Stay Healthy and Love Yourself

 1. Hydrate.

I can't stress enough how important it is to keep yourself hydrated at all times and not just in the summer months. Think of your body as a flower, in order for a flower to grow, it needs to stay hydrated Your body is the same! The more you water it and nourish it, the healthier it will be and the more it will thank you.

Know the symptoms of dehydration:

• Dizziness
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Dry Mouth

If you come across these symptoms hydrate immediately with the following:

• Drink Water.
• Drink electrolytes: Electrolyte-Infused Water, Pedialyte, and Coconut Water are all drinks that contain doses of electrolytes.
• Eat Watermelon; watermelon is 92% water and contains vitamin A, vitamin C, and electrolytes.

2. Exfoliate and take care of your skin.

With the harsh rays of the sun shining on your skin, you need to remember to treat it well and keep it nice and healthy. Golden tans are wonderful, but without the right care, sun rays can be super harmful.

• Sun Screen, Sun Screen, Sun Screen!!!
• If you end up with a sunburn, treat it with Aloe Vera, it will help the skin heal and will also assist with the burning feeling.
• Exfoliate your skin, whether it be with a scrub or an Exfoliating Body Lotion.
• Moisturize your body, legs, arms, stomach, and face. Make sure you're using the right moisturizer for your skin type.
• Use face masks, they're great for hydrating the skin, unclogging pores, and they leave your skin feeling smooth and glowing.
• Don't forget to love your lips and keep them hydrated and smooth with lip balm.
• Eat fruits! They help with keeping your skin radiant.
• Drink plenty of water!
• Don't itch bug bites. They will linger further and leave scars. Use healing lotions and creams.

3. Eat Healthy, nutritious foods.

Eating healthy is part of keeping your body happy and in tip-top shape for the summer months. Fresh fruits and veggies are continuously an excellent choice. Instead of going straight to the local store, try a farmers market instead. Not only does this encourage you to walk around more and keep energized, but Family farmers need your support.

With fresh produce from the farmers market, you're getting high-grade foods and know where your food is coming from, it isn't imported but locally raised and grown. This means you can obtain meats, cheeses, and eggs from animals that have been raised without the hormones or antibiotics that most grocery chain stores implement in their foods. Farmers also participate in organic methods, which means some of their products are Organic and non-GMO.

4. Take a break from social media/electronics.

Too often we miss out on summer fun by passing time on our phones. While relishing the warm weather, whether you're by a pool, beach, or in an airconditioned room, put the phone down and pick up a book instead.

There are many books on summer reading lists; one book that is a MUST read is The Violet Theory written by one of our very own We Heart It Writers, Elodie.

These are the Books On Our Summer "Must-Read" List

5. Use Your Green Thumb.

What better thing to do than to attempt to add new plants into the soil and have the opportunity to watch plants bloom and grow. Gardening is not only exceptional for the environment but it is therapeutic for you and gets you out of the house. Gardening provides you with the opportunity to spend time with yourself while planting, and when the garden is in bloom, you have a peaceful spot to unwind. If you don't have a place to form a garden, you can decorate with house plants that also have benefits, such as decreasing stress, anxiety and purifying the air.

6. Exercise

Exercising is a way to relieve built-up anger or stress you may be harboring. Exercising can assist with decluttering your mind which will help you focus more on other responsibilities. The best time to exercise is in the summer when you can run outside or swim in the pool!

There are various forms of exercising, but no matter what you do, remember to stay hydrated with exercising in the heat! Drink plenty of water and electrolytes.

• Walks/hikes to waterfalls, mountains, parks, or around the neighborhood.
• Kickboxing and boxing are great for building strength, stamina and for releasing built up anger.
• Swimming or water aerobics.
• Volleyball.
• Indoor or outdoor rock climbing.
• Kayaking.
• Surfing.

7. Self reflect.

• Self reflect on the qualities you love about yourself.
• Reflect on your friends and family; have you seen them lately? have you reached out to an old friend?
• Reflect on the goals you have accomplished in the last few years. Even if they're smallest of goals, they still count. Be proud of everything you have accomplished no matter how big or small they are!!
• Reflect on the chances you have taken that have turned out successful. And think about the chances you have yet to take; are you closer to taking them?
• Reflect on different ways to handle situations you may be in.
• Reflect and work towards the things you might be avoiding in life.
• Reflect on whether you have made yourself a priority. If you haven't put yourself first, you need too!
• Have you been focusing on the bigger picture of things?
• Reflect on the day.
• Reflect on your good qualities and utilize them.

8. Destress and take time for yourself.

it is easier said than done, but stop stressing!
Find ways that help soothe you in your times of stress.

• Listen to your favorite music.
• Take a warm bath, (don't make it too warm in the summer).
• Take time to breathe. Take 10 deep breaths.
• Doing something creative.
• Drink Green Tea.
• Get a massage.

9 Make sure to sleep.

With the chaos of school, family, friends and balancing everything, sometimes we lose focus on the fact that our body needs sleep to keep thriving.

Even though it is summer and we all live for the summer nights, remember to get good REM sleep. Stay away from caffeine and sugar before bed, it isn't healthy and will give you trouble with trying to fall asleep.

10. Be Kind to yourself.

Don't lose yourself comparing your growth to others, you are on your own path, on your own journey going at your own pace for a reason. Someone else might be one-hundred steps ahead of you, but that doesn't make you any less successful. it is okay to do things at your own pace. Be kind to yourself, remember that you are your only limitation.

• Remind yourself you are fabulous just how you are.
• Don't tear yourself down. No more negative comments about yourself! 
• Remind yourself that you are in this world for a reason; you have a purpose.
• Be the best version of yourself you can be.
• Forgive yourself. Nobody is perfect, and everybody makes mistakes, that is how we learn and keep growing.
• Don't forget to smile; it looks good on you.
• Remind yourself that you are worthy.
• Believe in yourself, believe in your goals and everything you strive for. Even if you think nobody is on your side, do NOT give up on yourself.