How to reclaim the magic of summer, according to Gretchen Rubin

How do you want to make this summer special? Whatever it is, now is a good time to think through your goals before the season flies by. In this episode of Life Kit, host Marielle Segarra sits down with happiness expert Gretchen Rubin to share tips on designing the summer you want to have. Pick a theme, write your bucket list, and come up with a challenge to get the most out of these months. Sign up for Life Kit's skin care newsletter http://npr.org/skincare. Follow us on Instagram: @nprlifekit https://www.instagram.com/nprlifekit/?hl=en Sign up for our newsletter here. https://www.npr.org/newsletter/life-kit Have an episode idea or feedback you want to share? Email us at [email protected] mailto:[email protected] Support the show and listen to it sponsor-free by signing up for Life Kit+ at plus.npr.org/lifekit http://plus.npr.org/lifekit See pcm.adswizz.com https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Speaker 00

  This message comes from Charles Schwab with their original podcast, Choiceology. Choiceology is a show about the psychology and economics behind people's decisions. Download the latest episode and subscribe at schwab.com/podcast.

• 0:18Marielle Segarra?

  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, is this idea that you were supposed to go somewhere, maybe far-flung, for a couple of months and completely transform, probably have a whirlwind romance, 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.

• 0:50Speaker 02

  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.

• 1:03Marielle Segarra?

  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?

• 1:12Speaker 02

  It's the school calendar, yeah.

• 1:14Marielle Segarra?

  Yeah.

• 1:18Marielle Segarra?

  Hey, it's Marielle Segarra. You're listening to Life Kit from NPR. Do you remember when summer meant something, 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.

• 2:01Speaker 02

  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.

• 2:38Marielle Segarra?

  Gives it a container.

• 2:40Speaker 02

  Gives it a container. Exactly.

• 2:43Marielle Segarra?

  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.

• 3:14Speaker 02

  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. And there's something kind of whimsical about ketchup. It's really just like, look for the whimsy. Look for like, whatever I can add that's going to make something elevated

• 3:59Speaker 02

  and more fun.

• 4:00Marielle Segarra?

  Oh, ketchup is a metaphor.

• 4:03Speaker 02

  Yes, it's a metaphor. For me, it's the symbolic idea of adding ketchup.

• 4:07Marielle Segarra?

  Question, are you also trying to catch up on things this summer?

• 4:12Speaker 02

  Well, very well played. I didn't even think of that. And that is so good because that is one thing I try to do in the summer. Because one of the things that is true of the summer is it includes July 2, which is halfway day. And halfway day, we're halfway through the year. So if there have been resolutions that you've made or goals that you've wanted to achieve, it's good to stop July 2 and think, OK, am I on track? How am I doing? Do I need to find a different approach? Do I need to reengage with this? Do I want to give it up? Have I decided that actually this isn't something that I want to pursue? Do I want to mindfully abandon it? That's a good strategy if something isn't working out. So catching up on July 2, perfect.

• 4:54Marielle Segarra?

  I do love wordplay, so.

• 4:55Speaker 02

  Yeah, I love a wordplay.

• 4:57Marielle Segarra?

  I was an English major.

• 4:58Speaker 02

  OK.

• 4:58Marielle Segarra?

  Were you also an English major?

• 4:59Speaker 02

  Yes, I was.

• 5:01Marielle Segarra?

  As people are trying to come up with their theme, I mean, what advice do you have for them in brainstorming that?

• 5:07Speaker 02

  Think about what is the atmosphere you want to create? Or what is it that you want to point yourself to? And then think of like, what is a word? Like a creative, interesting word that has a lot of energy. And you want to think of a word that really does have resonance. Like, my sister basically one time wanted to have resilience. But oh, my gosh, right? Like, we've all heard that word so many times.

• 5:28Marielle Segarra?

  It's a heavy word.

• 5:28Speaker 02

  It's tired. So instead, she picked bounce. And the idea of like, bounce back, bounce into the future, have energy. And like, it's a quirky, whimsical, memorable word. But it really captured the idea of what she wanted, which was resilience. So sometimes it is fun playing with what are the words that attract you? That stand for the what you're trying to capture from the season.

