Personally I love to set myself goals. They can really motivate me to become a better person, grow my confidence and it just feels amazing to tick some goals off a goals list. 2019 has been quite a stressful year for me, I have talked about this lots and I won’t go into it too much again. Anyway, in May I decided to make this summer a summer of self-care for me. I only want to do things that make me feel happy physically and mentally.

So to make this summer about feeling 100% from the inside out, I decided to write down some points or goals that will help contribute to that. I have taken the time to sit down and think about what activities of self-care make me feel truly happy and I came up with the following summer self-care goals. Every muscle inside of my body has been tense since I started stressing about uni. It was starting to take a toll on my body and health. This is the reason why I knew I needed this summer to take time out of my days to properly de-stress.

Go for walks

One of my favourite things to do is to go on super long walks when it’s nice weather outside. I am lucky enough to live near the woods and the beach, which makes it super easy to switch off and just connect with nature. This summer I am really hoping to go for long walks near the beach or in the forest at least once a week. After I have gone for a walk I feel refreshed, re-energized and ready to finish a to-do list.

Take time to read

One of the most comforting things I find to do is to read a book. I have really fallen back in love with reading in 2019, so I am very excited to spend my summer reading more books. There are still a lot of books on my to-read list, so I am sure I will be spending days in the park, at the beach or in bed reading some books. If you would like to keep up on what books I am reading, then stay in touch on my Instagram or befriend or follow me on Goodreads.

Continue going to the gym

You may have noticed on my Insta stories that I am spending more and more time at the gym. My friend and I tend to go one to two times a week and we love pushing ourselves to our limits. It’s my goal to keep this gym routine going, as it really makes me feel mentally and physically stronger. My friend for example is going away on holiday in July and I am determined to also keep going to the gym when she is away on holiday.

Continue eating healthy

At the end of May I decided to switch up my mind set. Since I was going to the gym, I also decided I needed to stop with all the chocolate snacks I ate with my cuppa tea. I am a major foodie, especially in the summer time. With summer come cocktails, food truck festivals and just spending lots of time outside enjoying the weather with friends. This summer I really want to focus on continuing eating healthy, avoiding alcohol and treating myself to something not-so-healthy-but-really-tasty once a week. I notice that eating healthy also makes me feel healthy and refreshed. It gives me more energy whenever I focus on eating a lot of vegetables and fruit, so I want to continue doing so in summer.

Book in a massage

Like I said before, every muscle inside of my body feels quite tense. And as much as exercising and going out for walks make me feel more relaxed, I also feel like I need to book in some sort of a full body massage. A massage to me feels like a big reset button on my body. All the tense muscles I have had in my neck disappear and a massage always makes me feel like I can finally bend down or do a proper stretch. I should probably invest in massages more often, so I am hoping to book one a month for the summer so I can really invest in my body.

Get enough hours of sleep

Not getting enough sleep is one of my weaknesses. I can easily binge watch series or films throughout the entire night. This actually affects my mood a lot more than I would think, which is why I have stopped doing so. I nowadays have a very strict nighttime routine and don’t really like to stray away from it too much. During the summer I sometimes forget to get in enough hours of sleep though, usually because I end up watching a film after I have come home from a night out with friends. This summer, I am not going to do such thing and will focus on getting enough hours of sleep.

Continue my gratitude journaling

Last week I already discussed how much gratitude journaling helps improve my mood and make me mentally lighter. It’s one of those things that has become quite popular over the years, but it honestly has helped me so much to put things into perspective. It’s an easy way to just be aware of all the daily blessings in life we have, such as a roof above our heads, food to eat, our families and friends, our health, which are all things we can easily take for granted.

Enjoy time with friends and family

Lastly I also want to take time out of my days to make sure I spend enough time with my friends and family. Spending days outside in the sun with family and friends are so fun, whether I go into town, grab lunch or go to the park with them, I love it and it puts things instantly into perspective. Hanging out with friends and family re-energizes me massively, so I am really looking forward to spend time with them this summer.