Your Summer R.E.S.E.T. ☀️ A No-Pressure Guide to Feeling Good This Season
Simple Rituals, Health Hacks, and... 👀
You know what time it is…
The seasonal R.E.S.E.T. + community chat is here!
I love how this series adds a gentle rhythm to the year— a mini invitation to pause and visualize what we want the current season to feel like.
Yet out of all the seasons, summer is probably the one we need the least prompting to visualize. 😅
In my opinion, it’s the season we tend to pin the most hopes onto— packed with dreamy visions of beach days, perfectly planned weekend getaways… and almost a weird amount of pressure?
Like— SUMMER IS HERE! MAKE THE MOST OF IT!!! PLAN THE WEEKENDS!! RSVP TO THE WEDDINGS!! HOST THE BBQS!! THIS IS YOUR KID’S CHILDHOOD!!! SOAK IT ALL UP!!! Okay, a little aggressive. But you get my point.
While I understand the premise, I also think maybe we’ve forgotten what actually makes summer feel special.
Think back to the apparently vintage “90s kid summer” trend that everyone’s suddenly romanticizing online (am I… a million years old????)
But my point?
The magic wasn’t in being booked and busy.
It was in the space. That sweet stretch of boredom.
Room to wander.
To bike without a destination.
To make 3PM snacks just because.
To have lemonade stands.
To lay in the grass and look for shapes in the clouds and feel like the day would go on forever and ever.
And okay, I know I’m not 8 years old anymore (apparently?!) and I have a mortgage, kids, and adult responsibilities. But I still think we can CHOOSE that free-spirited energy in tiny ways.
Case in point: the other night, instead of tackling that mountain of dishes in our sink (the only con of living in an O.G. mid-century… no dishwasher😅), we spontaneously piled up the kids in the strollers and walked to the beach. No reason. No real destination. Just because it was sunny + we’re family + it’s summer…and that’s reason enough.
Did my husband and I have to stay up late that night tackling the kitchen? You bet. Was it still worth it? YUP.
Additional example: I may or may not be doing final edits on this post at 4:47AM on the day this goes live 😅 I *almost* stayed home last night to finish it and “check it off the list.” But instead, I said yes to a backyard sauna night invitation with girlfriends. Because you know what? Life is short. Summer is shorter. And sometimes the moments that fill your soul require you to shift around your to-do list and choose the memory instead.
My point? I’m realizing that the ~adulting~ version of a 90’s kid summer lies in this simple truth: having carefree moments often requires some sacrifice of more “productive” things.
And that’s what this R.E.S.E.T. is all about. Not cramming your calendar with one more thing or becoming your most optimized, bikini-bod, biohacked self. It’s about reclaiming some space. Inviting in soft structure. Infusing a little intention + play + ease into a very busy time of year.
You don’t have to do it all or book your schedule in order to “make the most” of your summer. I firmly believe that the magic comes from the unplanned moments.
So here’s what we’re diving into for your (pressure-free) summer R.E.S.E.T.
🧊 Recommending: A science-backed hack for boosting your workout performance in the summer (bonus: it’s super simple).
🍤 Eating: A flavor-packed spring roll situation that just feels like summer: cold, herb-y, refreshing… and WAY easier to make than I expected.
🌊 Summer mood board: My very specific bucket list for the season! Plus, a prompt to help you narrow down + identify your summer hopes.
☀️ Enjoying: A hodgepodge of recs! From specific health hacks to the most flattering sporty dress on earth, all the way to [free!] date night ideas.
💬 Talking about: Annnnnd the main event…. our seasonal community convo! A specific prompt + comment thread for you to reflect and connect with other readers in the comments. (These are always so fun!)
Let’s dive in, shall we?
As I try to get back into running while also balancing work and motherhood, I end up fitting in my run whenever I can…. which is usually during the absolute worst time of day— smackdab in the peak afternoon heat 😅😅😅
In this stage of life it’s all about finding the time however I can. Definitely not ideal, but it is what it is!
That said, I am not someone who thrives running in warm weather so I’ve been trying something called pre-cooling? As the name implies, this is purposefully cooling your body before you start your work out in warm weather.
✨This is new to me, but the science behind it is compelling…
Shown to increase endurance by improving how your body handles the heat
Subsequently reduces fatigue + eases strain on your heart
Makes your run feel less miserable by lowering perceived effort
In fact, a 2015 meta-analysis1 found that pre-cooling improved performance in hot conditions, especially for workouts longer than 30 minutes. People ran farther, lasted longer, and felt the effort was easier. Such an easy way to improve your workouts!
✨…How do you do it?
Drink a slushy or ice-cold drink 15–30 minutes before exercise:2
This can delay fatigue and extend time to exhaustion by up to 20%.Strategic cold water dips for cooling key spots: While it’s most impactful to do a full-body dunk in cold water, you don’t need to do that to see full benefits. Simply soaking your hands, feet, or face in freezing cold water can do the trick. These “glabrous skin” spots have unique blood vessels that help transfer heat faster, which helps drop your overall core temperature!
Wear a cooling vest or use a chilled towel during your warm-up.
I haven’t tried this one, but it’s another option! Simply put a cold towel or cooling vest on pre-workout to keep your body temperature down.Try menthol mouth rinses or chewing peppermint gum.
Random, but this perceived cooling trick is shown to improve performance by tricking your brain into feeling cooler. This study3 was done by exposing participants to menthol during exercise, and it correlated with improved performance. Not a huge study, but still intriguing!
So, if you’re working out in the heat, try the simple hack of drinking a homemade slushie, taking a cold shower, or dunking your palms in freezing water before you head out ◡̈
It’s science-backed. It’s cheap. It works... AKA, my personal wellness trifecta 💅🏻
(Want more science-backed warm weather hacks? I rounded up 14 niche ideas in this post if you missed it! )
Confession: I’ve always loved spring rolls, but for some reason, I was too intimidated to make them myself???
But the other day, I was craving something cold, fresh, and flavorful for dinner…