Summer is basically a collective fever dream we all start having around February. We imagine endless golden hours, cold drinks, and zero responsibilities. But then July hits. It’s 95 degrees, your car smells like old sunscreen, and you’re scrolling through Instagram feeling like everyone else is having a better time than you. If you want to have a great summer, you have to stop treating it like a high-stakes competition or a Pinterest board. Honestly, the best summers aren’t the ones with the most stamps in a passport; they’re the ones where you actually feel like a human being instead of a stressed-out tourist in your own life.
The pressure to "maximize" every second of sunlight is real. Psychologists sometimes call this "leisure sickness" or seasonal pressure, where the expectation of fun actually ruins the fun itself. We overschedule. We book the flights, the brunch reservations, and the sunset hikes until our calendars look like a game of Tetris. It’s exhausting.
Why the "Perfect" Summer is a Total Myth
Most people think a great summer requires a massive budget and a beach house. It doesn't. In fact, a study by the Journal of Happiness Studies suggests that the peak of vacation happiness usually occurs around day eight, but the "anticipation" phase and the "recollection" phase provide just as much neurological benefit. This means that small, frequent moments of joy often outweigh one massive, stressful trip to Europe where you lose your luggage and fight with your partner about where to eat dinner in Rome.
We've been sold a version of summer that is purely aesthetic. We want the "main character" energy. But real life involves mosquitoes, humidity, and the fact that public pools are mostly lukewarm chlorine. To have a great summer, you need to lean into the messiness. Go outside when it's slightly too hot. Eat the melting ice cream. Stop worrying about the lighting for the photo and just enjoy the way the grass feels under your feet.
🔗 Read more: How to Tie Converse Laces High Top Style So They Actually Stay Comfortable
The Psychology of "Blue Spaces"
There is actual science behind why we crave the water. "Blue Mind" theory, popularized by marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols, suggests that being near, in, or under water can lower cortisol levels and boost creativity. It doesn't have to be the Pacific Ocean. A local creek, a lake, or even a decent sprinkler in the backyard can trigger that neurological shift.
- Proximity matters: Just seeing water helps.
- The sound factor: Running water masks "pink noise" and helps the brain settle.
- Physicality: The temperature change of water on skin is a grounding technique used in therapy.
Practical Ways to Have a Great Summer Without Spending a Fortune
Let’s talk about the "Summer Bucket List." Most of them are terrible. They’re just lists of chores disguised as fun. "Go to a farmer's market" sounds nice until you're waking up at 7 AM on a Saturday to buy a $9 heirloom tomato. Instead of a list of tasks, try a list of feelings.
Do you want to feel adventurous? Lazy? Connected?
If you want to feel adventurous, don't just look at a map of your state. Look at the "weird" stuff. Use an app like Atlas Obscura to find the bizarre roadside attractions or the hidden ruins within a two-hour drive. These are the things you’ll actually remember. A "great summer" is built on stories, and nobody tells a story about the time they went to the same beach as everyone else and found a parking spot after forty minutes. They tell the story about the time they found a museum dedicated entirely to salt shakers in the middle of nowhere.
Reclaiming Your Evenings
In the winter, the sun disappears at 4 PM and we all go into hibernation. Summer gives us those extra hours. Use them. You don't need a full-blown party. Invite two people over for "taco Tuesday" on the porch. Keep it low-key. If you make it a big production, you won't do it again. The goal is frequency, not perfection.
The Health Reality: Don't Let the Heat Break You
You can't have a great summer if you're nursing a second-degree sunburn or passing out from dehydration. It sounds basic, but most people mess this up. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, even one blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles your chances of developing melanoma later in life. As an adult, it just makes you miserable and ruins your sleep for a week.
Hydration isn't just about water, either. When you're sweating, you're losing electrolytes—sodium, potassium, magnesium. If you're drinking gallons of plain water but still feel a headache coming on, you're likely diluted. Grab a Gatorade or, better yet, just put a pinch of sea salt and some lemon in your water. It makes a difference.
Managing "Summer Slump" at Work
If you work a 9-to-5, summer can feel like a prison sentence. You see the sun shining through the window while you’re stuck under fluorescent lights. This leads to "presenteeism," where you're physically at your desk but your brain is at the lake.
- Shift your hours: If your boss allows it, try "Summer Fridays" or starting an hour earlier to leave earlier.
- Outdoor meetings: If you're on a call that doesn't require a screen, walk outside.
- Micro-breaks: Five minutes of direct sunlight can reset your circadian rhythm and stop that sluggish afternoon feeling.
The Art of the "Do Nothing" Day
We are obsessed with productivity. Even our hobbies have to be productive now. We don't just "garden," we "grow our own organic produce." We don't just "walk," we "hit our 10,000 steps."
To truly have a great summer, you need at least one day where you have absolutely no plan. No alarms. No calendar invites. No "checking in." Just wake up and see what happens. Maybe you read a book for four hours. Maybe you drive to a nearby town just to see what their coffee shop is like. This kind of "unstructured time" is vital for mental health. It’s the stuff that makes summer feel like it did when you were ten years old.
📖 Related: OPI Nail & Cuticle Oil: Why Your Manicure Keeps Chipping (and How to Fix It)
Connecting with People
Loneliness actually peaks for some people in the summer. It's the "FOMO" (Fear Of Missing Out) effect. You see groups of friends on boats or at festivals and you feel like you're the only one sitting at home.
Reach out. Honestly, most people are waiting for someone else to make the first move. Send a text. "Hey, I'm going to the park at 6, want to join?" It’s low pressure. If they can’t make it, you were going anyway. If they can, you’ve just turned a solo evening into a social one.
Digital Detox: The Summer Edition
Your phone is the biggest enemy of a great summer. You spend thirty minutes trying to get the perfect shot of your iced coffee, and by the time you're done, the ice has melted and you haven't actually tasted the drink.
Try a "Phone-Free Sunset." Or a "No-Scrutiny Sunday." Leave the phone in the car when you go for a hike. The woods will still be there, and you don't need a GPS for a well-marked trail. You'll notice things you usually miss—the way the light hits the trees, the sound of the wind, the fact that your brain finally stopped buzzing for five minutes.
Actionable Steps for a Better Season
Stop planning for the "perfect" August and start living in the actual June or July you have right now. Here is how you move forward:
- Pick one "Anchor" event: Choose one big thing—a trip, a concert, a camping weekend—and get it on the calendar. This provides the "anticipation" boost.
- Identify your "Low-Bar" joys: List three things that cost $0 and take less than an hour but make you feel like it's summer. (Example: Eating a slice of watermelon, sitting on a bench in the sun, listening to a specific playlist).
- Audit your gear: Check your cooler, your chairs, and your sunscreen. There is nothing worse than deciding to go to the beach and realizing your chair is broken and your SPF is expired from 2021.
- Set a "Soft" boundary at work: Decide now that you won't check emails after 6 PM on Thursdays and Fridays. Give yourself permission to be unavailable.
- Say "No" more often: You don't have to go to every graduation party, every wedding shower, and every backyard BBQ. If it feels like an obligation, skip it. Save that energy for the things that actually recharge you.
Summer is short. It always feels like it’s slipping through our fingers the second the Fourth of July ends. But it doesn’t have to be a race to the finish line. You have a great summer by slowing down, not by speeding up. Take a breath. Smell the rain on the hot pavement. Forget the "perfect" version of your life and just live the real one.
That is how you actually make it count.