Look after your senses in summer
Look after your senses in summer
Our everyday lives are dependent on five senses – sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Summer is a full-on experience of sensory delights, from the beautiful blue skies, ice cream at the beach and the warm sun on our skin, to smelling the salty ocean and hearing the waves break on the shore. Here are a few tips on how to look after your five senses this summer.
A sight for summertime
Summer in Australia is as hot as it comes, and looking after your eyes in this bright season is a priority. Not only are sunglasses stylish they are also the perfect way to protect your eyes from UV rays. This is necessary because there is an increased likelihood of someone developing an eye ailment due to long-term or direct exposure to sunlight. It also helps to keep dust and small insects out of your eyes.
Taste testing
Your taste and smell senses work hand in hand, and when one is impaired, it has an effect on the other. The spring and summer season means there is an increased amount of pollen in the air, and if you have allergies this may mean a runny nose, headaches and possibly even a change in your taste. These symptoms are guaranteed to put you on a downer for the summer holidays. What a pain when all you want to do is enjoy the many tastes alfresco lunches and dinners have to offer.
Sound of music, birds and waves
What is better than relaxing at the beach or pool when it’s blazing hot outside? Nothing really comes close. However, there is something that could stop you from enjoying this activity – swimmer’s ear. This usually happens when water remains trapped in your ear after swimming, which creates a moist environment which aids bacterial growth. To avoid swimmer’s ear consider wearing earplugs when you swim and avoid swimming in dirty water.
Summer is in the air
The scents of summer are enough to send your sense of smell into sensory overload, quite literally. The smells of beautiful flowers in bloom and freshly cut grass create a bouquet of perfume for the olfactory passage. For hay fever sufferers, this isn’t ideal because pollen and grass allergies tend to go haywire during this time.
Soothing to the touch
The sun not only causes sunburn, it also makes the ground and other surfaces very hot. Protect your skin from the rays of the sun with a good broad-spectrum sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30. Make sure when you go out to the beach you take your comfiest pair of slops or sandals, otherwise, you risk burning the soles of your poor feet on the scorching sand or pavements. Soothe sore skin with lotions made from Aloe Vera and give your hot, sore feet the treatment they deserve with cooling peppermint foot creams or soaks.