Planning your best summer
With summertime in full swing, it’s so easy to get sucked into the “travel trap” and be completely burnt out by the time fall arrives. With weekends filled with time at the beach and the pool, BBQ’s with family and friends, and endless other amusing activities, the season seems to fly by in a flash. In an effort to enjoy a season of rejuvenation, design your summer with rest and relaxation in mind. Here are a few tips to help you relax this summer, instead of running yourself ragged:
Strategize. Take careful stock of your priorities this season and use that as a guide to planning your time. Maybe you are looking forward to those long daylight hours, so take advantage of an evening walk. If you are hoping to catch up on reading this summer, make a list of your top picks and get started! Whatever it is that you are most looking forward to, make sure you set aside time in your schedule for activities that “fill up your cup."
Spend time at home. Plan trips that light up your life but avoid bouncing from one escape to another. Stretching yourself too thin will cause more stress, defeating the purpose of getting away! Make sure there is plenty of time this summer for rest and comfort in your own home with familiar surroundings.
Practice Grounding. Take off your shoes and put your toes in the sand. Or simply walk around your own backyard. Connecting with the earth helps to bring a sense of belonging and well being to your life and is thought to improve health by decreasing anxiety, lowering stress and inflammation in the body and improving energy levels.
Choose sunscreen wisely. Summertime is the perfect time to increase the time spent outdoors enjoying nature and soaking up some vitamin D; however, overexposure to the sun can be detrimental. In addition to wearing protective clothing like hats and long sleeves and finding shade, adequately protecting your skin against the harmful rays of the sun is so important! Many conventional sunscreens contain many harmful ingredients that can cause damage to your body and the environment but we’ve included a few of the best sunscreens, according to the EWG (see the full list here):