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Take Care of Yourself Over Summer Break

Apr 23, 2021
Take Care of Yourself Over Summer Break
Summer break – a time for relaxation, creating fun memories with friends and enjoying some sunshine. While you might be taking a break from school, your health does not go on break. Maintaining your health during summer break can be easy and fun!

Summer break – a time for relaxation, creating fun memories with friends and enjoying some sunshine. While you might be taking a break from school, your health does not go on break. Maintaining your health during summer break can be easy and fun! Here are some ways to look out for your health over summer break: 

Mental health

Rest and relaxation. After working hard in school for the last nine months, your mind needs time to rest. Allow your mind the opportunity to rest and process the new information from your school year. Overloading your mind can lead to burnout and decreased efficiency for learning during the next school year. 

Pick up a new hobby. Not all learning has to be academic and inside of a classroom. A great way to give your mind a break while continuing to develop your knowledge is to start a new hobby. Learning a new skill helps to relieve stress and keep your mind sharp while not overloading it. This could be a physical hobby like skateboarding or yoga or more of a mentally challenging hobby like pottery or learning a new language. 

Physical health 

SPF is no joke! Fun in the sun is what summer is all about, right? If you’re spending time in the sun over break, don’t forget your sunscreen. Protecting your skin from the sun’s UV rays helps prevent painful sunburns and long-term health problems like skin cancer. As recommended by Nationwide Children’s Hospital, sunscreen should be applied to all exposed skin at least 30 minutes before going outside. If you are in the sun for prolonged periods of time, reapplication should be every two hours. It should be incorporated into your skincare routine to prevent any future skin damage.

Get moving. Remaining active is an important part of your health even during a break. Summer break is a great time to fit movement into your day without working around a busy school schedule. You can start or end your day with your favorite kind of physical activity, or you can use it as a midday break. Grab some friends or take some time to yourself to fit movement into your day. Kayaking, water-skiing, swimming, roller-blading, running, cycling, walking – the possibilities are endless! 

Fueling your body. Your body needs nutrient-rich food to keep up with your busy summer activities. Having readily available snacks to fuel your body throughout the day is a great way to stay on top of your health. Fresh fruits and vegetables are quick snacks that are packed with nutrients and antioxidants and require minimal effort to prepare. If you enjoy making more complex snacks for your day, check out some of these nutrient-packed recipes from Healthline.

Reminders for taking care of your vaginal health 

Proper cleaning. Summer months mean warmer weather. For most, this will increase their sweat production – it’s okay, it’s completely natural. If your sweat level increases over the summer, make sure you are properly cleaning your vagina. Excess sweat build-up in your vaginal area can lead to yeast or bacterial infections if a proper cleaning routine is not done regularly. Avoid any scented soaps, douches or tampons. Only clean the vaginal area with water and unscented, sensitive soaps. Anywhere there is hair can be washed. Never inside the vagina. 

Swimming while on your period. If you have your period, you don’t have to miss out on fun summer activities like swimming. Different feminine hygiene products are available that can be used while swimming. Visit our previous blog on Teen Period Control to learn about your options and find the best product for you. 

Summer break is a time for memories, sunshine and taking care of your health. Try including these easy 7 simple practices into your daily routine to maintain your health. Your summer will rock if you’re feeling your best.