BY: Hadley Roy
Summer can feel fleeting, especially if you live in a northern climate. Sofiguring out how to make the most of it can be daunting. Below you’ll find five ideas for travel, activities, health- promoting behaviors to make this summer and the next worth savoring!
Try Tech Free Days
One easy way to help make the most of every moment is staying away from activities that take lots of time and provide little benefit. While smartphones can certainly be useful, they’re also prone to eating up hours that could be spent on more exciting or edifying activities. This summer, try tech free days (maybe play on the alliteration and go for Tuesdays and Thursdays) to give yourself some time back in the day for enjoying the finer things in life!
Get Cooking
Another great way to truly savor this wonderful season is to enjoy the bounty that nature has to offer in the kitchen or at the grill. Summer brings great opportunities to try new recipes and explore new ingredients. Consider checking out a farmers market to get the best local produce or spend a day visiting specialty shops to find new and interesting ingredients. Kids can get involved with cooking too! Pick recipes together and let kids help with prep. Trying new foods can broaden kids’ horizons and give parents’ daily dinner routine a new seasonal change-up.
Enjoy Nature
Summer is a great season to get outside! Spending time in the sun can be a great way to recharge and make memories. There is, of course, the classic beach trip. Walking barefoot on the sand is calming, fun, and a great workout. Plus, there’s lots of opportunities for family fun by the water. If beaches aren’t available in your area, try finding a hiking trail or metropark. Sand, rocks, mulch, or grass—time outside is sure to pay dividends.
DIY
A great way to keep the summer feeling going past the end of the warm season is DIY projects. By taking advantage of mild weather to work on fun home projects, you can enjoy the fruits of your labor all throughout the year. Consider building raised garden beds, making some new home decor, or refreshing an outdoor space like a patio.
Go Atomic
While January is the classic season for self improvement goals, there’s no reason not to take advantage of summer’s can-do feeling to build some new habits. Consider using the atomic framework, pioneered by James Clear, to reach your goals. His book Atomic Habits recommends breaking down your desired behavioral changes into small steps that are obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying. Try implementing this approach on a variety of topics listed in this article like screen-free time, a new outdoor hobby, or cooking more of your own meals.
Summer can fly by, but by making the most of your time, building family memories, sprucing up your space, and making habits that last, you can savor the benefits of the season long after the nights grow longer and the weather gets chilly! x
Hadley Roy H. is an Analytics Manager at Campbell Ewald, where she specializes in user experience optimization and creative analytics. Hadley lives with her husband, their 15 houseplants, and two sourdough starters in Southeast Michigan.
