15 Things To Do At The Start Of Summer To Create a Good Season

Here are 15 things you can do at the beginning of summer to start enjoying your days, get your life sorted, and set the scene for a perfect summer ahead.

I have never been a fan of summer days, but when it’s just starting out, I actually kinda love the energy.

Ah, my winter spirit would be so mad at this admission, but it is what it is.

The afternoons start getting long and lazy, and I find myself doing random 9 pm ice cream runs.

And the weather is nice enough to be able to plan things with my people.

The way you spend these first few days of the season is important because they set you up for the rest of the summer.

And if you’re anything like me, you don’t just want summer to pass. You want to feel it, romanticize it, and soak in the little pleasures.

And for that, you need to make sure you begin the season right, which is what this start-of-summer checklist will help you with.

I don’t know if you’re discovering this post in mid-April (the time I am actually writing this), sometime in late May, or the start of June, but this will help you mark the beginning of your summer era.

Instead of waiting for plans, trips, or the right mood, here are 15 things you can do at the start of summer to ease into the season and unlock good days ahead.

15 Things To Do At The Start Of Summer

1. Pick your own summer vibe

If you don’t intentionally decide what you want your summer to feel like, your days will just get filled with whatever comes your way.

You’ll end up having random plans, random habits, and random energy.

So, while it’s still early enough, set the vibe for the summer.

Do you want a calm and healing summer where you spend more time with yourself? Or do you want a fun social summer where you’re out more often?

Maybe you want to create a healthy summer, spending your energy and time getting your fitness right.

Or maybe you want this summer to be about reading, exploring nature, and learning new things?

You can also just decide to have a balanced summer where you work on yourself, but also make time for fun activities.

This one decision will become your filter for the season.

You’ll start choosing plans, habits, and even how you spend your free time based on that vibe.

Trust me, it’ll make all the difference to your summer mood, energy, and feelings.

2. Softly reset your habits and routines

There’s this urge at the start of a new season to suddenly become a brand new person.

You feel like waking up the next day and becoming that girl who has her life totally together.

And I get it. New season, new energy, and all that stuff.

But I seriously suggest going for a soft reset instead. Not only is it way more realistic, but your body and mind will enjoy it more, too.

Start adding very basic habits to your routine that you can actually do, like:

Wake up 20–30 minutes earlier than usual.
Step outside for a few minutes before checking your phone.
Swap your usual drink for something more refreshing.
Do a 5-minute guided meditation before bed (there are many on YouTube).
Walk for 15 minutes in the evening.
Drink a glass of water in the morning and an hour before your dinner.

None of these changes will overwhelm you, which means you can actually stick to them and even add to them slowly.

This is how a seasonal routine should be built, so that it feels like it belongs to this version of you, not some overworked woman who feels pressured into doing more.

3. Switch to summer food mode

There’s a very real shift that happens in summer where your body just stops wanting or needing heavy and warm meals.

And if you ignore that and keep eating the same way, you’ll definitely end up feeling tired, bloated, and off.

I am not telling you to ignore your cravings or starve yourself, but start adding lighter foods into your day.

Have juicy fruits in the morning, something chilled in the afternoon, and meals that don’t feel too heavy but still keep you full.

Stock your fridge with seasonal veggies and juicy fruits (especially watermelon) so that you can reach for those when you’re hungry.

When eating out, keep your body’s summer needs in mind while ordering.

It’s important to make yourself more comfortable during the hot days, and what you eat is a big part of that.

4. Create a doable summer bucket list

I know the internet loves a good 100-point bucket list (I have one on my blog, too, lol), but nobody actually follows those.

And if you make a long bucket list and don’t finish it, you end up feeling like you didn’t do enough. I hate that feeling so much!

So, instead of setting yourself up for disappointment, keep your bucket list for the season small and real.

And then you just end up feeling like you didn’t do enough.

