast series.
