Spring is in the Air

With the great spring-like weather we have been having at Purdue, I couldn't help but think how wonderful Spring is. This post may be a little different than my previous ones, but I think you will enjoy it just the same. Along with the break in the weather, the season comes full of physical, emotional and spiritual benefits.

-Reasons to Love Spring

1. More Hours of Daylight- Spring has the perk of longer daylight hours than winter and fall. This is great news for people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), whose moods are affected by certain seasons of the year and may even experience depression during the longer nights and shorter days of fall and winter. A longer day means it's light when we wake up, which is a natural mental pick-me-up first thing in the morning, says Philip R. Muskin, M.D., professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center. Plus, returning home when it's still light out can be more energizing, adds Dr. Muskin.

2. Brighter Days- During winter months the sun's intensity decreases, meaning fewer brighter days. Spring entails frequent radiant days. Dr. Muskin says that brighter days are beneficial for mental health in a non-specific way, but that on "gray days we all feel sluggish and down, and on bright days we're all more likely to be perky."

3. Being in Nature- Get your daily dose of the "five senses" in nature, says Mary Beth Miller, a horticultural therapist. She says getting in touch with nature through sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing helps reduce stress levels. Even just five minutes "can sometimes refresh people in ways they never dreamed possible."

4. Singing Birds- As the birds return from warmer locations, their songs are brought with them, which have long been associated with lifting human spirits. Dr. Muskin says that's because these tunes can evoke happy memories.

5. Greenery- The restorative effects of green spaces have been studied by Frances E. Kuo, a faculty member at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. They found that public housing residents with access to less greenery had more reported instances of aggression, violence and mental fatigue.

6. Smelling Flowers- Sniffing flowers can trigger happy emotions, increase life satisfaction and affect social behavior. According to "An Environmental Approach to Positive Emotion: Flowers," a study in behavioral research conducted at Rutgers University in New Jersey, being surrounded by flowers with your favorite colors may even enhance these benefits.

7. Fresh Produce- Dr. Muskin says it's only natural for us to notice springtime beauties: the grass peeking up from the ground, the buds on the trees, the start of flowers -- because our hunter-gatherer ancestors did this as they waited for the abundance of food that the warmer seasons offered. The variety of fresh produce options gives people more incentive to pick healthier foods.

8. Spending Time Outside- "There's the impulse to be out," says Dr. Muskin, adding, "When you're outside, you tend to be exercising -- and exercise is good for people. The more you exercise, typically the better you feel." You don't have to sweat to reap the benefits of exercise; a nice spring walk can be good for your bones and heart, Muskin says.

9. Swimming- Not only can this help beat exercise boredom, swimming works your whole body providing benefits through cardiovascular conditioning and calorie burning. It is also a low impact exercise unlike biking and running which can put pressure on your knees.

The Caffeine Nap

Late one night in the lobby of my dorm I picked up Field and Stream magazine (clearly avoiding homework) and found an interesting article on an energy tip. I was searching down the Table of Contents and saw the title The Caffeine Nap. This immediately caught my interest because I happen to love both coffee and napping and wondered how the two could be related.

As I read the article I learned that sleep researchers at the Loughborough University in Britain did several tests on fatigued drivers to compare the effects of different methods that a driver can use to stay awake. They put the volunteers in driving simulators while they were sleepy and let them drive. Some of the tests included rolling down windows for cold exposure, blasting the radio and slapping oneself in the face to try to stay awake. But, what researchers found worked the best was a Caffeine Nap.

The Caffeine Nap is easy. You simply drink a cup of coffee and immediately take a 15 minute nap. Researchers found coffee helps clear your system of adenosine, a chemical which makes you sleepy. So in testing, the combination of a cup of coffee with an immediate nap chaser provided the most alertness for the longest period of time. The recommendation was to nap only 15 minutes, no more or no less and you must sleep immediately after the coffee.

I thought this tip may be useful since it is inexpensive and accessible to practically anyone. I have not tried this out for myself yet, but I intend to the next time I need a quick pick-me-up.