Summer is here! Finally, after that long cold winter, we deserve warm weather, constant sunshine, and plenty of opportunities to focus on ourselves and what we want. So, if you’re looking for easy summer self-care ideas to live your best self, this article will inspire you to take advantage of this exciting season to invest in yourself. You deserve it.
8 Reasons Self-Care Is Important
Self-care isn’t a day to the spa. It’s a daily act that prioritizes our physical, emotional, and spiritual health. And when you nurture and honor yourself, the benefits are endless.
- Fosters resilience
- Promotes longevity
- Improves the quality of your relationships
- Helps you manage stress more effectively
- Reduces your risk of physical ailments
- Increases your energy levels
- Maintains self-confidence and self-esteem
- Boosts your self-awareness of what you need and desire
5 Ways to Make Time for Self-Care When You’re Busy
Self-care doesn’t need to be an all-day affair. There are ways to squeeze in a little you-time without taking a holiday or a day off.
- Express your needs. If you’re a busy mom who feels overwhelmed, let your friends and family know that it’s time to prioritize yourself
- Block-out time. Claim a time every week that’s dedicated to just you. Whether it’s an hour every Tuesday to take a bubble bath or one hour every Wednesday to take your yoga class, you deserve this time.
- Create a self-empowerment routine. For example, wake up 1/2 before you normally do to complete a 10-minute meditation and 20-minute workout. Having this set routine will do wonders for your health.
- Set boundaries. Boundaries are one of the best forms of self-care. A boundary at work may look like turning off notifications after you leave the office or not taking on more than you can handle.
- Remove the guilt and do nothing. If you have time to spare, enjoy a distraction-free moment without your phone and enjoy the nothingness.
16 Easy Summer Self-Care Ideas
1. Watch the sky instead of tv
Instead of relaxing inside glued to the television, grab a blanket and lie down to watch the clouds. While it is a fun childhood pastime activity, it will motivate you to connect to nature, receive your daily dose of Vitamin D and relax. You can also grab something to read and cool off with your sprinklers. It’s one of the best ways to enjoy the summer and prioritize self-care.
2. Ride your bike to work
If possible, ride your bike or walk to work. Yet, if you work from home, grab your bike to complete a few errands instead of driving. A fun bike ride provides a powerhouse of benefits: it gives you a chance to get outdoors and exercise, you’ll feel like a kid again, and it’s way better for the environment.
3. Spice up your water
During these summer months, it’s vital to hydrate yourself. Not drinking enough water can affect your brain function, mood, and energy. Therefore, to invest in self-care, prioritize these tips to keep you motivated:
- Decorate your water with fruits and herbs like lavender and mint to boost the flavor
- Set timers on your phone to remind you to hydrate
- Get creative and make water detox recipes for weight loss and clear skin
- Bring a refillable water bottle with you everywhere you go
- Make a nice batch of iced herbal teas for a refreshing twist
- Blend fresh watermelon with water and lime for a delicious treat
4. Pick up a new outdoor activity
Exercise always tops the list of easy summer self-care ideas. Since the weather is warm, skip your gym workouts and instead do something outdoors. You have plenty of options to kickstart your creativity and break the monotony of your routine. Go for a hike, run a new trail, grab your tennis racket, swim, try stand-up paddle boarding, cycle, or kayak. The sky’s the limit with opportunities, but don’t forget your sunscreen.
5. Swim your heart out
Swimming or being near the water is a perfect self-care idea. Why? Well, science has the answer. After a busy day, simply being near blue spaces changes your brain. It instills mindfulness almost instantly and boosts creativity and peace. Even, the sea air contains negative ions that naturally increase your serotonin levels, the happiness hormone. So, when possible, walk along the water, have a picnic near a river or lake, swim and float in the blue depth, and smell the air.
6. Connect with friends at events
Great weather means vendors, concerts, farmers’ markets, and events galore. Even a simple search on Facebook or Instagram will provide endless ways to get outside and see something new. So, plan a day or night out with your friends, let your hair down, buy something you’ve never tried, and connect to the present moment. Summer is about unleashing your carefree spirit and creating new memories with your loved ones.
7. What were your favorite childhood summer activities?
Summer is the perfect opportunity to connect to your inner child. What did you love to do when you were little? Camp with your family, make s’mores by an open fire, swim at the beach every day, or make sidewalk chalk creations? Whatever that hobby is, connect to it and make it a priority. Sparking a connection with your inner child can clear up trauma from your past, ignite a sense of lost motivation or creativity, and genuinely increase your happiness.
8. Embrace your body
Summer isn’t always fun and games. There’s a dark side that often affects women. A few months before, many struggle with their insecurities about achieving the “bikini body”. It triggers concerns about trying on swimsuits, wearing less clothing and revealing their body in public. But this summer, take the body neutrality approach to learn how to respect and accept yourself on those bad body image days. Learning to appreciate what your body does for you rather than what it looks like by wearing what makes you feel good, developing boundaries around body-image talk, and journaling what you love about yourself will help you enjoy yourself.
9. Focus on self-efficacy rather than control
Things don’t always go as planned. Perhaps you have a stellar summer to-do list and want to cross every item off. But take each day as it goes with a mindfulness approach. It can be difficult to practice at first, especially if you tend to control outcomes and situations to alleviate anxiety. But instead of trying to control external factors, focus on self-efficacy. It refers to the belief that we can achieve our goals no matter what lies ahead. This mindset shift requires you to focus on your confidence, emotional regulation, and outlook rather than trying to control the world around you. It’s an ultimate form of self-care because it motivates you to believe in yourself.
Other easy summer self-care ideas include:
- Plan picnics with loved ones
- Indulge and eat different ice cream flavors
- Why not learn how to make slushies at home?
- Get dirty and garden
- Volunteer and connect with your community
- Declutter from previous seasons
- Make delicious BBQ breakfast recipes
While summer can certainly feel overwhelming with school over, always carve out time to care for yourself and follow these tips to show yourself a little extra love.
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