{"id":3556,"date":"2026-06-24T10:07:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T10:07:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestusamoverss.com\/?p=3556"},"modified":"2026-06-24T10:07:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T10:07:45","slug":"4-ways-to-design-a-dreamy-summer-according-to-a-happiness-expert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestusamoverss.com\/?p=3556","title":{"rendered":"4 ways to design a dreamy summer, according to a happiness expert"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

I tend to romanticize summer. The movies and TV shows I grew up with made me think that the season was about adventure and big-time transformation.<\/p>\n

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I imagined myself building a tight-knit friend group and getting out of a pickle together, like in or . Or traveling across the world, say, to Greece, like Lena Kaligaris, a character in , having a whirlwind summer romance and returning an entirely different person.<\/p>\n

I’ve never actually had a summer like that.<\/p>\n

Even when your expectations are more modest than mine, “so often, the summer just flies by, and we haven’t taken the picnics or gone for the day trip or whatever it was that we thought we were gonna do,” says happiness expert Gretchen Rubin.<\/p>\n

Rubin, author of and host of the podcast , has been sharing ideas on social media about how to make the season more memorable and satisfying.<\/p>\n

She walks through four exercises to help you get what you want \u2014 and more \u2014 out of the season. , fill it out and stick it on your fridge to keep you accountable. Or take a screenshot and post it to Instagram (don’t forget to tag @NPRLifeKit!).<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf51 Give your summer a theme<\/h2>\n

Pick a single word or phrase that you want to embrace this season \u2014 something that captures the feeling you want to have over the next few months.<\/p>\n

“My theme for the summer is ‘ketchup,'” Rubin says. “It has a kind of a summer feeling, because you think of putting ketchup on your burger.”<\/p>\n

“It’s a metaphor,” she says. It means to look for “whatever I could add [this season] to make something elevated and more fun.”<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, my theme word this summer is “juice.” I no longer think that I need to travel far or completely transform to have a delicious summer. I just need to take advantage of the abundance that the season offers: ripe peaches and tomatoes, juicy softball pitches and the opportunity to feel juicy in my body when I wear a bathing suit.<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udea3 Create a summer bucket list<\/h2>\n

What do you want to do this summer? On my bucket list: ride the Ferris wheel at a summer fair, have more barbecues at my parents’ house and see the sunrise at least once.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

There might even be something you don’t necessarily want to do but have been trying to accomplish for a long time \u2014 like cleaning out the garage or learning how to swim.<\/p>\n

“Some people love a long list with a lot of easy things to cross off,” Rubin says. “I’m a fan of that approach myself.”<\/p>\n

But some people like a list with fewer goals that are more ambitious. If you take this path, just make those items realistic, she says. “It’s easy to get discouraged if you set the bar too high.”<\/p>\n

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\ud83c\udfc1 Set a fun challenge\u00a0<\/h2>\n

It could be fun to gamify a few of the items on your bucket list \u2014 or to come up with an entirely different kind of dare for yourself.<\/p>\n

You might try 10 new taco joints this summer or read five romance novels. Or you might come up with a theme, like “Freaky Flavor Friday,” Rubin says. Every Friday, you go to a different ice cream shop and try a new and ambitious flavor.<\/p>\n

A good challenge can make your summer feel more memorable, she says. “If you did ‘Freaky Flavor Friday’ all summer long, that would stand out in your mind. Years later, you’d be like, ‘That’s the summer I discovered creamed corn ice cream.'”<\/p>\n

Two challenges I’m considering: taking a swim class and rewatching all the best Pixar movies.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\uddbc\ufe0f Take a “five-senses portrait”\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Experience the summer through your five senses \u2014 then reflect on each one. What does summer look like, smell like, taste like, sound like and feel like?<\/p>\n

“It’s one thing to look at photographs, but that’s very flat,” Rubin says. “A ‘five-senses portrait’ puts you back into that experience. It’s a creative, fun way to look back on summer and capture the memories that you’ve created.”<\/p>\n

Do this exercise either for your whole summer or for a specific summer adventure, she says.Do it with yourself or with a group. You can journal about it, make a collage, draw a picture or simply have a conversation.<\/p>\n

When I think of summer, here’s what comes to mind:the smell of smoke from a crackling outdoor fire and the taste of toasted marshmallows on a stick.<\/p>\n

More summer-worthy goals from Life Kit <\/h2>\n

. Knowing how to swim can help you have fun at the pool or beach this summer. But it could also save your life. Here are some tips to start swimming at any age.<\/p>\n

. In Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith’s book , she outlines different kinds of rest you may be craving. From the mental to the physical, Dalton-Smith shares how to identify what kind of respite you need and how to embrace rest.<\/p>\n

. Ready to kick-start a new running habit? Coach Martinus Evans breaks down a common misconception to get you into the mindset and offers quick tips on pace, form and more.<\/p>\n

. Got piles of stuff you just can’t seem to get rid of? Professional organizer Star Hansen explains how to let go of unnecessary items and keep your home neat and tidy.<\/p>\n

Read more Boundaries, bodies, and better sex<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Don’t let the season fly by. Gretchen Rubin, host of the Happier<\/em> podcast, shares exercises to help you get what you want out of summer. 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