Spring is upon is in a big way, and naturally, with the change of seasons, we are all looking to spruce up our body, mind, home and heart. Sometimes it’s not about the big changes but more about the little ways we can implement wellness into our everyday lifestyle that really makes the long-lasting difference. I asked several W&D contributors how they plan to get into a wellness groove this April and they shared a few simple ways they are clearing out their head space, exercising more, eating healthier and getting outdoors to grab some fresh air. We hope this post motivates you and gives a few pointers on how to improve your health this spring. We would love to hear in the comments below what your wellness plans are as the weather warms up!

• Bridget Borden, Studio 125 Manager: “I’m trying to incorporate wellness into my daily routine – I drink a mix of hot water, apple cider vinegar and lemon in the morning, matcha green tea throughout the day and hot water with Reishi in the evenings.  Also, I love my barre classes and am full into any challenges they offer.”

• Colleen Eversman of  2ndTruth: “I’ve been going to The Firm and spinning at least twice a week + going to yoga in-between. I’ve also been trying to eat less bread and dairy (I did the Whole 30 and discovered that bread and dairy make me super bloated). Drinking at least my body weight in ounces of water – it turns out, staying well hydrated helps my skin not freak out. And, being outside with Ellie (my pup) to run her for at least 30 mins a day. It’s great for her health and surprisingly restoring for me to be outside.”

• Nora McInerny, author of best-selling memoir It’s Okay to Laugh (crying is cool, too): “Okay, two things: 1) I have deleted social media on my phone for the most part because it is not good for me! and 2) I am just trying to see exercise as a way to be nice to me. Not as a should, but as an – I can.”

• Stefani Ellenbecker, W&D Editorial Director: “My goal is to make it to yoga twice a week and to only have wine on the weekends. I also live near a lake and tennis courts so I try to utilize those resources as much as possible.”

• Becky Lang, W&D Contributor: “I recently worked with a dietitian who opened my eyes to all the ways that small food choices can dramatically change my long-term health and current wellbeing. Now, my goal is to turn what I’ve learned into habit. My spring wellness goals consist of: 1. Eating enough protein throughout the day to help me sleep better at night (protein is a building block of melatonin). 2. Choosing organic meat and fish whenever possible. 3. Limiting sugar and refined carbohydrates, especially since my family has a history of diabetes. 4. Learning to cook with spices outside of my normal wheelhouse.”

• Liz Welle, W&D Contributor: “I started getting serious about taking vitamins! I’m anemic as hell and always feel more rejuvenated when I’m giving my body the proper nutrients it needs. I just found this site called Care/Of, aside from being extremely cute, builds personalized daily vitamin packs.”

• Megan McCarty, W&D Contributor: “I’m on the search for a good ol’ fashioned alarm clock – nothing that glows neon, please – so I can turn my phone off every night. My body recognizes when it’s off; I immediately find a zen vibe where that evil Instagram everyone-else-has-a-cooler-life disease doesn’t exist. I don’t instinctually grab for it, I don’t scroll endlessly through one’s social media feed to the next to the next and then back to the first one until it’s way past my bedtime, I don’t wake up in the middle of the night to check meaningless emails. And I sleep better. Imagine that. (If anyone has a suggestion for a sleek, classic alarm clock, send links my way!)”

• Fred Smith, W&D Contributor. “Now that the weather is nice, I take a long mid-day walk. Often, I eat lunch at my desk while working because, in consulting world, time is literally money. However, the lunch hour is when I am beholden to no one. Sometimes I drive home and walk the dog; sprinting after our ‘bowling ball with legs’ Boston Terrier while wearing wingtips makes me look like a dope. But it gets my heart pumping for the rest of the day ahead, and helps me avoid the afternoon crash which IS dope. Even getting fresh air (without looking at your phone) and moving outside for 10 minutes is a game-changer.”

• Allie Arends, W&D Contributor: “I started a new job where one of my colleagues offers free yoga classes 2 mornings out of the week. The first week I went, I was miserable. By the second week, I was feeling more energized and focused throughout the day than I had in a long time. It has inspired me to integrate morning workouts into my weekday routine. Bonus? I can come home from a long day of work and go straight to the couch and Netflix without an ounce of guilt.”

• Bridgette Dutkowski, Managing Director at W&D: “Water. Drink more water. Also, just get outside. Winter is so tough here in MN and I feel energized and refreshed being outside. I love sleeping with the windows open, I wake up to the sounds of the birds.”

• Tala Ciatti, Clinical Mental Health Counselor, and W&D Contributor: “My goal is to ease into spring like a true Minnesotan…slowly and cautiously. I’m taking 10 quiet minutes in the morning for slow stretching while I pray. I’m gathering the supplies to make my own kombucha. (And I’m saving those kombucha dollars for something fun in the summertime.) I’m going to complete this Whole30 and postpone the sugary celebration so that I can reintroduce foods and pay attention to my body’s reactions.”

• Amanda Paa, Food Blogger, and W&D Contributor: “One way I’ve committed to updating my wellness routine this spring is to take a 10-minute walk after lunch, before diving back into my desk work. Not only does this help keep me moving, it allows me to come back refreshed, satisfied, and happy to have fresh air. I often get caught in the multi-tasking “busy,” which this little wellness activity also helps me to focus on just one thing.”

• Kate Smith, Writer and W&D Contributor: “I used to think working out or being active meant a ten-mile run or a Bikram yoga class that knocked you on your ass (in the best way). Today, I’m learning you don’t have to compartmentalize fitness from the rest of your daily activities, especially as a parent of two small children. Instead, I tread lightly on “wellness multitasking,” that is, putting down two yoga mats so my son can stretch with me during play time or racing him around the courtyard at the Minneapolis Institute of Art while pushing his sister in a stroller—you know, for the extra steps. It’s not quite the same, but it’s something.”

Image for Truce by 2ndTruth