• 5:51Marielle Segarra?

  We'll have more Life Kit after the break.

• 5:58Speaker 03

  Stay tuned for the following announcements and messages from our sponsors.

• 6:02Speaker 04

  This election season, let the NPR Politics podcast save your time and your sanity. We'll help you understand key races, which polls you can safely ignore, and what might happen if power shifts in Congress. Our short daily episodes come out every afternoon, so you can spend less time scrolling through each chaotic news cycle. Make NPR Politics your hub for midterm election coverage. Follow our podcast on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 6:26Speaker 05

  American journalist Austin Tice vanished in Syria over a decade ago. For years, we've been searching for him. And now we finally have some answers.

• 6:39Speaker 05

  Oh my god. We found Austin's file. Listen to Where Is Austin Tice? From NPR's Embedded and BBC Radio 4, on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 6:51Speaker 06

  How did we get here? That's a question we have been trying to answer a lot here at NPR. We are exploring global histories on Throughline. We're hearing from national security experts on sources and methods. We're watching the markets with Planet Money. You can support this work across all our podcasts with NPR+. Find out more at plus.npr.org.

• 7:15Marielle Segarra?

  It's easy to feel overwhelmed by skincare advice. Somewhere along the way, skincare got complicated and started to feel like a job. But what products and treatments will actually lead to healthier skin? Life Kit made a special newsletter series to answer that question. Sign up at npr.org/skincare or find the link in the description for this episode.

• 7:39Marielle Segarra?

  I also have been trying to think about, in terms of this, what summer truly lends itself to. Because I think we do, we want it to do a lot.

• 7:50Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 7:50Marielle Segarra?

  And maybe we're unrealistic about

• 7:53Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 7:53Marielle Segarra?

  what we can get done. But also, what are the opportunities? The realistic opportunities? For me, I think it's like, looking at the pleasures of the season like a juicy ripe peach. You know, like eating a peach, often over the sink, so it doesn't drip all down my face and my clothes.

• 8:11Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 8:11Marielle Segarra?

  Or wandering in nature, or watching the sunrise or sunset. You know, the longer days, allowing yourself leisure, rather than rushing around from one thing to the next. To me, summer is about slowing down.

• 8:27Speaker 02

  Well, and that's a really good thing. Maybe that would be your one, your phrase would be, slow down. Or take your time. Something that would capture the idea of settling into an experience. There is something about the longer days that just feels like you do have more time.

• 8:43Marielle Segarra?

  Yeah, maybe it also lends itself to exploration. And then also, maybe it's abundance. Maybe juice is my word.

• 8:53Speaker 02

  Oh, I like that word. That's a juicy word.

• 8:56Marielle Segarra?

  Yeah, because like even just the fruit that are available in the summer.

• 9:00Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 9:00Marielle Segarra?

  Are so much better. Yeah, and just like squeezing the juice out of it.

• 9:05Speaker 02

  Yeah, you're squeezing the juice out of the summer, but then you're also enjoying the juicy tomato, the juicy peach. Yeah, see, that's a perfect example. It's a very summer word. But this is why I think it's so helpful to think about it in advance, because if you don't think about it, the whole summer could go by and you haven't had a single peach. As much as you love them, it just, there was never the opportunity when you're like, now's the time. And if you haven't thought about the fact that it's something that is meaningful to you, it just might slip by and then they're not in season and then you've missed your opportunity. Whereas if you design it into your summer, then you can really make sure that it happens and that you really have that enjoyment.

• 9:46Marielle Segarra?

  That's another takeaway from Gretchen. Takeaway two. Come up with a bucket list of things you want to do this summer. Maybe you want to try kayaking or see the sunset at least once. Ride the Ferris wheel at a summer fair or make a tomato tart. You might even put something on there that you don't necessarily want to do, but you've been trying to cross off your list for a long time, like cleaning out the garage.

