Less Stressed Summer

Nothing against the other seasons, but summer is the one that inspires us to be our very best. Temps rise and suddenly all of our good intentions go from being things we intend to do to things we actually do.

Routines are simplified, layers are shed, and fun and healthy decide to hold hands. That’s why we’ve pulled together these 14 little moves to get you off to a good start this summer, when the living is easier—and lighter. Enjoy!

Line dry your clothes
Nothing brings back the lazy days of summer like clothes drying in the warm wind. Instead of giving your wardrobe a manufactured fresh-air scent, you’ll be giving them the real thing. To keep wrinkles at bay, give your clothes a good snap before hanging them on the line; finger smooth each item while hanging.

And did we mention that line drying lightens the environmental load, too? Drying just two loads of laundry on a clothesline every week instead of using an electric dryer saves energy equal to the amount needed to run your fridge for four months, says Elizabeth Rogers, author of The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time and founder of ShiftYourHabit.com.

Add some sunny yellow“Yellow is happy, optimistic, clean, upbeat,” says Leslie Harrington, PhD, executive director of The Color Association. But, like that perpetually cheerful co-worker, yellow can be exhausting, so go easy. Try a vase of daisies in the entryway to see how you respond to the shade before you make a more permanent commitment. Another option: Paint just one wall bright yellow; we like Benjamin Moore’s St. Elmo’s Fire (a zesty citron yellow) and Sundance (a paler hue).

Give your Spanx the summer off
Park the body shapers until the leaves fall. If you feel the need to look better in that sundress, stand up straight, tuck in your buttocks, and suck in your belly—you’ll do wonders for your posture and your silhouette. (To get rid of bloat, see below.)

And while you’re retiring your Spanx, push anything with a heel to the back of the closet, trade in your heavy leather handbag (the one that resembles a small piece of luggage minus the wheels) for a canvas tote, and send everything that’s black on a three-month vacation.

Perk up your playlist
Enough of that easy-listening music or edgy new rock. ’Tis the season to fill your MP3 player with tunes that transport you to summers past: The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Summer in the City,” Martha and the Vandellas’s “Heat Wave,” The Beach Boys’s “I Get Around,” Sheryl Crow’s “All I Wanna Do,” Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May” … ah, the list—and the beat—goes on.

For the other 10 Click Here.
Source: Health.com

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