Staying Healthy and Happy This Summer

As we enjoy our summer break, it is important to take care of yourself and your body. With a break from school schedules, it can be easy to forget the subtle ways we take care of ourselves. Here are some tips and reminders to keep yourself healthy and happy this summer.

Hanging out with friends during the summer can be really fun and necessary when de-stressing from school. It is so important to take time to have fun with your friends and give yourself a break from stress (while being safe and responsible due to the pandemic). While your days may get busy with fun plans, it’s important to make sure you get enough sleep. Sufficient sleep is so important, as it will help you have more energy during the day, maintain lower hunger levels, and decrease the chances of having a sun-related illness, like heat exhaustion.

Exercise can be another element that gets forgotten during the summer, since most people are spending more time outside. Weather also has an effect on exercising, as it can be really hot, but it is important to keep your body moving. There are many different ways you can get exercise, like going for runs, swimming, or walking. To avoid overheating, you can do some stretching or yoga to keep your body moving while exerting your body less.

Due to the increase in exposure to the sun, it is important to put sunscreen on every day, even when you aren’t planning on being outside for a while. There is still an increase in risk for skin cancer from a few burns. The use of sunscreen also helps protect against aging, as sun exposure leads to dryness, wrinkles, and spotting.

Staying hydrated is another way to protect yourself from sun-related illnesses. Juice, soda and alcohol aren’t great sources of hydration; it is important to make sure you are drinking sufficient amounts of water each day (half your weight in ounces, or more). A few fun ways to increase your water intake are to eat fruits that have a high water content, like watermelon and cucumbers, to add fruit (frozen or fresh) to your water, or to drink flavored seltzer. Taking these steps to ensure hydration and a more balanced diet will make you have more energy and feel less sluggish.

With summer comes more freedom! Take the time during your break to explore places, interests and opportunities that you have always wanted to try. Expanding your talents and interests is a great way to take care of yourself this summer. These new experiences can also be a great addition to your resumé.

Whatever you end up doing this summer, make sure to nurture your well-being. It is so important to remember to take care of yourself, in big and little ways.