• 10:09Speaker 02

  Like, I'm a very fearful driver and the more I drive, the more comfortable I am. But because I'm fearful, I often don't want to drive. So this summer, I really saying, and I live in New York City, so I don't have a lot of opportunities to drive, but I vowed, anytime I have a chance to drive, I'm going to drive. This doesn't make my summer more fun, because I'm a fearful driver, but it makes it feel very satisfying because I'm working on something that I really want to tackle. But it could be something like 50 summer walks or 10 new chicken recipes. Having a bucket list of things that you want to try really can make sure that those things get tackled, even if it's as simple as like a backyard picnic.

• 10:50Marielle Segarra?

  How many things do you think one can reasonably put on a summer bucket list?

• 10:56Speaker 02

  Some people love a long list with a lot of easy things to cross off. I'm kind of a big fan of that approach myself. Some people like fewer things that are more ambitious. It's really whatever works for you, but I think you want to be realistic with yourself because sometimes it's easy to get discouraged if you set the bar too high and then you feel like you've let yourself down. So pick the things that are really important to you and really try to follow through with those.

• 11:22Marielle Segarra?

  Another idea, takeaway three, is to come up with some sort of challenge. Gamify your to do list a little bit. You know, I'm going to try 10 new taco joints or eat at every diner in the neighborhood or read five romance novels this summer.

• 11:36Speaker 02

  People are so creative with this. I mean, like Friday Freaky Flavor, where it's like every Friday they went to the ice cream store and had a freaky flavor. And it's like, if you had Friday Freaky Flavor all summer long, that would really stand out in your mind for that summer, right? Years later, you'd be like, oh, that's the summer when I discovered, you know, creamed corn ice cream. Sometimes they're really meant to help us explore. Like, many people do challenges related to, I'm going to do 10 new hikes or I'm going to try six new exercise classes to get out of my rut and see if there's a new kind of exercise that I would enjoy. Sometimes they're a challenge where it's really something that's difficult, that you

• 12:19Speaker 02

  really are saying to yourself, okay, I'm really going to do this and I know that it'll make me happier in the long run, even if it's a challenge that I don't enjoy. Many adults do not know how to swim and this is something that, in my observation, kind of weighs on them. So maybe this is your summer when you're going to take swimming lessons and really learn how to swim, even if that's something that's scary to you. Maybe this is your summer of dentistry or doctor's appointments where you're like, okay, I've got a little bit more free time. Let me make some appointments that I've been putting off because I know in the end it's going to make me feel better to get these things done, but I need to get, kind of work myself up to it. One of my challenges is to watch Girls. I've never seen the TV show Girls and I want to just like do it.

• 13:02Marielle Segarra?

  Prepare to be uncomfortable.

• 13:03Speaker 02

  Okay, I know, that's sort of what I've heard, but people say it's so good. So I'm thinking, okay, well, summer's passing. Maybe I just sit down and just watch a lot of girls.

• 13:15Marielle Segarra?

  I think it's a good idea to have some summer pursuits that are indoors.

• 13:20Speaker 02

  Mm hmm.

• 13:20Marielle Segarra?

  Because sometimes it is unbearably hot outside in the summer.

• 13:25Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 13:26Marielle Segarra?

  And I think there's a lot of pressure to be outside all summer because it's like, I've waited all year for this. But when it's 100 degrees, I don't want to be outside.

• 13:35Speaker 02

  Right. So maybe you have hobby summer and you're like, I'm going to experiment with three new hobbies or I'm going to knit something or build something. Or maybe it's experimenting with like, learning to make homemade ice cream or making homemade bread or something where you'd come out of the summer feeling like, oh, wow, I really like, I really learned something or did something. Playing Scrabble.

• 13:58Marielle Segarra?

  Yeah.

• 13:59Speaker 02

  With your family every, you know, every night after dinner or something like that to give it a special flavor.

• 14:04Marielle Segarra?

  Yeah.

• 14:06Marielle Segarra?

  After the break, we soak in the summer through our senses.

• 14:15Speaker 03

  Stay tuned for the following announcements and messages from our sponsors.

