7 Best Springtime Remedies for Less Stress, Deeper Sleep, Brighter Mood & More
As spring breezes in with its unpredictable weather, it's common to feel a bit off-kilter even as we get to enjoy warmer sunshine and longer days. But fret not — there are natural remedies to help you navigate this season with ease. From sharpening your focus with a simple breath of fresh air to restoring your stamina with a quick stretch, these strategies are designed to tackle springtime challenges head-on and leave you feeling great. Keep reading to learn how to tame stress, curb cravings, deepen sleep and more with the 7 best springtime remedies.
1. Sharpen focus with a fresh breeze
Some spring days are bright and warm, while others are cool, blustery and even stormy. And those erratic temperature changes and barometric pressure fluctuations can disrupt electrical activity in the brain, making you feel foggy and unfocused this time of year. The right-now Rx for scattered thinking? Throw open a window and let a sweet spring breeze flow in. German investigators say just breathing in fresh air makes focus, concentration and recall soar — often in as little as two minutes. It's one of the best springtime remedies because fresh breezes usher in higher concentrations of oxygen and flush out carbon dioxide, a healthy shift that energizes your brain’s focus-sharpening frontal lobes and keeps you happy and healthy.
2. Restore stamina by raising your arms
If you have a fun spring day ahead of you, but you’re too weary to enjoy it, try this: Intertwine your fingers and stretch your arms high over your head until you feel a strong pull in your chest and shoulders, hold 30 seconds and then slowly release. Researchers out of Pennsylvania’s DeSales University say this simple move heightens the flow of energizing, nutrient-rich blood to muscle and brain cells, chasing away sluggishness in as little as two minutes. Bonus: If stiffness and achiness are slowing you down, this deep stretch can keep you happy and healthy since it prompts the release of powerful pain-killing hormones, endorphins.
4. Tame stress with the smell of rain
April showers bring May flowers. They can also bring on a deep and lasting sense of calm if a go-go-go spring is rattling your nerves. That’s the word from British researchers, who say just breathing in the distinctive scent of a rainy day can erase stress, edginess and anxiety in just five minutes. Thanks go to the aromatic particles that give rain its wonderful aroma (a mix of the volatile oils released by living plants plus a compound produced by soil bacteria, geosmin). When these particles soak into the central nervous system, they prompt the release of a calming hormone, GABA.
5. Curb cravings by gazing at temptations
Wish you could savor a handful of M&Ms, a warm, cheesy slice of pizza or a few of your favorite cookies and then just…stop? You can! In a Danish study, when subjects paused for a moment to really look at what they were about to eat, they opted for a smaller serving size, and felt genuinely satisfied after finishing their meal. Experts say gazing at a tasty treat kick-starts electrical activity in a brain region that maximizes appetite control (the parasubthalamic nucleus), and if this cluster of nerves is “alert” you start eating, it reacts more quickly once your stomach is comfortably full.
Related: Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding Recipe Is a Must-Try Healthy and Indulgent Treat — Preps in 5 Minutes
6. Heighten cheer with colorful sticky notes
The winter blues can linger long into spring, making you feel groggy and blah on even sunny spring days. But Australian investigators say you can cut your risk of any “down” days by 60%, simply by writing down a few things that you’re grateful for on eye-catching sticky notes and putting them where you’ll see them during the day. Why are they one of the best springtime remedies? They provide regular reminders of all that’s positive in your life, keeping you happy and healthy. And thinking about how blessed you are — even for just seconds at a time — increases your brain’s production of the mood-boosting hormones, dopamine and serotonin.
7. Deepen sleep with the scent of rose
Longer days and later sunsets can make it tough to drift off at night. What can help? Rose essential oil! This aromatic flower extract stimulates a branch of nerves (the parasympathetic nervous system) that slows heart rate, relaxes tight muscles and prompts the release of sleep-deepening slow brain waves. And scientists reporting in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine say infusing your bedroom with this blissful aroma could help you drift off in 10 minutes . To do: Place a few drops of rose oil on a cotton ball and set it on your nightstand before heading to bed.
Related: Study: Breathing in Rose Essential Oil Eases Pain & Ushers in Calm in 90 Seconds
