Feel tired?

Making a few simple changes around the house can outsmart nagging seasonal symptoms to help you feel your best

Easy home remedies to sleep deep and have all-day energy

To boost memory: Scent your home with sage

Light a sage-scented candle or set out a few bowls of sage potpourri and you could chase away brain fog and improve alertness, focus and memory by 21 percent in just 10 minutes, say researchers at the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. That’s because the rich herbal aroma of sage stimulates the brain’s focusen-hancing frontal lobe, plus it energizes the limbic system— the brain region responsible for memory formation.

To sleep deeply: Open the curtains

If you struggle to fall—or stay—asleep, your remedy may be as easy as letting the sunshine in. British scientists say opening your blinds and switching on lights in rooms that tend to be gloomy first thing in the morning can add up to 46 minutes to your nightly slumber. The reason? A morning blast of light resets the pineal gland’s biological clock to increase evening production of sleep-inducing melatonin.

To speed slimming: Rearrange your fridge

Storing produce front and center and tucking temptations like leftover pizza in crisper drawers can make slimming a cinch, say Cornell University scientists. Their research suggests people who make this change eat 67 percent more fresh produce, have 55 percent fewer junk-food cravings and shed up to 2 pounds weekly—without dieting. Tom Kersting, Ph.D., author of Losing Weight When Diets Fail, explains, “Changing what you see when you open the fridge retrains your brain so you start craving healthy foods instead of treats.”

To lift mood: Hang your dry cleaning here

Perchloroethylene, a toxic solvent used by dry cleaners, lingers on clothing, so if you hang just-cleaned items in your room, your nervous system is exposed to the irritant while you sleep, limiting the production of mood-lifting serotonin, say Canadian scientists. A better bet: Remove the bags and hang freshly cleaned clothes in the garage for 2 to 3 hours to air them out. When the sweet smell disappears, the toxin is gone.

To stay sniffle-free: Decorate with ferns

These lush plants can cut your risk of late-winter colds by 25 percent, say German scientists. They found that placing a fern in the room can increase indoor humidity to the physiologically ideal range of 40 to 50 percent—an effect that helps keep sinuses moist and healthy so they’re better able to fend off invading viruses, says Michael Finkelstein, M.D., author of Slow Medicine. He advises putting a fern in rooms you spend the most time in and watering the plants weekly.

To rev energy: Add splashes of red

Feeling groggy? Try staring at a red object, like a throw pillow or blanket, instead of pouring another cup of coffee. Research at the University of Rochester in New York suggests gazing at the color red sharpens focus in as little as 30 seconds, and frequently seeing red objects increases energy by up to 31 percent. Why? Red stimulates the

parietal lobule—a brain region that tamps down tiredness and heightens your ability to think clearly.