• 14:19Speaker 04

  The 2026 midterm elections are upon us. On November 3rd, voters will determine what the next two years of their local leadership and the balance of national government will look like. Listen to the NPR News Now podcast for all the updates you need ahead of and after November 3rd from NPR News.

• 14:42Speaker 05

  I'm Kevin Roos. And I'm Casey Newton. And together, we've been tech journalists for decades. Now, we're your hosts of Machine Gods, a new podcast from NPR that makes sense of what AI means for your work, your life and all of our futures. Twice a week, we'll be exploring the biggest moves in tech and give you unmatched access to the real titans of industry. Listen to Machine Gods from NPR on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 15:07Marielle Segarra?

  All right, takeaway four is to experience the summer through your five senses. And then reflect, what does summer look like, smell like, taste like, sound like, and feel like?

• 15:19Speaker 02

  Our five senses are so important, and I think the summertime is a time where we really think about our five senses a lot. There's something like just very vivid about summer. And you can do a five senses portrait, either of your summer or of a specific adventure you had in your summer. Like, let's say you took a family trip. And you could do this by yourself, or you can do this with a group of friends or with your family. And you just go seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching. So let's say you went on a July camping trip with your family. You'd say, okay, what were the five most notable sights that we saw? And then you would talk about, okay, well, what was like, oh, that was the time we saw the bear eating out of the trash can, and we almost like, we almost got right up on him. That would be something that you saw, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching. You know, it's one thing to look at photographs, but that's just very flat.

• 16:04Speaker 02

  But a five senses portrait really like puts you back into that experience. But maybe it's for your whole summer. Like, what, you know, is it, is it the smell of sunscreen? Is it the smell of chlorine? Is it the smell of hot dogs? Is it the smell of cotton candy? Is it the smell of freshly cut grass? Like, for you, what is the smell of summer? So this can be a really creative, fun way to look back on summer and capture the memories that you've created.

• 16:30Marielle Segarra?

  Yeah, I love that idea. And I'm sure people could get really creative with it in terms of, I'm going to make it into an actual portrait. Like, I'm going to, you know, illustrate it.

• 16:38Speaker 02

  Yeah, oh, yes. Absolutely.

• 16:40Marielle Segarra?

  Whatever it is. I want to ask a question for the parents out there, because especially if you have kids in the house, you're not just planning your summer for yourself. You're also planning for them and for your family as a whole. And so I wonder, how can you get their input about what they want their summer to be like, but also make it something where you're meeting your needs as well?

• 17:02Speaker 02

  Well, I think that is a great idea, which is to sit down and think like as a family, how do we want to design our summer? What does everybody want from it? And I think sometimes for ourselves and for our children, we tend to over schedule. And there's sort of a feeling of like, we're rushing from one thing to another and we don't give ourselves a big margin. But that is another thing I think to think about as you design your summer is like, what is your pace? What is your energy level? How crowded do you like your days to be? Because some people really do love running from one thing to another and like, let's jump in the car and go here and go here. And they like that feeling and they like that pace. And then other people, like there's a quotation from Thoreau where he said, I like a broad margin to my life. And I'm like, I need a broad margin. I don't like to rush.

• 17:47Speaker 02

  I like to have a lot of time in between things. I could spend a whole day puttering and my family is kind of the same. So we take it pretty slow. We don't need a lot of activities to feel like we've had enough. But for other people like that pace might be different. And also you can get into the complication of like, some people like to do a lot, some people want to do less. But the more you can talk about that, the more you can figure out, well, how do we make this work for all of us?

• 18:14Marielle Segarra?

  So this comes up a lot with New Year's resolutions where you get three weeks into January and you realize you're not doing the thing. And maybe you don't even want to do the thing. So what if that happens in the summer? You know, you set your theme or your intentions, you make your bucket list and then you get to, you know, end of July, early August and you're not doing it.

