YOUR HEALTH! Spring clean Health

Simply everyday fixes to help you hit refresh and boost your energy

Winter is over, you’ve cleaned your windows and cleared out the kitchen junk drawer. The next step is to freshen up your mind and body with these simple expert tips...

CLEAR YOUR MIND

KICKSTART A HEALTH GOAL To make a new health habit happen, create a plan of action, advises Sarah Edelman, author of Change Your Thinking. She’s developed a four-step plan: 1. State your goal (e.g. ‘I want to lose weight’) 2. Write specific measurable targets with a target date (‘Lose 5kg in the next three months’). 3. List how you will benefit from this goal (‘Feel healthier, have more energy’). 4. Write down the specific steps that will help you achieve this goal (‘Buy healthy lifestyle cookbooks, on Monday to Friday go for a jog’). CONNECT WITH NATURE DAILY ‘Walking, swimming, gardening, riding or hiking in the outside world is essential for physical and mental wellbeing,’ says Meredith Gaston, author of The Art of Gratitude. If you’re busy, five minutes outside in the sun will do.

REFRESH YOUR BODY

SET UP YOUR COMPUTER PROPERLY When you’re working on a computer, gradually your head juts forward and your back becomes round, causing neck and back problems over time. ‘To fix your posture, elevate your computer so the screen is at eye level, and make sure your elbows and hands are on one plane. Set your computer on a stand that angles the keyboard down towards your hands,’ advise Dr Frank Lipman and Danielle Claro, authors of The New Health Rules. appointments you’ve been meaning to tick off and book them in one by one: a pap smear, a family trip to the dentist and optometrist, and a mole check with your GP.

UPGRADE YOUR DIET

Think of three things you can change in your kitchen to nudge yourself to eat better. Try these ideas from Shannon Harvey, author of The Whole Health Life: ‘Place a freshly filled fruit bowl on your kitchen counter, clear your pantry of junk foods, pre-cut your fruit and vegetables to make them easily accessible for the week ahead.’