Summer is here! Take time out for yourself.

In this article, we won’t be talking about improving your posture to prevent joint pain or the like. Instead we’ll look at things that can bring us a little joy and help us live each day to the fullest.

Little things to add to your daily routine

- At night before going to bed, identify at least one highlight from your day.

- During the day, take 10 minutes to muse on something that motives you (your next weekend, a motorcycle ride, etc.).

- Take time to call someone important to you.

What to do when the going gets rough

• • Have confidence in yourself

Determine your strengths and weaknesses, accept them, and do your best with what you have. Accept compliments from the people around you.

• • Set aside time for family and friends

It’s important to nurture your relationships by sharing your joys and hardships.

• • Draw up a sensible budget

Financial problems are a source of stress. We often spend on things we want instead of things we really need. Fill your life with human connections, not things. And if you’re more technically inclined, fill up on inspiration and beauty, for example on Pinterest. Choose photos you like and share them with other users. Take time to read, garden, and—why not?—paint, cook, and create all sorts of things, which will develop your ability to reinvent yourself and give you time and space just for you. It’s a virtually free form of self-enrichment that reconnects you to what’s real.

• • Volunteer

Taking part in community activities often gives us a specific life goal and provides a sense of satisfaction that paid work cannot. For some of us, volunteering is an opportunity to experience areas that are not available to us in our daily lives or current job. These can include sports, art, religion, cooking, or humanitarian pursuits—the list is long.

• • Manage stress

We need to learn to overcome stressors in order to maintain our mental health. And there are lots of ways to do this! We won’t list them all, but here are a couple of tips:

- Breathing:

• Close your eyes and take a deep breath in, then hold it
• Tighten all the muscles in your body as much as you can, focusing all your attention on the effort
• Let go, exhaling as deeply as you can while shaking out the arms and legs, like runners do after a race.

-Laughing: Choose a comedian you love and watch your favourite sketches. Or, if you’re so inclined, some people can’t help laughing at funny cat or dog videos !

• • Look to others for support

Confiding in someone who has had similar experiences can help you find a solution and feel less isolated

• • Be at peace with yourself

Get to know yourself and what really makes you happy, and find a balance between what you can change about yourself and what you can’t.

Have a wonderful summer!