• 18:37Speaker 02

  Well, that's very common. We've all done it. I'm a big fan of helping yourself remember what you've set. So like I have an index card that's on the bulletin board right by my desk. So I see my theme every time I look to my right to remind, to keep it upper, uppermost in my mind. And then the same thing with a list so that I remember what's on my list. Because sometimes you make, even though something's really important to us and we vow that we're going to do it, we just sort of forget about it. This is often why it can be fun to have a visual representation that's maybe a T-shirt or a piece of jewelry or some, like a little thing on your desk that would help remind Mind you of what you have set your theme to be, just so that you remember to do it. Now, if you get to a point and you realize, okay, I haven't been living up to this,

• 19:22Speaker 02

  you know, it's never too late. You know, there's an adage that I love, which is the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now. And the best time to have a terrific summer is when, at the beginning of summer. But the second best time is whenever you think of it. So you're never behind. You can always just start where you are and jump in. I think that as much as you can remind yourself along the way is good. But if you, you know, you've lost some time, that's okay. Just reengage.

• 19:51Marielle Segarra?

  All right, Gretchen, thank you so much for this. Always love chatting with you.

• 19:55Speaker 02

  Oh, I always love talking to you. I was looking forward to it. I love the juicy summer. I think that's a great thing.

• 20:00Marielle Segarra?

  Yeah. Summer of juice.

• 20:02Speaker 02

  Summer of juice.

• 20:04Marielle Segarra?

  All right, time for a recap. Takeaway one is to give your summer a theme. Pick a single word or a phrase that you want to embrace this season, something that captures the feeling you want to have over the next few months. Some other ideas that folks shared with Gretchen. Appalachian granny summer, which means a season filled with gardening, handicrafts, canning, and learning to make sourdough. Summer of America's 250th. The US turns 250 years old in July, so this person will be reading books about US history, incorporating red, white, and blue into their wardrobe, and taking a trip to Washington DC. There's backyard summer, or the summer of open water. And of course, there are lots of single words that you could choose, too. Remember, mine is going to be juice.

• 20:49Marielle Segarra?

  Takeaway two, come up with a summer bucket list. Maybe you want to try kayaking or see the sunset or sunrise at least once. Ride the Ferris wheel at a summer fair. Eat corn on the cob. Make a tomato tart. Takeaway three is to come up with some sort of challenge. Really gamify your bucket list. Like, I'm going to try five new types of juice, or read five romance novels. And takeaway four, experience the summer through your five senses, and then reflect. What does summer look like, smell like, taste like, sound like, and feel like? I'll tell you what comes to mind for me. The smell of smoke from a crackling outdoor fire and the taste of toasted marshmallows on a stick. All right, that's our show. By the way,

• 21:33Marielle Segarra?

  your phone is full of distractions. Why not make sure it's also full of smart tips and good advice? The NPR app gives you access to world-class reporting, including what's on Life Kit, without a paywall. Download the NPR app today. This episode of Life Kit was produced by Claire Marie Schneider. It was edited by Brent Bachmann. Our digital editor is Malika Gharib, and our visuals editor is CJ Riegel. Megan Cain is our senior supervising editor, and Lauren Gonzalez is our executive producer. Our production team also includes Andy Tagle, Margaret Serino, and Sylvie Douglas. Engineering support comes from Damian Herring and Becky Brown. I'm Marielle Segarra. Thanks for listening, and have an amazing summer.

• 22:17Marielle Segarra?

  Freaky Flavor Friday. Say that three times fast.

• 22:25Speaker 03

  Stay tuned for the following announcements and messages from our sponsors.

• 22:29Speaker 07

  This week on Up First, we're in the final days before the midterm elections. And this is one of the wonderful things about politics, one of the wonderful things about humanity. We have all this data, we have all this information, and nobody really knows what's gonna happen. We're gonna follow it, day by day, through Election Day and beyond. And you can listen to Up First every morning on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

• 22:54Speaker 02

  Midlife brings a lot of changes. Your Turn with Alison Aubrey is a new podcast to help you navigate the twists and turns. From health and relationships to creativity and purpose, we can help steer your next chapter with Your Turn with Alison Aubrey. Find it on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.