Secrets to a feel-good spring!

Beautiful spring days are finally here, and these clever tricks can help you sail into the season in peak health!

- Brenda Kearns

Curb stress with a cheery cardigan

We love these warmer, sunnier days. But the edginess that builds as our spring schedules become more packed and we start feeling more rushed? Not so much. To melt tension in seconds, don a cheery cardigan or your favorite colorful top. Research out of Cyprus published in the journal SAGE Open found that gazing at happy, summery colors stimulates nerves in the back of the eyes, prompting them to send "stay calm" messages to the brain.

OR SNIFF A TREE! It may sound strange, but standing near a tree and breathing in its distinctive aroma could help you feel calmer and more relaxed in 2 minutes. Trees release calming aromatic compounds (called phytoncides) that are easily absorbed through the lungs, Italian researchers explain, spurring feelings of relaxation almost instantly.

A blissful way to keep headaches at bay

Add a few moments of joy to every day (try reading on the porch or admiring daffodils in your garden), and you'll cut your risk of spring headaches by 60%. A Norwegian study suggests that regularly enjoying happy breaks calms spasming neck and scalp muscles, boosts pain threshold and eases inflammation.