Summer is a mindset

“Summer is a mindset. Not just a season.” When the month of August started, you could hear me on repeat saying,  “July was a blur, and I feel like summer is just starting even though everything seems to say it’s ending.” The days of August finally felt like summer to me, a swim in a river, a new wine with an old friend, letting my daughter stay up past her bedtime playing outside. All of these things are summer, but they are also a mental shift in breaking routine, letting go and prioritizing pleasure, a shift that we can make anytime.

Like this morning, we could have gotten up and locked ourselves into place for the weekday morning routine. Unloaded the dishwasher, made coffee and breakfast and prepared for the day ahead. But instead we went for an early morning bike ride for bagels before work hours started. We broke routine, we prioritized fun and pleasure and that’s a summer mindset that you can take into any season. Plus, I’d argue that getting up and doing something outside of your routine might actually make you more “prepared” and invigorated for the day ahead.

How can you break your routine today? Prioritize enjoyment in your life? Return to Summer, even if only in your mind?