With the summer season in full swing, you may decide to take a more relaxed approach to things, whether it be sleeping in more often or keeping a more flexible schedule. However, it’s important to continue to prioritize your health, even during the summer months, in order to have your happiest and healthiest summer yet.

Here are five things you should be doing to prioritize your mental health this summer:

>Use your vacation time to actually unwind. Many of us use our well-deserved paid vacation time to accomplish tasks on our to-do lists, whether they be projects around the house or attending long-overdue appointments. Instead, use your vacation to actually enjoy yourself. Whether that means spending a day exploring a new place close to home, traveling for a week or two, or simply taking the time to read that book you’ve wanted to dive into, using your time off to relax and enjoy yourself can give you a huge boost, physically and mentally.
1. Take care of your physical space. Clearing your space helps clear your mind, and gives you a mental boost in the process. Experts say that cleaning and organizing is likely to have benefits beyond tidier homes, with improved mental health topping the list. Take a few hours of your weekend to rearrange your furniture or clear out a cluttered space and enjoy the mental boost.
2. Take care of your mental space. Summer is a great time to challenge yourself to explore new hobbies and even discover a deeper passion for things you love. You can invest time in the things you value, all while experiencing personal growth. Learn to say yes to things that bring you joy, and no to things that drain your energy.
3. Get outside. It’s been well-documented that spending time outside in nature and surrounded by green spaces can be great for your mental and physical well-being. Exposure to natural sunlight is a real mood booster, and can provide a sense of calming and well being.
4. Continue to get enough sleep. Just because summer days are longer doesn’t mean you should sleep less. Try to maintain a healthy and steady sleep schedule, which is ideally between 8-10 uninterrupted hours of sleep. The connection between sleep and health is real. When we’re consistently getting better sleep, our overall health is positively impacted — and when we’re not, we notice the negative impacts as well.