The magic of summer is a phenomenon everyone should have the chance to experience. Feeling the sun on your face, shedding winter layers, and watching nature blossom are all parts of the enchanting summer spell. Every summer season, the sun’s rays become more intense due to the sun being higher in the sky but try taking the time this summer to explore your favorite ways to bask in and appreciate our extraordinary planet.
Benefits of Gardening
Gardening is one of the most popular spring and summer hobbies among all age groups. It functions as a way to enjoy the warm weather, participate in the joyous cycle of life, and so much more. If you are a gardener, you might already be experiencing some of the benefits listed below. If you are a skeptic or a curious observer, read on to understand why plenty look forward to spring gardening every year.
- Improved Diet: Gardening for some means beautiful flower beds and planning what floral arrangements will be most aesthetically pleasing. However, others view their garden as a food source and focus on planting fruits and vegetables to ensure they have produce all summer long. Gardeners who grow their own vegetables are more likely to eat more produce and overall have a healthier diet.
- Social Connection: Gardening is a long-practiced spring and summer tradition that is loved by people of all ages. It is a welcoming community that likes to share their gardening experiences and help each other flourish. If you are a beginner gardener and have questions about getting started, your local community might contain answers. Social connections with those who share your interests can provide a support system you can lean on in good and bad times. Be sure to check out inclusive gardening groups in your area.
- Time in Nature: Studies have proven that spending time outside in nature is essential to maintaining a balanced body and mind. More time spent outside has been proven to improve mental health and gardening is a fantastic way to spend time outside. Time outdoors has shown to reduce your heart rate and muscle tension, and sunlight can lower blood pressure and increase vitamin D levels. Starting to garden takes planning and work but your plants’ strict watering schedule will ensure you get at least a little time enjoying the outdoors every day.
Blocking Out the Sun
The summer season is a crowd favorite, as the summer months come with warmer weather, outdoor sports, gardening, and much more. But with all these wonderful benefits, it can be easy to forget about protecting against the sun instead of just basking in it. Wearing sunscreen and sun-resistant clothing is the best way to save your skin from the sun’s harmful rays.
Sun-Protective Clothing
If sunscreen isn’t your favorite way to protect against the sun, sun-resistant clothing might be the answer. Sun-protective clothing can absorb or block harmful UV radiation, and the beauty of clothing is that it is reusable, plus you never have to reapply.
Sun-protective clothing is measured on the Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) for its ability to block both UVA and UVB rays. If a piece of clothing has a rating between 30-49, it qualifies for The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Recommendation Seal and is considered very good protection. If the score is 50 or above, that is scored as excellent sun protection.
Be conscious with your clothing choices, as clothing’s protection ability depends on a number of factors such as color, construction, content, fit, and coverage. Darker colors absorb UV rays before they reach your skin, dense clothing like canvas and synthetic fibers let in fewer UVs, and clothing that has more skin coverage is always preferred for sun protection. If you are looking for clothing with specific UPF ratings, there are numerous brands that make sun-repellent clothing.
Whether you are taking a trip this summer or just looking to protect you and your family from the sun’s harmful rays, finding the right sunscreen and protective clothing can be a game-changer for your skin’s health and longevity.
A Vision-Conscious Spring
Just as skin can get damaged and burnt from the sun, so can your eyes. Have you or a loved one ever had itchy, red eyes after a long day outside in the sun? You could have been experiencing the beginning symptoms of eye sunburn, or photokeratitis. This unfortunate affliction occurs when the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays damage your cornea and the thin layer covering the whites of your eyes. Sunburnt eye symptoms include eye pain, red and/or watery eyes, decreased vision, swollen eyelids, and headache. To prevent your eyes from getting sunburnt this summer, peruse the tips below to best learn how to protect your eyes.
UV Sunglasses
Wearing sunglasses is a necessary and essential precaution to protect your eyes in bright sunlight. However, the kind of sunglasses, more specifically the type of lenses, is what matters most. Not all sunglasses shield your eyes against the sun’s harmful UV rays. Cheaper sunglasses don’t typically protect against UV rays, so investing in a quality pair of sunglasses that have 100% protection from UVA and UVB rays is worth the investment.
Summer Hats
Wearing hats isn’t just for the chilly winter months. Summer hats are just as important as winter hats, as summer hats usually have a wide brim to protect the face and eyes from the sun. Summer hats include baseball caps, visors, floppy beach hats, fishing/boating hats, and more. All these hats have large brims that protect the face, sometimes the neck, and most importantly shield the eyes. Ideally, the brim of your hat is at least three inches wide, as a 3-inch brim should adequately cover the eyes and some of the face. The best eye protection involves combining a wide-brim hat and UV sunglasses. Pairing both ensures that your eyes get exposed to as little light as possible.