Summer is FINALLY here! The one season we have all been waiting for. The one time of the year that we have a break off of school and get some well deserved relaxed time. However, relaxing is not the only thing you probably want to do this summer. Here are some fun ideas for these hot summer days:
Get a new reading list.
Reading keeps the mind sharp, but it can also help in other ways. If you’re anything like myself I’m constantly thinking about something that I either have done or going to do. Reading helps keep this to a minimum, so here are some classic reads for a long hot summer day: Lord of the Flies by William Golding; The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald; The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien; The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Start new habits.
There are endless possibilities of habits that any one can start without spending a dime.
One of those being mediation. Mediation can be difficult, especially for myself, but it does have many good health benefits. Those benefits range from reducing stress and controlling anxiety to enhancing self awareness and lengthening attention span. Other habits can also be something as simple as seeing your grandparents any day of the week. Life can be short so why not spend it with those we love!
Some other habits that can either be for your health or just something fun to do can be: reading, painting rocks and hiding them, yoga, making a goals list to start the day, or exercise. Whatever you choose to do is entirely up to you, but just have fun with it!
Start a garden.
Gardening can become a new hobby for the rest of your life! It has so many different benefits for not just your diet but for physical health as well. Gardens can produce different amounts of food depending on their size, but no matter that they can provide fresh food to the dinner table at less of a price than any grocery store. Saving money is always a plus. Also, it can give you a sense of pride because you grew all of it. Then it comes to maintaining it which can be very difficult at times but when seeing the final product it is always worth it!
Go outdoors (not just to the beach).
There are plenty of options to choose from when going outside other than going to the beach. You can either go to your now productive garden or have something to do with your friends like having an outdoor movie night. These are always the best but be sure to bring the bug repellent! If that doesn’t appeal to you then maybe creating your very own slip and slide will. Get a long tarp , garden hose, some dish soap, and get at it! You won’t be disappointed.
Summer cleaning.
Winter was long and hard. Things might have gone array through those times, and it might be time for a little summer cleaning. Cleaning alone can be one way to reduce all the stress or anxiety that the school year might have caused. There are also many more, like the rest on this list, on why cleaning can help with different aspects of one’s health. I won’t get into the nitty gritty of the benefits again, but I’ll leave you with this: clean slate, clean mind.
Have a great summer and don’t forget to have fun and stay active!
Written by LeAnne H., a Rutgers—Camden Undergraduate Student and Raptor Ambassador.