I've always heard about getting the perfect "summer body" to hit the beach, parties, and all the other exciting and fun things that come along with the change in temperature. The issue I have always found myself taking with this so-called "Summer" body is that I never have enough time during the Fall or the Spring to get myself to go to the gym. Between school and work, I'm surprised I sometimes even have enough time to eat.
Now that summer has finally graced us with daily showers, and a plethora of free time, I got to thinking about my own personal habits and how I could better use my time this break to meaningfully impact my life. Here are a few habits I hope to cement into my lifestyle while I have enough free time to actually do so:
1. Keep an organized space.
Keeping an organized room, common area, kitchen, or any space organized has been the key for me to feel comfortable in my own apartment. Whenever my room is disorganized, or my kitchen and/or living room is turned upside down, I do not have the ability to think as clearly as I should.
To combat this, I like to spend the first twenty minutes of each day organizing small things all throughout my apartment to give me peace. It used to seem like a lot, but I've realized that arranging pillows on a couch, throwing pet toys into a bin, and passing the vacuum over the carpet literally takes minutes and makes me feel ready to move on to the next part of my day.
2. Go to the grocery store, instead of [insert restaurant here].
I am the worst when it comes to preparing food for myself on the regular. I have thought about meal prepping way more than I am proud to say, given I have yet to do any prepping of my own; I've tried to buy frozen meals to have something to eat without having to leave my apartment each time I'm hungry. Nothing has worked.
That is until I took a step back and took a moment to figure out a list of basic essentials that could provide meals and snacks throughout the day. I went from spending anywhere from $10 to $40 per meal, to spending $50 to $70 for much healthier, protein and nutrient enriched, food that can be used for making meals and making snacks. (Hint: sandwiches of any variety have become my new go-to option).
3. Actually devote time to go to the gym... regularly.
Every single list of "Habits to Improve Your Life/Summer/Year/Mood" will have this listed somewhere, I tried each time I read it somewhere but still found myself giving up after a week or two. What I would like to amend to that typical "go to the gym" tip is to find yourself a gym partner to motivate you to go.
My friendship with my own gym partner is close so we pull out all the big guns when having to motivate each other to go to the gym. I've personally found that being told how unattractive I am, and how skinny I look by my gym partner, who I know doesn't actually hold these opinions of me, has continued to be my source of motivation to go to the gym repeatedly. After three consecutive weeks, I will say I feel much better on the daily, and I look forward to my trips there.
4. Pick up any book that may bring you joy.
Reading is such an important part of my life, and I am continually amazed any time I speak with a grown person who proudly tells me they haven't picked up a book since they finished school. For the record, illiteracy is not something to brag about... Now I get it, not everyone is an English Literature major so they aren't constantly reading something, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be reading at all.
With some free time this summer, maybe try picking up an interesting novel that can suck you right into its pages, or even a biography of that role model you've looked up to for most of your life. Science shows that reading can provide numerous benefits to one's future, one that I like to share with people is that reading can allow you to become more empathetic and relate better to those around you. And who doesn't want to be well-liked and relatable?
While you're obviously free to do whatever you'd like to do over your Summer break, consider sprinkling in some of your own healthy habits to make these couple of free months you may have the most productive they can be!
