At last, the summer is on its way, which that means longer days, warm sunshine and lots of opportunities to relax and boost your wellbeing. How will you make the most of the season, however? It’s all too easy just to keep on working and let it all go by as quickly as it arrived. Before you know it, it will be autumn again and the cold, dark winter months will be on their way back. Don’t let that happen, here are ten ways to get the most out of this summer.
Get away from the office
When it’s nice and sunny outside, the last thing most of us want is to be stuck behind a desk in an office block, hidden away from those blue skies. If you haven’t already, now is the time to book some well needed time away from the 9 to 5. Summer is peak season, and many of your colleagues well may have already agreed their leave days, but, don’t let that put you off! Instead, have a chat with your boss and see what can be arranged if others in your team have handed their requests in already. You don’t have to book a long stretch of time off; you could go for some long weekends instead. Just a few days out of the daily routine can make all the difference.
Book a big holiday
Summer gives you the ideal excuse to book a big holiday. It can be one of the most expensive times of the year to travel but, if you have children at school, you will have little choice but to travel during the peak period. You can save money by shopping around. Don’t go for the first thing you see. Take time to look around the net, to read travel blogs and reviews, and find out whether it’s the right place for you and your family.
Booking a big vacation doesn’t mean that you have to fly off to a far-flung destination, you could keep it closer to home. A lot of it will depend on what you want to get out of your break. Are you a beach lover, a mountain-walking family or a culture vulture? There is a vast variety of destinations, experiences, accommodation, and travel; the world’s truly your oyster!
When you go away, make sure you take your phone with you to capture some stunning pictures! You can even turn them into picture postcards to send to your family and friends. This website will help you do exactly that.
Take a city break
If you don’t have an endless amount of time available to go away on a long holiday, you could always take a much shorter break. A weekend city break is good at any time of the year, but the summer opens-up all sorts of places to go and enjoy. Have a look out for top tips on the best city break destinations. Where can you get to easily and enjoy some quality time for a couple of days? You could go for a historical, old city with loads of charm, or a modern, high-rise financial capital. Because it’s summer, try and find a hotel or apartment with a pool, so that you can cool down at the end of each day, after all that city sightseeing!
Catch up with friends
Summer-time brings people out of their homes, from under their duvets and off the sofa. So, why not organize a get-together with your friends! You could have a picnic together in your local park or organize a lunch or dinner. How about drinks in a bar with a riverside terrace? It’s a great way to spend a warm summer evening. Last-minute can be good for setting up a meet, but some of your friends may well get booked up during the summer or maybe away from home, so find out who is around and when and get some social dates in the diary!
Organise a summer party
If you have your own property, with some garden space, then why not organize a summer party for your family and friends. You could have people over for a lunchtime BBQ at the weekend or a sit-down meal, al fresco, style in the evening. You may be thinking it sounds expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. You don’t need to invite a huge group of people; you could keep it to your close family or friends. If you’re having a BBQ, you could always ask your guests to bring a food item with them, and don’t forget the drinks too!
You can always spice up your party with some music and maybe have a fancy-dress theme. What would you go for? A Hawaii-style beach party, or how about recreating bits of the Rio carnival? Let your imagination run wild, but keep in mind who your guests are, they may not be quite so enthusiastic!
Try a new sport
Another way of making the most of the summer sunshine is to get out in the open and to get active. The warmer months open up a whole new season of sporting activities to get your muscles flexing and building up a sweat. You don’t have to go all competitive and think that you need to be Olympic-standard, but you can get out there and try your hand at something new. Sport can be a great way to get social, and a chance to let off some stress with friends.
So, what do you fancy? Maybe you’re a budding tennis player. Get a court booked for an hour and have a go. You never know, you could have some Wimbledon-standard skills that you never knew about.
If you’re looking for something in or on the water, then you have loads of choices. If you live near a river, you could try rowing or canoeing. Or, for something a bit gentler, you could do some sailing.
Sailing too is an option if you’re near the sea, but the coast also gives you the chance to get out and windsurf and kitesurf among other things. You could go for a swim, but be careful where you’re taking a dip. The tides and currents can cause you some problems if you’re not on the lookout for them. If in doubt, ask locally at the beach and stick to any designated swimming areas.
Take to the saddle
Cycling is, of course, a competitive sport, but taking to the saddle doesn’t mean that you must be Tour de France-standard, donned in lycra. You could pull your bike out of the garage, or hire one, and take to some local tracks to explore your local area. Why not pick a route where you can stop off at a café or restaurant at the half-way point? You can cycle on your own or take some friends and family along, and go at your own pace.
Pick a route that’s interesting and away from fast roads. Maybe you could take a river or coastal route and enjoy the nature along the way. Whatever you choose, make sure you take some food and drink supplies with you, along with a puncture repair kit.
Go exploring
If you have a spare day here and there over the summer, instead of sitting in your back garden, why not get out and about and do some exploring? Have you ever wondered what your local town or city has to offer off the beaten track? Are there some countryside areas that you have meant to have a good look around, but never had the chance? Head online and have a look for local walking guides; you can download a route map and choose how long you want to go for. You could do a few hours or a whole day.
Take up a new hobby
If you have a fair bit of time off over the summer period, then maybe you could learn a new skill or take up a new hobby. There are normally lots of summer school-type events held in most towns and cities, where you can try your hand at everything from summer cookery and foraging for food, to making furniture and ceramics. It can also help you meet new friends and widen your social circle. Have a look at what’s going on locally and speak to others about whether they’d like to join in with you.
Get a good book
A lot of the things we’ve been talking about so far here are about getting active, being with friends and family and exploring new places, but of course, summer should be a time when you take some time to chill out.
There can be nothing better than curling up with a good book in a nice comfy seat or sun lounger in the back garden and have some ‘me-time.’ Even better, you can plug in your headphones and silence the world around you as you drift away into relaxation.
When you go away on holiday, make sure you allow some time for this too, so that it’s not all sightseeing, eating and drinking. Otherwise, what’s the point of taking a holiday? You will come back more exhausted than before you went away!
