The clocks have moved forward and everything is starting to peek out from behind winter’s shadow (cherry blossoms, workout-starved bodies, dark roots!). According to psychologists, human beings are programmed to go into rest mode when it’s dark, and to be more active and in high spirits when it’s bright; which is exactly why people are positively joi-ful on a beautiful spring day. Here, more ways to shine, inside and out, this season…
SEE THE LIGHT
Light has an enormous impact on mood, thanks to an upsurge of the happiness hormone, serotonin, and a diminishment of the sleep hormone, melatonin, when the sun starts to shine. So take advantage of welcoming mornings and longer days by getting outside as much as possible. You’ll actually trigger the pineal gland, which sends orders to the brain to make you feel cheery.
BUMP UP THE BLONDE
If you’re thinking about taking those highlights up a few notches over the next few months, give them a head start by revitalizing your blonde with Blonde Life Brightening Shampoo and Conditioner. Swap them out for your regular cleanser and you’ll also be protecting hair from damaging elements — the healthiest, best possible canvas for lightened locks.
FRESHEN THE HOME FRONT
In the same way your wintery palette lent a cozy feel to your home in the colder months, adding a sense of airy lightness can get you in the right mindset for spring. Hit the discount stores for natural-looking throw pillows (linen, white denim, nubby weaves), along with clusters of fresh white candles, green plants, and lots of light-bouncing mirrors.
COLOR YOUR WORLD
You’ve started walking, signed up for that yoga class, and vowed to put more nutritious food on the shopping list. Just make sure plenty of vibrant produce is at the top of it, say a host of nutrition experts, who claim there’s a strong day-to-day relationship between positive mood and higher fruit-and-vegetable consumption.
DRESS THE PART
Like an actor on a stage, sometimes all it takes it the right costume to get into character. (Or in this case, get a spring in your step.) Pull out your favorite woven fedora; that paler, roomier tote; the pair of wedge espadrilles that you’ve been missing…and watch as your mood become as light as your outfit.
