7 Rewarding Ways To Have A Happier, Healthier July

    From embracing summer sadness to nailing the perfect scrambled egg, we know how you should make this month even better.

    Anna Borges
    by Anna Borges

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Hey, everyone! I don't know about where you live, but New York rang July in with 97 degrees of sun, and I'm sweaty and cranky and in need of things to cheer me up.

    Cartoon Network / Via giphy.com

    In case you are too, here are a few ways my colleagues and I have been upgrading our lives and moods.

    1. Take the time to nourish long-distance friendships.

    2. Practice making one specific meal, even if it’s super basic.

    Brett Vergara / BuzzFeed

    "For me, it’s honestly been a tougher month. It’s one of those times when even the basics like cooking for myself, cleaning, organizing, etc. just feel daunting some days. After I’ve had a stressful or draining day, the last thing I want to do is cook up a fancy and proper meal for myself, especially since I’m already an amateur AF cook. BUT, you know what I can do? Scrambled eggs. Eggs are simple, cheap, satisfying, versatile — the list goes on! I certainly don’t feel like I’m in the time of my life to take on a complicated cooking conquest, but I can do eggs.

    SO, for the past few weeks, I’ve made it my mission to simply make a shit-ton of scrambled eggs. Truly a comical amount. I’m not only talkin’ about eggs in the morning here — breakfast norms be damned! Eggs for breakfast! Eggs for lunch! Eggs for a late-night snack! Eggs whenever! No rules! This has mainly been to give me a simple thing to focus on and get my technique down PAT. I’ve tried some new methods, ~eggs-plored~ some additions like spinach, mushrooms, cheese, even more cheese, etc. I’ve asked my parents how they make theirs, gotten into debates with friends over the best method over brunch, and ~eggs-perimented~ [Editor’s note: OH COME ON] with some celebrity recipes (Gordon Ramsay’s is the best, hands down). I’ve even played around with cooking eggs in the microwave of all places — because apparently that’s a thing.

    Listen, I know it may sound slightly ridiculous that I’m so emotionally invested in this egg journey, but it’s turned out to be a weirdly effective way to de-stress and distract myself from *gestures broadly* things. There may be parts of my life I won’t always feel great about, some things are out of my control, but I can at least make my scrambled eggs taste, well, pretty dang eggs-cellent." —Brett Vergara

    3. If you're a skeptic about the mental and physical benefits of yoga, just give it a teensy try.

    Jamé Jackson / BuzzFeed

    "As someone who is constantly on-the-go physically, I always find my mind racing even when it’s time to rest. I’m one of those people who says I’m too busy to work out, but health problems warrant a bit of physical self-care from time to time. I didn’t believe the hype around yoga and its benefits, but I decided to give it a try and to see if it helped improve my life at all. And OMG GUYS, PULL UP A SEAT.

    Within only two weeks, I found myself less anxious and more in mental alignment with positive thoughts and emotions. Yoga makes you aware of your body, and more importantly, if your body is evenly placing your weight. The small changes of stretching, deep breathing, and pushing my body to healthy limits not only allowed me to see my 'weak' spots, but it also gave me a new appreciation for my strength and determination. At first I had done one class a week, but now I am going to the studio at least twice a week, following up with personal work at home.

    While I am certainly no yogi, and I cannot deny that being able to go to a yoga studio is a privilege not everybody has, I have found a great balance of studio work and personal work in my home. Literally, you can practice yoga if you have internet to access YouTube. Don’t let money stop you from getting your body, soul, and mind aligned!" —Jamé Jackson

    4. Set aside at least one day a week to make plans with *yourself*.

    Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

    "I have a really bad habit of making plans literally every day of the week and only actually doing things for myself when someone cancels. And then I just burn out hard and am out of commission for like an entire weekend. I've tried to set time aside for myself repeatedly, but I've actually been sticking to it! Now, I block off Monday and Tuesday for working out (instead of waking up at the crack of dawn to do it), making dinner, maybe doing my laundry, and relaxing." —Emily Shwake

    5. If you're going on any trips this summer, keep a travel journal so you can relive the memories later.

    Terri Pous / BuzzFeed

    "I'm a big fan of notebooks, gratitude lists, and bullet journals, but I'm an even bigger fan of traveling. While I could make a separate travel spread for my bullet journal, I've found so much more satisfaction in having a separate travel notebook for all of my journeys, whether they be big or small. You can use any notebook you like, but I pack a notebook my sister brought me back from a trip to India (she knows me so well) and, at the end of each day of travel, write down everything that happened, from what music was playing, to major sightseeing. No detail is too small, because honestly, I'll never forget going to the Louvre, but I may forget seeing a seagull steal someone's potato chips. The best part, though, is that when I'm in a lull between trips, I'll open up the notebook to a random page and re-live a day on the southern coast of Portugal, even if I'm bored on the couch in my teeny apartment." —Terri Pous

    6. Know that not feeling OK in the summer is OK and adjust your plans and expectations accordingly.

    Rachel Miller

    "For years now, I've felt a creeping sense of dread when summer rolls around. I never really told anyone about it — not even my closest friends — because it felt weirdly embarrassing. Like, who can't cope with summer? But after starting to open up about it to more people, I learned that 1) this is definitely A Thing, and 2) it's not something to be ashamed of. Summer isn't for everyone! And sunshine isn't a magic ticket to being happier! Honestly, just saying this out loud has helped a ton.

    But this year I'm also trying to be more proactive about the blues that I know are coming. I’ve booked some idyllic summer trips with friends and family. I’ve also been meditating and just trying to be really present on summer mornings (the ONLY redeemable thing about summer). And I bought a bunch of pretty string lights for my apartment because I miss the pretty glow of my Christmas tree, damn it. Basically, I’m hoping that by connecting with nature and with loved ones, by finding magical moments of joy where I can, and just being honest about how I'm feeling will help make summer more bearable." —Rachel W. Miller

    For more feels about embracing and working with summertime sadness, read Rachel's full essay.

    7. Or honestly, just watch Queer Eye. And watch it again.

    Netflix / Via giphy.com

    "Queer Eye is the happiest ray of sunshine to beam out of my (actually, my sister's, if we're going to be honest) Netflix account since Nailed It. I like the first season, but something about this second season really gelled for me: Watching the Fab Five back together felt like visiting old friends, and even though the show isn't perfect, it always doles out just the right amount of laughter, tears, hope, inspirations, and meme potential. If eight episodes feels like too much, I highly recommend watching episodes 1 and 5 — the first one features the first female hero, and the fifth one is about helping a trans man after his top surgery. I don't feel OK about a lot of the world right now, and I know one show won't heal it all, but watching the new season felt like visiting a happy, utopian community where everyone French tucks their shirts, uses a little beard balm, and just wants to be better for themselves and everyone around them. Can you believe?" —Terri Pous

    Stay cool out there, folks. See you next month!

    giphy.com

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