Why is Summer Safety So Important?
Summer safety is something that constantly needs to be addressed. This is because as teens get out of school, they lose their normal schedule that they have during the school year. With no set schedule and more free time, teenagers can fall into bad habits such as disrupted sleep schedules, not eating healthy or drinking enough water, not getting enough exercise, making poor decisions such as alcohol and drug use, and not wearing sunscreen.
Importance of Sunscreen
It is extremely important that over the summer, you take the extra five or ten minutes to apply sunscreen. Not only is a sunburn itchy, painful and annoying, but it also has extremely negative effects on your body. These affects to your skin include:
Creates more wrinkles
Makes you look older
Increases your risk of skin cancer heavily (the sun fries our DNA which causes mutations that lead to skin cancers.)
Making Good Choices
While teenagers minds are still developing, using substances such as nicotine, alcohol, marijuana and other drugs are extremely harmful.
“Sending mixed messages or no messages about drug use is a strategy aimed at adult minds, yet we are not dealing with adult minds. Teens are thus more likely to use drugs in a dangerous way and are more likely to engage in dangerous activities alongside drug use.”
“Our brains are still developing until age 26,” Dr. Lane says. “In teens, the frontal cortex is especially undeveloped — the area of the brain that plans ahead, takes precautions, and develops reward patterns that determine what we pursue to feel good.”
Eating Healthy
3 meals every day is crucial!!
It is necessary to have breakfast, lunch and dinner every day with a variety of fruits, vegetables, proteins and carbs!
Get Plenty of Exercise
Staying in the habit of keeping exercising in your routine is so important!
What does exercise do for the body and mind?
Reduce anxiety and stress
Keep you healthy
Build strong bones and muscles
Improve mental health
Improve ability to do everyday activities
Keep you in shape
Improve brain health
Reduce risk of disease
Manage weight
Stay Hydrated
Whether you're going to the beach, six flags, hanging at the pool, exercising or staying home, you must remember to stay hydrated during the summer heat and humidity.
During the hotter temperatures of the summer, our bodies require more water than normal.
Dehydration in the summer leads to…
Dizziness
Fatigue
Headaches
Fainting
Thirst
Irritability
+ More
Create a Good Sleep Schedule
Having a good sleep schedule means getting at least 7-8 hours or more of sleep per night, going to bed at a reasonable time and waking up at a reasonable time. Going to bed at 3am every night and waking up at 2 pm is not a good sleep schedule.
Teenagers need lots of sleep and require more sleep than adults because
“In teenagers, good quality sleep is especially important for physical health, emotional and mental development, and school performance. During the teenage years, sleep benefits brain development and function, which enhances attention span and improves memory and cognitive abilities.”