Simple Summer Wellbeing Tips
With summer well and truly here, making the most of the sunshine whilst also tackling the realities of work and home life can make for a tricky balancing act, one that can impact our sense of wellbeing.
So how can you make the most of the most of this, the most vibrant and joyful of seasons? Read on for our simple summer wellbeing tips.
Summer Wellbeing Tips
1. Limit Social Media Exposure
Scrolling on Instagram, particularly at this time of year, our feeds seem to be packed full of people outdoors doing enviable things. From sipping cocktails on exotic to carefree days out in the UK eating ice cream.
Feeds full of this kind of content can often make us wonder, why are we sat in an office or sweltering on the school run when so many other people seem to be living their best lives and making the most of the summer sun?
We all know that social media provides a skewed version of reality and if you’re prone to feeling envious or even a little cross because you feel like your life doesn’t quite measure up, it’s best to be strict and limit the time you spend on social media.
When you find yourself scrolling, make a conscious effort to remind yourself that what you’re seeing is just a tiny, carefully curated slice of that individuals life.
2. Maximise Natural Light in Your Workspace
Rearrange your workspace if you can to be near windows and ensure that curtains or blinds are wide open to make the most of the natural daylight, and even better crack open those windows!
Of course, if you work in the middle of an air conditioned office with fluorescent strip lighting you’ll be robbed of that autonomy, so instead, ensure you make the most of your lunch breaks and any other short breaks you might get throughout the day.
Decorate your workspace with plants and flowers (if you’re allowed to do so) and use nature-inspired scents like lavender or citrus or summery florals to create a summery atmosphere.
Head outside for a walk or eat your lunch outside, anything that you can do to increase your exposure to nature and natural light will help bolster your sense of wellbeing.
3. Get Sociable Outdoors
From picnics in the park with your squad, bestie or a summer themed outdoorsy date night, to paddling pools in the garden and days out at the seaside with the kids, now is the time of year to really make the most of nicer weather and make as many plans as possible that involve being outdoors!
Plan a family or friends barbecue, invite your or your children’s besties over for a garden campfire and roast marshmallows, or even do a spot of garden camping or try looking on somewhere like Eventbrite to find local wellbeing events, workshops or group activities that appeal to you.
If you’ve been meaning to catch up with someone for a while, why not arrange brunch somewhere you can eat outdoors, a day of hiking and wild swimming or pack a picnic and head to the local park for a long overdue catch up (and perhaps a little gossip).
When planning weekend activities with the kids, switch up how you spend your time and instead include more outdoor activities. From geocaching to woodland walks, to visits to the park, there are plenty of things you can do with kids to get them outdoors this summer and away from their screens.
Consider investing in some wildlife identification books or download and print simple nature scavenger hunts to help get your kids more interested and engaged with the natural world.
4. Create a Summer Routine
Incorporate early morning or late evening outdoor activities to avoid the heat. A really lovely way to start the day can be to take your morning cuppa outside, pop the kettle on, throw open the patio doors and then spend a few minutes in the early morning sunshine.
If you want, you can use the time to do some simple breathing exercises, walk barefoot to ground yourself or take a moment to water your plants. Do the same at the other end of the day once you get back from work too.
If you don’t have a garden, use your lunch break for a walk, or if you’re a stay at home parent, take the little ones for a mid-morning walk before the sun gets too hot.
5. Stay Hydrated
Drinking enough water is something that can take a conscious effort to achieve, but there are apps that can help you log your water intake, which in turn helps to ensure you’re more mindful about drinking enough.
Keep a water bottle with you and drink regularly to help you maintain hydration levels.
6. Practice Mindfulness and Gratitude
Spend a few minutes each day practicing mindfulness or meditation to reduce stress. For those that aren’t adept at meditation, this can be as simple as doing a few rounds of conscious breathing, focusing on the breath for 3 rounds, taking a relaxed deep breath in followed by a long, slow exhale.
Just focusing on your breathing for a minute or so can have a profound impact on the nervous system, effectively helping to make you feel calmer and it’s not something that’s only effective when you feel stressed or when panic sets in.
Making a conscious effort to focus on your breathing a few times a day can help anchor you in the here and now and enhance your sense of calm.
A simple way of practicing gratitude is to start the day with 3 things you’re grateful for or that have made you feel good. These can be the tiniest of glimmers and don’t need to be grand things.
For example you might note;
1) The soothing feeling of the warm sunshine on your skin on your way into work
2) Listening to birds singing through your open bedroom window
3) Seeing summer flowers in your garden or local park in bloom
Choose a time of day that works best for you to start getting into the gratitude habit and once you’re consistently noticing things to be grateful for, you might want to do the simple ‘3 things’ exercise multiple times a day.
Keeping a gratitude journal to focus on positive aspects of your life has also been proven to enhance wellbeing, and whilst all of our lives are a balance of positive things to be grateful for and more negative challenges, focusing our attention on all that’s good in our lives can bring a greater sense of perspective to our lives.
7. Wear The Shorts!
A feel-good, body positive mantra of late has become ‘wear the shorts’ which essentially means we should stop worrying about being ‘perfect’ and embracing ourselves exactly as we are.
Many women in particular feel insecure about different parts of their bodies, whether it’s legs pale skinny legs, chubby upper arms or thighs that aren’t toned enough, but we need to ask ourselves where these visions of perfection come from, and then we need to challenge ourselves and ask why do they matter?
Radical self-acceptance can be a transformative thing, and whilst striving to be a healthier version of ourselves isn’t a bad thing, at the same time that shouldn’t deflect from us feeling good about ourselves as we are right now!
So who cares about perceived imperfections? If it’s hot and you want to, wear the damn shorts regardless, and of course don’t forget your Holé button covers to protect your tops!
By integrating these tips into your daily routine, you can enjoy the summer season while maintaining your wellbeing and productivity, because life’s too short not to make the most of every second.