This summer may bring solace after a long winter and a short lived spring, especially as pandemic regulations loosen with the onset of sunshine. As much as it’s crucial to enjoy the summertime, it also brings an opportunity for reflection and betterment. Building constructive habits early during summer vacation is the best way to foster a balanced routine. Consider five simple habits to begin implementing into a summer lifestyle.
Take Daily Walks
Daily exercise is important, and sometimes a low impact exercise like walking can provide the most long-standing benefits.
Walking is versatile. Whether you’re ambling along the Prairie Path with a loved one, briskly walking while tuning into an insightful podcast, or just strolling while being mindful of sights and sounds, taking a daily walk daily promotes clearheadedness and significantly improves overall happiness. According to an article published by Harvard Medical School , walking regularly relaxes joint pain, expands immune capacity, and even decreases the potential risk of developing breast cancer.
A study conducted by the American Cancer Society noted that women who walked seven or more hours per week had a 14% lower chance of contracting breast cancer, compared with those who walked fewer than three hours.
Practice Words of Affirmation
Although practicing words of affirmation is a fairly new phenomenon, it’s an impactful exercise. Words of affirmation can be written, spoken, or listened to. These positive words influence self-confidence, surety, and mindfulness.
Implementing words of affirmation into your day is easy, and almost an essential habit for self-improvement.
Journal Your Thoughts
Journaling is a wonderful tendency to build, especially for the most avid readers and writers. Journaling involves the insightfulness of writing an essay or article, but without any added stress. Unlike writing academically, you don’t have to be discerning with what you write in a journal!
Although it may seem unlikely, putting pen to paper is just as cathartic as talking to someone. It can even be as simple as using a notes app on your phone.
Read for 20 Minutes Each Day
Reading for an extended period of time can seem difficult if your attention span is not accustomed to it. Surprisingly, only reading for 20 minutes each day holds many benefits.
According to a New York Times article entitled, “The Brain Benefits of Reading and Writing ”, researchers observed over 950 adults with four or fewer years of literacy schooling, and monitored their susceptibility for dementia over a duration of three and a half years. Mostly illiterate men and women were over twice as likely as literate individuals to develop dementia by the end of the trial, justifying that reading incrementally each day effectively thwarts risks of memory loss.
Call or Text a Friend
Staying connected with friends and family over the long summer break is imperative, perhaps now more than ever, after the intermittent periods of isolation that the pandemic brought. Whether it be sending a text message, a call, or drafting a kind letter, remaining up to date on the events of loved ones improves overall contentment.