While I love a warm year-round climate, especially in the chilly season, I like to head to a more four-seasons part of the country as soon as I detect those first few whispers of fall in the air. When the afternoon light turns that unique color of fall gold, when the edges of the leaves start to blush, when I go out for a morning walk and discover I might actually need a jacket, that’s when I start to get really inspired. My creativity fired up, I start getting new ideas about how to improve things and new projects I want to take on, but most of all, I start thinking about a health reboot.
People often think of “getting healthy” at the end of the year after a decadent holiday season, but why wait for December 31 to turn things around? Wouldn’t you rather feel great through the holidays, rather than repentant? That’s why I use the summer-fall transition as a time to recommit to good habits and reestablish a health routine that often falls to the wayside during the lazy and unstructured days of summer. I also reevaluate what I need now, because health is dynamic and the habits of 2019 you—for example—might not necessarily be relevant for 2023 you.
So how do you reevaluate, reestablish, and recommit? Here is your personal guide to the three R’s of the summer-fall transition.
Reevaluate
If you aren’t feeling quite as strong, mobile, energetic or vibrant as you used to feel even a few years ago, maybe some things need to change. Have you strayed from some of your good habits? Could you stand to bring new habits on board? As summer fades, consider what you would like to do for yourself between now and 2024. Take a good look in the mirror and ask, “What do I need?” Is it better sleep? An improved diet? Do you need to get moving, to reconnect with friends, or do something about your chronic stress state? Most people abandon good health habits in the summer, in a couple of consistent categories. Think about which of these areas could use some improvement:
Sleep
Long, sunny days and a late sundown tend to keep people up later, and an early sunrise wakes us earlier as well. The result is that many people don’t get enough sleep during the summer. Maybe you’re too busy having fun to get a good eight hours. It’s important to enjoy your summer days, but not at the expense of sleep. A majority of people in the U.S. are sleep-deprived, and that has some serious health consequences, like a higher risk of heart and kidney disease, and higher rates of diabetes, obesity and depression. Even one night of insufficient sleep can impact your mood, dissolve your good intentions when making food choices, wreck your exercise plans and make you more irritable. Stack those sleepless nights up for weeks on end, and you’ve got a recipe for chronic disease. Have you been getting enough sleep?
Diet
With all the cookouts, beach days, drive-thrus and road food, it’s easy to let your good dietary habits slip during the summer. But you know that food matters. How you eat has a major influence on how you feel, how you age and how healthy you are. Junk food and processed food have been linked, time and again, with inflammation, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other health issues. Diets rich in vegetables, fruit, seafood and whole foods (like the Mediterranean diet) are associated with lower rates of all these diseases, as well as a longer life and a better mood. If you change just one thing in your life, I suggest starting with your diet. Have you been eating well?
Movement
Many of us kick off spring with a lot more outdoor time, but when the temperature rises, it can feel a lot better to stay indoors. Or, maybe you’re loving being a beach bum, but you mostly relax with a book. There are plenty of ways to get active in the summer without overheating. Try swimming, biking, walking or hiking in the morning or evening when it’s cooler, joining a gym, taking a yoga class, or working out at home in the AC. If I could pick one single intervention to improve mood and keep you looking and feeling younger, it would be adding more movement into your life. Have you been getting enough exercise?
Stress
Isn’t summer supposed to be stress-free? Maybe not, if you’ve got kids home full-time and you’re still trying to work, and everybody needs something or has somewhere to go. Trying to coordinate child care, summer activities and family vacations with work can be even more stressful than when kids are in school. Vacations can also be stressful, especially when they are jam-packed with activities. Even the simple lack of a routine can feel stressful for some people, because it feels so disorganized. Have you been feeling stressed-out?
Connection
When was the last time you really spent quality time with your partner or your friends? Studies have linked supportive social connections with better health, and loneliness with poorer health. Have you been connecting with the people who make you feel good about yourself and your life?
