Your ticket to a relaxing summer might be obvious, creative…or just plain goofy!
Topic Of Discussion
Summer fun is real…but so are summer ruts! If you’re looking for some ideas to spice up your summer, look no further! Read on for 20 different ideas from normal to creative to goofy:
- Go to the beach. Or a lake! Or a river! Whatever your local water source is, spending summertime there is a classic for a reason. (Just don’t forget your sunscreen.
- Read a book. You could even do it AT the beach!
- If you want to get wild, you could even try to read a little every day! Like 20 minutes or more to really lock in. How about joining a summer reading program at your local library? Not only might it help you commit to chill time, sometimes there are also prizes!
- Play a daily game with your pet for 15 minutes (with no distractions!) Does your cat love that shoelace? Or does your dog love that ball? Summer’s the best season to show pets love…and love yourself in the process. Have some fun, and bonus: the more you wear Sparky out, the better you’ll BOTH probably rest later.
- Color! Sure you can buy one of the fancy adult coloring books…or you can also buy that “just-for-kids” one of your favorite cartoon character. Who cares? IT’S SUMMER!
- Have a weekly summer movie night. Making a list of all your favorite summer movies might remind you how many there really are!
- Watch every episode of a TV show by September 1st. If you’re task-oriented, task yourself with relaxing by committing to a serious summer TV binge. Just keep in mind that all 21 seasons of that show might be a little ambitious for your timeline…or is it?!
- Make a summer time capsule. People tend to think big with time capsules…but why not make yourself a little time capsule to open at the start of next summer? By saving mementos of what made this summer fun, you’ll set yourself up for success next summer and give yourself a chance to celebrate your growth in the process.
- Find a dupe recipe of your favorite candy or crunchy snack and make it. Sure you could always buy it, but trying to make it might be that much more fun.
- Decide on a summer comfort meal, then get creative with variations of it. Best done with grilled cheese. Or pasta. Or anything you can make with your favorite ingredients.
- Take a walk with a mission to find a house in your neighborhood you’ve never seen before. Even if you’re a big walk-taker, sometimes it’s easy to take what’s in our own backyards for granted. Walk with sharper eyes than ever, and see what you find!
- Make bracelets for at least ten different people. You don’t even have to be a Taylor Swift fan! Beads and elastic are usually pretty easy to come by, you’ll keep your hands busy for a bit, and next time you need an easy gift for someone, you’ll have these on hand!
- Write someone a dramatic letter about your summer. Channel your favorite comedian, and give a friend or family member (and yourself!) a laugh.
- Listen to at least five different albums in full that you’ve never listened to before. When you think about it, most albums don’t take any longer to listen to than one episode of TV or so. Kickback with your headphones and focus on listening to something new.
- Buy every kind of frozen pizza at the grocery store and have friends over for a taste test. Everybody loves a party that a) doesn’t cost a lot of money and b) has a structured activity! This one has both! You can assign everyone a specific pizza to buy.
- Spend a day celebrating Christmas in July if you’ve got the summer blues! Crank that AC, bake some cookies, and turn on Home Alone for a little while.
- Knit a scarf to keep yourself warm in the fall, OR…
- …learn to knit! Whether from a YouTube video or a friend, it’s an easy skill to pick up!
- Start a Monopoly game and keep it going until someone actually wins. Just set it up on a table you won’t need to clear off for a while because this could go for DAYS!
- Draw a chalk mural on the sidewalk outside your house. Whether with stick-figures or the skills you’ve got from your art degree, you’ll have fun AND make passersby smile.
Wrapping it up
Still in a rut? It’s always okay to ask for help. Our therapists at Tri-Star Counseling can help you get to the bottom of what’s holding you back and beat the summer blues for good!
