Summer Wellness Tips for Mind & Body

Written By: Mary Abranyi | Issue: July 2023

Mary Abranyi is a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the owner of Cashiers Valley Fusion and Bungalow Boutique. At her establishments, she provides a range of classes, services, and products for mind, body, and home. These offerings include yoga, reiki, journaling, sound healing, movement for Parkinson’s classes, halo therapy salt room, full-spectrum infrared sauna, massage, and skin care.

Here are some tips to Hello Summer…my favorite time of year! That’s easy to say, having lived in the Highlands-Cashiers area for 21 years where I have been spoiled by the mildly warm temperatures and lush mountain fauna that accompany the longer days. There’s also an energy that comes with summer that can be uplifting, making health and wellness goals more attainable and easier to prioritize.

With that, I thought I’d share some wellness tips for mind and body since the summer season on the plateau has so much to offer when it comes to fun in the sun, embracing Mother Nature’s beauty and her bounty, and for DIY wellness.

Tip #1 – Move Your Body. Sit less and move more by incorporating activities like yoga, qigong, hiking, kayaking, swimming, or hitting the gym. These activities can help bring heart rate up, burn calories, improve circulation, increase endorphins, make you feel happier, increase energy levels, and build strength and flexibility.

Tip #2 – Nourish Your Body. Eat seasonal food, buying produce from locally grown CSA’s and farmer’s markets, explore new recipes that are full of color and nutrients to incorporate into your weekly meal plan, and order farm-fresh cuisine from local restaurants. Fresh juices and smoothies are also great additions to your diet. Making the switch to organic is also a great way to lighten the load of toxins the body’s organs must filter and may help keep disease at bay.

Tip #3 – Quiet Your Mind. Dedicate time to reducing the bombardment of mental chatter, fear, stress, and anxiety by incorporating techniques that trigger the parasympathetic nervous system, assisting in the release of the fight or flight response for the mind (and body).

Tip #4 – Practice Self-Care. Restore balance by being mindful and supportive of your health and wellbeing. Consider starting a morning routine that doesn’t involve work or caring for others. A routine that includes an element of mind/body exercise as mentioned above, prayer, reading, tea or coffee, or anything that makes you feel energized and ready for the day. Hydrating the skin by eating foods like lettuce, cucumber, and watermelon, drinking plenty of water, taking regular sauna sessions, skin care treatments for face and body, dry brushing and other exfoliating practices, massage, and vitamin D through sunlight, food, and supplements.

Tip #5 – Have Fun. Make time for things that make you smile and laugh. Enjoy time with family and friends, catch a sporting event, have a game night, dance like no one is watching, listen to music, or maybe catch a live show. Do things that create a playful spark. Be silly. Try new activities. Fun can lessen stress, lead to better sleep, ease pain, help you cope, and keep your spirit young.

Happy Summer!