Write down a handful of things that genuinely excite you. Things that are easy enough to fit into your regular life.

It can be things like:

Try a new iced drink recipe every week
Go on solo walks two days every week
Visit a new cafe every month
Take a one-week trip to some place
Lost five pounds through a good diet and exercise

5. Get some new skincare and bath essentials

The skincare products you use in winter don’t work in the hot weather. If you haven’t already upgraded your skincare, do it now.

You’ll need a good cleanser, a lightweight moisturizer, and a sunscreen with 50 SPF. Get a non-sticky, lightweight lip balm too.

For your bath routine, buy yourself a nice summer-scented body wash and a body lotion in a similar scent if you can (layering the same scent makes it last longer on your skin).

Build yourself a nice little summer essentials kit, so that you can pamper your skin and feel nurtured every day.

6. Clean your space enough to make it breathable

You don’t need a full deep clean where you reorganize your entire life (unless you want to, of course).

Just do basic decluttering and clear the dust from the surface, so that your space feels fresh and alive.

Your desk, nightstand drawer, desk, and wardrobe — all the corners where you spend a lot of time should be clean.

Your room should feel lighter, more open, and easy to exist in.

Because in summer, when everything already feels a bit heavy because of the heat, this lightness matters a lot.

7. Find your go-to summer drink

One of my favorite things to do at the start of summer is to create a signature drink that I can sip on throughout the season.

Last year, it was oat milk latte. I loved making it every morning with breakfast.

This year, I’ve been experimenting with lemonades, and I think I’ll have the perfect recipe soon.

Your drink for the summer can be iced coffee, fruit-infused water, or lemon water with a twist.

It could be cold cocoa, coconut water straight from the fridge, or freshly squeezed orange juice.

Reach for it when your day feels off, when you need a break, or when you just want a little moment to yourself.

Once you find it, it will become a part of your routine.

You’ll reach for it when your day feels off, when you need breaks, or when you just need a moment to yourself.

8. Start doing fun easy movements

It’s no secret that you need exercise and movement throughout the year. You can’t be seasonal about your health.

But what you can do is modify your workout routine according to the season.

In summer, the heat can make everything harder for your body.

So, if you try to follow super intense routines, you’ll probably end up dreading them.

The solution for this is to choose movements that feel doable and actually fun.

You can try:

Evening walks when the sun starts going down
Short home workouts
Stretching sessions
Dancing in your room when you’re in the mood
Early morning bike rides

Just try to stay active every day in a way that fits the season. It’s a sure-fit way to get a summer glow-up.

9. Have a body maintenance day

This is something I do at the start of every new season, but especially when you’re entering summer, it’s important to have a body maintenance day.

Your body experiences rough changes due to the changing weather and temperature during this time, so it needs extra love and care.

Here’s how to have a perfect body care day:

Get a haircut at the salon
Do yoga to relax your body
Wax or shave your arms and legs
Do a body scrub and hair mask during a shower
Post shower, apply a moisturizer all over your body and serum on your hair
Do an under-eye mask
Cut, file, and polish your nails (both hands and feet)
Eat a salad or a glass of fresh juice

10. Put together a simple summer wardrobe you like

Getting dressed in summer can be so annoying if you’re not prepared for it.

I don’t know about you, but to me, it feels like everything’s too tight, heavy, or not right for the weather.

So at the start of the season, we all need to take a little time to figure out what works for us.

Pull out your light, breathable clothes first, and notice the things you don’t have.

Try a few outfit combinations, notice what you actually feel comfortable and confident in, and get more of what works for you.

Go shopping and grab the basics that you don’t have (while sticking to a budget).

When you have a few go-to outfits ready, your mornings will be easier. And you won’t waste energy stressing over clothes.

11. Start planning small and easy outings

A lot of us equate good summers with big and expensive plans. I mean, sure, I’d love to pop into Hawaii, but I also know it just isn’t possible this year.

