Summertime can be a perfect time to revisit your skincare and wellness practices. It’s also a great season to refresh your preventative health practices and care for both your mind and body.
Our team at Harmony Healthcare Orlando is here to provide you with the right tools to help them take charge of your health. Your whole health! Sometimes this includes testing for STIs, treatment for HIV, or connecting you to a caring case manager for non-medical needs. Other times it includes tips to help you care for yourself throughout your daily life.
5 Simple Wellness Practices You Can Start Today:
Sunscreen and Sun Protection
This time of year, there is naturally more exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays that can take a toll on the largest organ in the body – the skin. Sun exposure does aid in the body’s uptake of vitamin D, but too much can lead to damaging sunburn, premature skin aging, and a higher risk of skin cancer.
For this reason, reach for sunscreen regularly. Choose a sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 60 or higher for extended outdoor time or beach days. SPF 30 is a good choice for regular daily wear. Additionally, find a shady spot when outside for extended periods to protect your skin and body from the effects of the sun and high heat.
Sexual Health and Wellness
Summertime is also the perfect time to revisit sexual health and wellness practices. One simple way is getting regular STI screening if you are experiencing health signals, have been recommended by a doctor, or if you want to stay in the know about your sexual wellness. We provide testing services at no cost to our patients and community at Harmony Healthcare Orlando.
Sexual health and wellness start with getting smart about your body. Along with this comes growing positive relationships through open and honest conversation with your partner(s) about needs, boundaries, safety, and prevention.
Manage Stress
Another health concern that plagues us all is stress. This silent health issue brings noticeable and harmful side effects, including low energy levels, decreased sex drive, insomnia, lowered immune functions, increased heart rate, and pain in the stomach, chest, and head. It can be hard to pin down these symptoms as stress-related. But with stress management practices, many of these symptoms can be reduced or effectively alleviated. Stress-reducing practices can include:
- Living by realistic goals and expectations for yourself. No one is perfect!
- Revisit your values and ensure that you are running your life and that your life is not running you.
- Practice saying no when your schedule is at max. Try to remember that the expectations of others are not your barometer.
- Seek out counseling to have a safe and trusted ally and advisor on your stress management journey.
Balanced Diet
Proper nutrition is also a way you can take charge of your wellness. Summertime is a great time to stock up on fresh foods that are not found as readily during other seasons. Who doesn’t love a juicy watermelon, fresh peach, sweet ear of corn, or crisp salad greens?
Making a few nutritional changes to your diet can lead to better eating habits over the long haul. The benefits of a healthy diet include a boost in immunity, stronger bones and muscle, a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes, and many more.
Get Moving
Last but not least on the list of beneficial wellness practices is movement. Summertime is a great time to try more outdoor activities. A fun and simple place to start is to pick one new or well-loved exercise to practice and commit to doing it regularly this season. Some local summer activities can be:
- Hiking
- Canoeing, kayaking, and water-sports
- Snorkeling and swimming
- Biking
Make Us Part of Your Wellness Routine
Contact the Harmony Healthcare Orlando team today and discover how we can help you take charge of your health this summer. We are here for you!
