This past summer, I wanted to add a few new good habits that would positively affect my lifestyle in the future. Here are some of the things I did to make my summer more impactful:
- Drank water
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I know this one might sound basic or unimportant, but it really did make me feel good about myself. I always used to see influencers say that if you buy a cute water bottle, it really motivates you to drink more water. I honestly never thought that was true until I actually did it and found myself to be quite hydrated throughout the day. According to the Mayo Clinic, women need to consume 11.5 cups of fluids a day and men need to consume 15.5 cups of fluids a day. It may seem like a minor goal, but when you hit it each day, I can promise that it makes such a positive difference in many ways.
- Set aside time to relax
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It’s so easy to get caught up in everything and everyone else during hectic times, but this summer I learned that it was vital to my everyday life to incorporate time for myself. Taking time for myself helped me to destress and definitely improved my mood overall. Relaxation and meditation allowed my mind and body to repair themselves. It was nice to practice this when I had a lot going on and needed a calm and clear head. Our bodies need to be reset every now and again to regain that focus. Oftentimes, days are so busy that we don’t realize at least 30 minutes of relaxation is actually very important for everyone.
- Journaled Every Day
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When I got home from school in May, I was cleaning my room and came across a few journals that I filled out many years ago. I forgot that I used to write in them literally every day before I went to bed and decided to have one for this summer. I would just write about my day, what I did, how I felt, or if I was anxious or excited about something. It was such a good way to get all my feelings out on paper. It helped me come to terms with any kind of emotions I was feeling. My favorite thing about journaling is that in a few months, or even years, I can go back and read everything I wrote and just know it will intrigue me.
- Got more comfortable with doing things on my own
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I have always been a little timid to try new things or do tasks I normally would do with other people, alone. But this summer I realized that I won’t always be able to be handheld in life and that I need to step out of my comfort zone. Over the past few months, there were multiple occasions when people were busy and I had to take it upon myself to venture out on my own. This taught me a great amount of independence and gave me the extra confidence I needed in life. I obviously learned a lot and grew as a person and really appreciated the mindfulness that came with it.
- went on long walks
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This summer I tried very hard to implement cardio in my everyday life each morning. I got into the routine of waking up and walking five miles around my neighborhood. When I got my friends to join here and there, they always complained about how grueling it was, considering I did a lot of uphill walking. But, I noticed that after about two weeks, my body was completely used to it. One big benefit of walking five miles (which normally took about an hour and a half), was that every day I was able to listen to something thoroughly during that time. I had very few distractions, therefore it was easy for me to find new podcasts to listen to where I learned something new all the time.
It is so easy to implement these good habits into your everyday routine. For me, it helped a great deal, and you can hopefully experience the same!
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