Mind Body Green

Summer means more sun, an uptick in vacations, and more great excuses to spend time in nature. But are those environmental changes really going to make a difference in your mood? Well, it turns out, they probably will if you let them. According to a 2012 study of identical and fraternal twins, only about one-third of our happiness level is genetic. The rest is up to us.

So, if you spend summer soaking up vitamin D, giving forest bathing a try, and using your days off as a chance to disconnect from your virtual reality, you are setting yourself up to be much, much happier. If not, well, then summer's probably just as much of a bummer as every other season.Ready to live your life to the fullest this summer? Let this bucket list inspire a few of your activities:

#3. Hit the beach (or lake or pool).Views of the ocean and other blue spaces make us happier than other landscapes. Wallace J. Nichols, a scientist and author of Blue Mind, a book about how water improves our health and mood, points to the feelings of awe and wonder we have when we gaze at oceans, lakes, or rivers. 

Read more here.