Care2: 5 Summer Activities to Do For Stress Relief

August is often a good time to cool the flames of all the summer excitement we’ve been having throughout June and July. We’ve still got a long while before we have to say goodbye to the warmer weather, but there’s no reason why we can’t turn down the heat a bit by engaging in hobbies and activities that support our wellbeing and restore our energy.

So if you’ve been feeling a bit burnt out lately, consider winding down just a touch and reflecting on the past couple of months with these relaxing and rejuvenating activities you can do while the warm weather lasts.

Experience “blue mind”

If you can get to a nearby lake, pond, river, stream or even the ocean before the end of this summer, then you should try to make that happen. Marine biologist and ocean-conservancy researcher Wallace J. Nichols coined the term “blue mind” to describe the mental benefits that can occur when we spend time near natural bodies of water. It refers to the calm, meditative, relaxed state we experience when we step away from our fast-paced lives into nature. The brain activates a different network that involves more introspective thinking, leading to feelings of connectedness and even a greater sense of creativity.

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