Move up your bedtime, try these spring cleaning tips and catch up on Oscar-nominated films: 11 health tips for a great month - chof 360 news

Buh-bye, winter. Between daylight saving time (March 9) and the start of spring (March 20), brighter, longer and (fingers crossed) warmer days are ahead. There’s a lot to love about this time, from the milder weather that makes being outside so much more appealing to the fresh produce coming to rescue you from a root vegetable rut. It’s time to bloom, baby — and the tips below will help you be your best, healthiest self this month.

???? Plan a movie night. The Oscars are tomorrow night, and if you don’t know your Anora from your Emilia Pérez, there’s still time to catch up. See which Best Picture contenders can be streamed here, and don’t feel bad about all that binge-watching. There can be mental health benefits to watching a movie — even one you’ve seen dozens of times already — whether it’s Conclave or Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.

⏰ Spring forward. Time to start turning in early. Daylight saving time goes into effect at 2 a.m. (which will become 3 a.m.) on Sunday, March 9. The good news is that this means the days are getting longer and you can finally remember what it’s like to leave the office while the sun is still out. The bad news is that, on top of losing an hour of sleep, the time change can have some disruptive effects on your health. Your best bet is to ease into it by moving your bedtime up 20 minutes each night before the change.

???? Clean up. It’s spring cleaning season again, but don’t groan. Having a clean space comes with all sorts of mental and physical health benefits (ask anyone with allergies), and you’re getting some incidental exercise when you mop floors and scrub counters. But if doing a big deep clean feels overwhelming — we get it! — try breaking it up into specific, doable tasks. Maybe on Monday you descale your coffeemaker and/or tea kettle; on Tuesday, you put on your favorite podcast and tackle your bathroom tiles until it’s over; on Wednesday, you fill a bag with expired castoffs from your pantry and fridge … you get the idea.

???? Go nuts. The first day of March, aka Peanut Month, happens to be National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day. Assuming you don’t have a nut allergy, peanut butter can be a nice little protein-packed treat — but you want to watch out for varieties with lots of added sugar and high sodium. Natural peanut butters made with just peanuts and salt are your best bet, and, as Today notes, you can just stir it before consuming to get rid of that oily top layer. Make a PB&J, spread it on apple slices or plop a dollop into your morning oatmeal.

???? Watch your mouth. March 20 is World Oral Health Day, which means it’s a good time to consider how well you treat your teeth. A few things we’ve learned lately:

???? Get lucky. It’s a big month for people who believe in luck — like finding a four-leaf clover on St. Patrick’s Day or getting the plastic baby in your slice of king cake this Mardi Gras. While these lucky tokens are unlikely to make or break your day, being open to luck is tied to having an optimistic mindset that psychologists say can help usher in good things, not to mention less stress and a more positive attitude. Being positive and playful (aka “lemonading”) can also help you better navigate life’s challenges.

???? Use it or lose it. If your 2024 flexible savings account didn’t expire at the end of last year, you’ll have until March 15 to use any remaining funds on qualifying services or health-related purchases. Can you squeeze in a last-minute dermatologist appointment you didn’t get to last year? Need new eyeglasses or have a prescription to fill? If you have no other pressing health issues, you can spend your remaining balance at the FSA Store, which is stocked with everything from cold meds to fancy light therapy masks.

???? Drink up. Raise a glass of H2O for National Kidney Month. Along with diet, exercise and healthy blood sugar and blood pressure levels, being hydrated is an important part of reducing your risk of kidney disease. How much water a person should be drinking each day is highly individualized — age, sex, activity level and the climate in your area are just a few factors to consider — but 2 (for women) to 3 (for men) liters per day is a good target. A fun water bottle can help, or you can try starting your day with a glass or two before you get your coffee fix.

???? Chomp on celery. Let’s give it up for National Celery Month. If you think celery is too watery and stringy, you’re not necessarily wrong — but you are overlooking this humble veggie’s health benefits. Celery hydrates, helps fight inflammation and contains antioxidants, plus vitamin K, potassium and plenty of fiber. Chop some up and add to a salad, or smear a rib with some peanut butter or cottage cheese for a healthy snack. You can also use celery leaves to enhance a salad, pasta or soup (or even make your own pesto), while celery seeds, which have more of a bitter taste, are also having a moment.

???? Make a March Madness bracket. Know bupkis about college basketball? Doesn’t matter. Joining your friends, family or co-workers in a little friendly competition can strengthen social ties and foster fandom (like when that random underdog you picked solely because of the cute mascot actually wins). And who knows? You might suddenly become passionate about researching teams’ strengths and weaknesses and get more emotionally invested in the game — all of which is good for your brain and your well-being. (It just so happens that our pals at chof360 Sports have an online bracket creator here.)

???? Check out the blood moon. Experiencing awe benefits your mental health, so mark your calendar for the total lunar eclipse — the first one visible in the U.S. in nearly three years — happening overnight on March 13-14. Because the moon will take on a rusty red appearance as it passes the Earth’s shadow, this eclipse has been dubbed a “blood moon.” The best time to see it will vary depending on your time zone, but plan to stay up past your usual bedtime.