Heading into summer (challenge)
I don’t know about where you are in the world, but here in the UK it’s feeling super summery. And I’m really excited about that.
It’s no secret that summer is my favourite season. I love everything about it – the warm weather, the longer days, the feeling of life and abundance.
I love getting outdoors and doing all my favourite things – swimming (yes, even in cold English waters!), lakeside picnics, hiking, outdoor workouts – I love it all.
There are just so many benefits to being outside – it’s healthier, fresher, better for the environment and great for your mental health.
So, my challenge for you is to make a summer plan, on paper.
This could be in the form of a vision board, checklist…even a bingo card.
However you choose to create it, it should still have a whole bunch of different ways you’re planning to enjoy the summer outside this year. Maybe you want to throw a family BBQ, maybe you want to head to the beach with friends.
For best results, I recommend mixing it up by adding things you traditionally do, and things you’ve never tried before but have always wanted to do.
If you’re not sure where to start, think of an activity you enjoy (and make a plan to take it outside), or think of a place you’ve wanted to visit or have enjoyed visiting in the past.
If you or your loved ones aren’t super outdoorsy people, have a think about how you can take your favourite indoor activities outdoors. Maybe you can play a board game around a picnic table, or turn your movie popcorn tradition into campfire s’mores, or lie on a picnic blanket with a favourite book.
To kickstart your inspiration, here’s my own list of outdoor activities I’m committing to this summer:
- Hiking in the Peak District
- Learning how to make cake on a BBQ (yes, really!)
- Visiting a waterfall somewhere in the UK
- Throwing a community picnic
- Making some new outdoor cushions for my bench
- Repotting my old balcony plants to give them new life
- Researching and planting plants that bees and butterflies will love
- Walking at least five miles daily until the autumn
- Doing yoga outside (I have fantasies of it being on a hilltop or by water, but we’ll see!)
- Try kayaking for the first time (something I’ve always wanted to do).
- Go on a photography tour with friends (just basic phone photography, but it’ll be fun all the same)
I’ll be adding more to this list as summer progresses, so keep following along to see how my list grows! I’d love to hear your own list as well, especially if you share any of the same as me!