How to reclaim the magic of summer, according to Gretchen Rubin
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I tend to romanticize summer, or at least I have in the past. And I think that's in part because of movies and TV shows that were on when I was growing up and in high school. It was this idea that, like, you were supposed to go somewhere maybe far-flung for a couple of months and completely transform, probably have a whirlwind romance.
Yes.
And... Yeah, just come back renewed, like a totally different person. And honestly, I have never had a summer like that. It's hard to live up to that. Yes.
For me, my fantasy is more modest, but it's just the idea that somehow the summer is going to stretch out empty and full of just time to fill as I like, the way it was when I was in fourth or fifth grade.
Yeah, I guess it does go back to childhood. Because I was wondering, like, where does this really stem from, this idea of summer as if it stands apart
It's the school calendar. Yeah.
Yeah. Hey, it's Marielle Segarra. You're listening to Life Kit from NPR. Do you remember when summer meant something?
How can you reclaim the magic of summer?
When it felt special? The long days stretching into weeks? The feeling that there was more time and more possibility than at any other point in the year? Our guest today, Gretchen Rubin, has a plan to help you reclaim that feeling. Gretchen is a writer. You might know a few of her books, like The Happiness Project or her podcast Happier. She's also been on Oprah. And she's a pro at helping people create meaning from their life experiences. She says now is the time to think intentionally about how to make the most of your summer before it slips away.
So often the summer just flies by and we haven't taken the picnics or gone for the day trip or whatever it was that we thought we were going to do because it passes so quickly. I think we do have this romantic idea of what summer can be, but if we don't design our summer to hold that, it's not going to happen on its own. That's something that if we really want it to happen, we have to plan for it. And like, there's something about the fact that it's just this one season. I think that little bit of time pressure is actually useful for us because it gives you that feeling of like, well, I better do it now and I need to make a plan now because otherwise this time is just going to slide by. Things that can be done at any time are often done at no time.
And so by saying, I want to get it done this summer can be useful. Gives it a container. Gives it a container. Exactly.
On this episode of Life Kit, Gretchen and I talk about how to plan the summer you want, whatever that looks like. We talk about picking a word as your guide, creating a bucket list, sticking to a challenge, and more. We're going to start, though, with the word. Gretchen says one way to design the summer you want is to give it a theme. This is takeaway one. Pick a single word or phrase that you want to embrace this season. Something that captures the feeling you want to have or whatever you're seeking over the next few months.
So it could be adventure. It could be relaxation. When you look at people's one word themes, they're often opposite. Like some people will pick more and then some people will pick less and some people will pick now and some people will pick weight and some people pick bigger and some people pick smaller. It's all what you want. And part of the fun of it is coming up with, well, what is the theme that is going to really please you? Like mine is ketchup because I think ketchup is like a superfood. It has all five of the basic tastes, sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami, which is extremely unusual. And it has a kind of a summer feeling because you think of putting ketchup on your burger.
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