What comes to mind when you think of a great summer vacation?
A boardwalk fling? Vacation in a tropical paradise? Going on a roadtrip with friends?
While all of these options are great, they aren’t realistic for the average student’s schedule or wallet. Thankfully, there are alternatives that still allow students to have an incredible summer.
The first step is to set intentional goals rather than relying on circumstances to work themselves out. Stop saying, “I’ll get to it tomorrow,” or “that project can wait until next week,” that’s how a summer flies by with no memories made. When every day is the same, it blurs together. Novelty creates new memories and neural pathways, which causes time to slow down. Experiences become rich and full of life. A summer worth telling is created.
Intentionality is how things get done!
Many students work over the summer and one of the best ways to spend your time is by taking weekend getaways or several small vacations. Rather than one huge vacation, several shorter ones allow for more memories to be made. It’s also less expensive, provides something to look forward to, is less exhausting and there’s less work to be made up.
Aside from vacations, there are multiple ways to incorporate joy into your life. One of the biggest ways to do this is to find activities that provide fulfillment or feed your passions. For me, this looks like getting involved in my community with volunteer work or joining a common interest group, such as a book club.
Some other ideas include reading a book while on lunch break, stopping by a botanical garden after work, catching a movie with friends or trying out a new restaurant. Again, intentionality is the name of the game. Be intentional in how you spend your time and incorporate joy into your everyday routine.
One thing I do frequently is disconnecting from social media. People weren’t meant to be connected to everything all the time. It’s easy to feel FOMO, which is the fear of missing out, when all of your friends’ posts show the highlights of their life.
It’s so important to keep in mind that those are the highlights, not the reality. Which is a good reason to take breaks from social media, it teaches what a realistic day looks like for YOU, not for your friend, coworker, crush or mutual.
Something else that helps with being more mindful is spending time in nature. Nature also has some of the best activities to create a memorable summer. Not to mention, many activities are free or have minimal cost! Some ideas are: hiking, visiting a national park, kayaking, stargazing, biking or hosting a picnic.
Soak up the sunshine! It does wonders for mental and physical health, but make sure to wear sunscreen. Sunburn is no joke.
Now you have it, the secret to having an incredible summer full of joy and whimsy. In summary, be intentional with your time, do new things to create memories, take small vacations, take breaks from social media and go outside.
