Summer’s a good time to…

Wimbledon. Strawberries. Thunderstorms. Sneezing. Must be summer.

When the days are long and it’s still light when we leave work, we can view life a little differently. There may be just as much work to do, depending on what you’re doing and where, but the mood is usually different. Don’t let the moment slip away.

Here are a few suggestions to get you thinking and, hopefully, doing something different this summer, as it’s a good time to:

1. Catch up with loved ones before summer’s out, instead of writing yet another apologetic Christmas card.
2. Watch less TV. Just an hour’s less consumption of the stuff each day can make space for something different.
3. Go somewhere different. If you and yours are in the habit of going to the same café / cinema / restaurant / shops / bar, try somewhere different one evening.
4. Read that book. You know, the one you downloaded / were given / bought at a station months ago.
5. Exercise more. Get off the train / bus a stop earlier and walk the final stage of your journey. Take an evening stroll.
6. Make a new habit. They say it takes 21 days to hardwire a new habit, which is why holidays can be a great time to get one started, like walking more.
7. Go to the beach. Whether it’s a jolly, crowded shrine to games and candyfloss or a rugged wild retreat, try one you’ve not been to before.
8. Rekindle a hobby. If you want to get some help, there are heaps of summer schools where you can get back in touch with a childhood passion.
9. Start a kitchen table business. If you’re watching less telly, that idea that’s been in the back of your mind might just make it to the table.
10. See something ancient. Stonehenge is an obvious one, or try Avebury, or the Jurassic coast.
11. Have a clear-out. Your wardrobe. The garage. Photos on your phone.
12. Have a picnic. A simple sandwich or a lavish outdoor banquet. Or something in-between.
13. At work, have walking meetings, or head to a park for a meeting.
14. Eat simple, fresh food. It’ll help offset all that ice cream.
15. Take a boat – get on the water to change the view.
16. Take to the hills. For me, it has to be the Surrey Hills. But any high point can be a great place to revisit and see the seasons change.
17. Learn a new skill or language.
18. See something new, outdoors. A new exhibition, play, outdoor screening or sport.
19. Combine any of the above with seeing people you haven’t seen in ages.
20. Celebrate!

Dawn is the author of ‘How to be Zoomly at work’, available on Amazon.