But that’s where small and easy summer outings come in.

You can have a quick cafe visit, a spontaneous ice cream run, a walk in your local park, and a weekend movie plan with a friend.

These are the things you can actually do without overthinking or waiting for the perfect day.

And the best thing is you can do a lot of small outings, making your summer feel fuller and richer.

12. Begin a summer journal

I love journaling year-round, but summer journaling is just so light and fun.

Since the season is long enough, you can actually start a summer journal and fill it up throughout the season.

You don’t need to sit and write pages every night, because it’ll end up feeling like a chore.

Instead, keep it simple by writing a few lines about your day.

Write about something that made you smile, something you ate, and something you noticed.

These small entries don’t take much effort, but they capture your days in a way that photos or memories don’t.

Once a week, have a long journaling session where you let out everything that’s on your mind.

And during your free time, fill the pages with colors, doodles, art, and pictures so that it feels like a hobby.

When you look back at your journal later, you’ll realize how much you actually lived this summer, and how good you made it for yourself.

13. Do a digital clean-up

Most of us don’t realize how much our digital spaces affect our mood, but they really do.

Your phone can either feel like a calm, fun space or a chaotic mess that drains you.

If you want it to be the first one, then you need to do a digital clean-up.

Delete apps you don’t use, clear out old photos, update your playlists, and change your wallpaper.

Unfollow accounts that don’t make you feel good anymore, and curate your social media feed so that it feels like yours.

This will clear up your digital space for all the upcoming summer memories and ensure that you feel happy using your devices.

14. Fix your sleep schedule before summer chaos begins

Summer nights have a way of stretching out without you even meaning to.

You stay up a little longer, then a little longer, and suddenly your sleep is all over the place.

And when your sleep is off, everything else feels off too.

Don’t wait for this to happen, but fix your sleep right now when it’s still the beginning of the season.

Go to bed a little early so that you sleep early too, and try to wake up at a consistent time.

Your good days will start with decent sleep, so make sure to work on this asap.

Might help: How To Create A Summer Night Routine – 8 Relaxing Ideas

15. Reconnect with something you used to love

Summer has this nostalgic, almost childhood-like energy.

It’s the perfect time to go back to things you once enjoyed but somehow stopped doing.

Might explain why I start feeling the need to pick up my ukulele, even if I haven’t picked it up in months.

I have already started playing it this month (just learned Opalite by Taylor Swift).

For you, it can be reading, sketching, journaling, watching old shows, or listening to podcasts.

You don’t need to be good at it. You don’t need to turn it into something productive.

Just enjoy it for what it is, because that’s what hobbies are for!

Don’t Forget To Protect Your Energy!

It’s so easy to overfill your summer trying to make it count.

You might have too many plans and expectations, and too much pressure to be out and doing something all the time.

But that’s not what makes a good summer.

A good summer is one where you actually feel good, and for that, you need to protect your energy.

Take breaks whenever you feel drained, have self-care days, and say no without over-explaining yourself.

Rest without guilt, stay in when you want to, and pamper yourself with good things.

You don’t need to do a lot to enjoy summer.

You just need to enjoy what you’re doing and keep your mind, body, and soul fulfilled.

Check out: 11 Summer Self-Care Tips You’ll Love

Let’s Set The Scene for a Great Summer

As you can tell, none of these ideas is about reinventing yourself in one night, because that’s not a good way to begin your summer.

You need to focus on slowly shaping your days and making them healthier and more enjoyable.

You need slower mornings, a better routine, a few intentional plans, and a little more care for yourself.

Your summer won’t become memorable because of one big moment (although that can be a hard one too).

It would become memorable because of all the tiny moments you allow yourself to experience.

So start now, and create a summer that isn’t just passing by, but one where you’re actually living the season the way you are meant to.

If you had to pick one word for the summer you want this year, what would it be? Mine is ‘bright’. Let me know yours in the comment box!