Take Binge Trips
Instead of binging on your favorite TV shows for two or four hours, get into your car and take a mini road trip. Think of it as a micro-vacation. For example, driving two or three hours from Chicago, one can visit cities or towns in Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, or Wisconsin. You can be spontaneous or take time to plan your micro-vacation. Wherever you live, within two or four hours an interesting place to visit does exist. Plan a weekend away or a couple of weekdays. Then pack a small bag and enjoy yourself!
Cook Healthy Meals
Many of us are not the healthiest eaters. Most mornings you’re running out of the door without eating breakfast. Due to your schedule at work, you barely have time to eat a healthy lunch. Then upon returning home in the evening, you’re too tired to cook a nutritious dinner. So, what do you do? Many days it’s fast food or restaurant food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. During self-care summer, you can be creative in the kitchen. You have time to plan, grocery shop, and prepare delicious meals for you and your family.
Join Friends
Friendships enrich your life and can improve your health. A recent article in Psychology Today, “Why Do We Need Friend? Six Benefits of Healthy Friendships,” states that true friends keep you grounded and give you needed support. Furthermore, good friends will be your ride or die whenever you need them. Often time, people get so busy with work, family issues and personal matters that friends are on the back burner. Self-care summer is a perfect time to have girls or guys night out.
Go to the Movies
The summer blockbusters are here! Going to the movies, buying popcorn and snacks is a fun way to relax. You can go alone or with friends. Whether you like mysteries, action, romance or Sci-Fi, it’s a chance to transfer away from reality. The average movie is approximately 120 minutes. Movie houses have very comfortable settings with reclining chairs and surround sound. Therefore the ambiance is perfect for relaxation. A great film can make you laugh, cry, dream, think, or escape. Once the movie is over, you will feel much better.
Read Books
Reading has health benefits, too. You know all of the books you have meant to read. Yes, the ones piled up on your nightstand or the e-books on your tablet are waiting for you. Self-care summer is a perfect time to catch up on pleasure reading. Real Simple magazine published an article, “8 Science-Backed Reasons to Read a (Real) Book”. It talked about the joy of holding an actual book in your hand. Reading is beneficial to your health because it helps you relax. Socially reading makes you more empathetic. Most importantly, reading can help you to sleep.
Binge Watch TV Shows
Catch up on your favorite TV shows during a personal spring break. Remember all of the shows stored on the DVR. Or do you have a list of shows queued on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime? Now you have a week to sit and binge. While you’re watching, eat healthy snacks and forget about everything else for a few hours.
Spend Time With Family
The family should always come first. Your busy schedule probably doesn’t allow for much bonding time with your spouse or children. Special bonding moments with family must be meaningful. Therefore during the summer plan a special outing or project with your immediate children, spouse, siblings, or parents. The benefits of spending time together include, family members, learn how to listen and work together. Also, family members get to know each other better and have the opportunity to have fun together. Schedule valuable quality time with family during the summer.
Exercise
Something everyone needs to do on a regular basis is exercise. However, in reality, most people do not get enough exercise. This is a time you can start a new healthy routine of exercises at least three times per week. Healthline.com writes about the Top 10 Benefits of Regular Exercise. A couple of the benefits are training makes you emotionally happier and physically healthier. Exercise can also help you to sleep better and improve your memory.