My New-Ish Summer Rules 2026

@LisaBerghoff

Rules for summer sounds like an oxymoron, or a bad idea, but hear me out. Summer goes by so fast. We know this. I want to do all the fun things but I also want to relax and see my friends and spend time with family and get projects done around the house and... 

This is the problem. If I spend time lounging then I feel like I did not use my time well. If I spend my time doing all kinds of projects then I am upset that I didn't get to relax. The best solution I have come up with after many years of struggling through summer (that's a joke) is to come up with this list. I make sure that I do all five of these every day. Some activities can count for more than one and I get to make up the rules as I go because it's my summer. This calms my mind and helps me to really enjoy it. I know this is an edtech blog but just stick with me on this. Want to check them off in an app? Go for it. No tech is needed to follow these rules. My best suggestion is to do as the kids say and go touch grass. 

Every day I do something that is:

• Relaxing/Mindful
• Productive
• Social
• Physical
• Indulgent

NEW TWIST FOR 2026!

This summer as I follow my summer rules, I am going to focus on strengthening neural pathways. I want to experiment this summer with plans to share with students in the fall to help us all learn better in this time of rapid technology development. Neuroplasticity is the brains ability to recognize itself. This is about combining focused repetition, cognitive novelty, and physical support. It sounds wild but it can be as simple as brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand.

Here is a breakdown of the summer rules with the added neuroplasticity lens. 

1. Relaxing/Mindful: I have a hammock in my backyard and it is my most favorite place to relax in the summer. Relaxing doesn't have to mean lying down or even staying still. Sometimes a walk can be relaxing, listening to music, reading a book, or doing a hobby. I find baking to be relaxing and it can also check off the productive category if we need a dessert to bring to a bbq. As I am relaxing I am going to take a moment to be present and mindful. I'm going to check in with myself without judgement, just to increase my own awareness. 

2. Productive: The key here is to have no judgement and set the bar as low or as high as feels comfortable to you. I will sometimes choose a drawer to reorganize. Running errands can be both productive and social if you do it with a friend. Some days will be massively productive and others will just touch the edges of productivity, that's ok. As long as I feel like I have done something that checks this off the list. When being productive, I am going to have a bias towards doing something that challenges my brain in some way. When running errands, maybe I look for a new route to take. As I am organizing that closet, perhaps I examine how best to use the space instead of putting everything back where it came from 

3. Social: This may surprise some of you but I am actually an introvert. While I love people and I love being social, the way I recharge my battery is typically alone or with one other person. There is a wide continuum of what counts as being social. It could be plans with friends, a phone call, a chat with a neighbor, or just being somewhere where there are lots of people and likely someone I will know. In this realm I am going to seek new experiences. There is so much going on in and around Chicago and summer is a great time to allow my brain to experience something new. Whether it's blueberry picking or axe throwing, I'm going to be open to it because you know, it's good for my brain. 

4. Physical: This is key. I will often start my day with some sort of exercise. Running is my addiction and I have noticed that when I start my day with a run, everything just tends to go better both physically and mentally. As long as the weather is nice, stop looking at screens and get outside. It doesn't have to do a hard workout, just get moving in some way. Take a walk around the block, lift some heavy things, try a new exercise class, do some yoga. The beauty of it is that it's summer and I get to choose. The research is solid on this, physical exercise and sleep are critical to brain health. My plan is to get lots of both this summer. 

5. Indulgent: This is the one my family gives me the hardest time about. What is indulgent to me is sometimes ridiculous to them. Again, my rules, and I get to decide how to follow them. To me, indulgent is something that I enjoy that does not happen regularly.  Indulgent could be anything from a massage or a mani/pedi to a really good cup of tea. It could be buying myself a little treat at a sidewalk sale. Indulgent does not have to be expensive nor does it have to involve food. It could be spending an afternoon binge watching a show. Giving myself permission to do something indulgent helps remove any guilt I may feel and exponentially increases my enjoyment of summer. I'm just following the rules!

Do you have summer rules that you follow? What would your list consist of? I look forward to hearing about it.

Enjoy the summer!