Self-Care, But Make It Summer: The Ultimate Checklist to Boost Your Well-Being This Season

Summer: It’s the season of easy, breezy living—and overcommitted schedules. From last-minute road trips to family vacations and destination weddings, those dog days can fill up fast, and suddenly you’re run ragged completing your summer bucket list before you’ve even finished your first bottle of SPF. Taking some self-care time this summer requires some minor effort, but it’s well worth it. From finding new ways to play, extra minutes to relax, and summer wellness tips for staying on top of your game, this self-care checklist will help you sail through the sunny season.

1. Ramp up your skincare

Summer and skincare go hand-in-hand, which means it’s time to get serious about your daily routine and move sunscreen to the top of your self-care checklist. Yep, you need to use SPF every.single.day, especially on your face, but it’s also smart to slather it on your chest and arms and the tops of your feet too (no more bad sandal tans!). Then, think about exfoliating any spots where you shave regularly and replenish any lost moisture after a day at the beach with a powerful humectant, like hyaluronic acid.

2. Plant something

There’s nothing more grounding and elemental than digging your hands into some good ol’ dirt. Visit your fave plant shop and pick out a new friend to bring home and set up in a pretty pot on your porch/window/desk. Then set a reminder to water it regularly and use that time as a mini mindfulness moment.

3. Fancy up your H2O

You’ve heard it before and we’ll say it again: you should probably be drinking more water. Make it a little more exciting by adding sliced cucumber, lemon, berries, melon, or mint to your bottle. Then sip happily all day long.

4. Eat all the watermelon

Beyond being incredibly hydrating, watermelon is a stellar source of lycopene (a potent antioxidant also found in tomatoes, another smart summer fruit). It’s also full of beta carotene and vitamin C, which make it great for eye health and also workout recovery. Try a watermelon, mint, and feta salad, a watermelon beet smoothie, or just a plain, juicy wedge. 

5. Dine outdoors

There’s just something so satisfying about eating al fresco—it makes you slow down and soak up your surroundings. Whether you’ve got a porch, deck, fire escape, or front stoop, find a spot to bring your bowl and savor your meal. 

6. Recharge with raw food

The nutrition benefits you get from consuming fresh, raw foods is unparalleled. But energetically speaking, the peak time to really go raw is in the sweltering summer heat. Cold, crunchy, raw foods are cooling and hydrating when the temp starts spiking, but you need that summer fire energy to really digest them properly (read: Don’t try this in winter when everything’s slower and sluggish!). Right now, make raw zucchini pasta with sundried tomato sauce, whip up a raw vegan spring roll, or try a sweet chilled chia pudding for dessert. 

7. Mix up a mocktail

We love a minty mojito as much as the next babe, but we don’t always love the ensuing next-day headache from all that sugar and alcohol. One of our fave summer wellness tips: Make your own booze-free version with lime seltzer, fresh mint, and a swirl of honey. Just as refreshing—without the fogginess.  

8. Go play

Summer is the season of recreation, in all senses of the word. Grab a few friends and a frisbee, brush off your bocce set, and catch up on your croquet rules quickly, then get lost in the game. 

9. Try an outdoor workout

A change of scenery might be just the thing you need to get re-energized in the exercise department. Whether it’s mat pilates on your porch or a sun salutation series on the sand, find a way to work in some vitamin D into your workout routine. A.M. workout bonus: getting some sunlight into your irises first thing has been shown to help your body regulate your cortisol levels (the hormone responsible for stress!). 

10. Pencil in no-tech weekends

Going phone/tablet/laptop free for a whole two days can work wonders for your stress and anxiety levels. Of course, this is a little trickier if you need to get directions or look something up, but at the very least, hide your email and social media apps in a folder on that distant fifth screen, and skip the TV binge in favor of something with pages. Want to take things next-level? Pause your Netflix subscription for the whole month of August. (Suddenly, you have so much free time!) 

11. Go herb-heavy

Often-overlooked superfoods, fresh herbs are packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients (anti-inflammatory plant compounds) and can take nearly any savory dish from blah to beyond amazing. Stick to summer’s best soft herbs: Add fresh basil or dill to your eggs, top your tacos with cilantro, pack your pasta with parsley, and get familiar with a few you maybe haven’t tried, like tarragon or chervil. Scout your local farmer’s market for the greenest new varieties. 

12. Sleep in the shade

Stake out a shady spot that’s just begging for a cozy afternoon nap. Think hygge, but in summer: Grab a pretty quilt or a comfy hammock, bring a plush pillow and a new book, then curl up and drift off for a restorative afternoon siesta. 

Did you try these summer wellness tips? Tell us your thoughts on this sunny-season self-care checklist in the comments!

Jessica Waller is a clinical nutritionist and health and wellness writer with a passion for science-backed self-care. She’s always on the lookout for ‘healthyish’ comfort-food recipes, statement shoes, and new wellness trends to obsess over (earthing, anyone?). Find her most recent musings on nutrition and self-care at WELLTRIBE.