From wasting days away to doomscrolling to TikToks comparing summer expectations to “sad, bed rotting” realities, it’s time to finally embrace summer to its fullest.

With these 15 motivational summer activities, you have no more excuses left to making your dream summer come true, just like you envisioned on those bleak winter evenings.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines doomscrolling as the excessive “activity of looking at your phone… which experts have proven to be harmful towards your mental health”. Social media addiction is a normality, spoiling everyone’s summer with performative content.

It’s time to put down your overheated phone, stay present, and memories before fall comes around too quickly yet again.

1. Craft your ultimate summer mood board

Although this is still a digital activity, we have to start somewhere, and where better to begin embracing summer than creating the ultimate summer vision board!

No matter how far into summer you are when reading this article, it’s never too late to go on Pinterest and compile your favourite summer images, drawing inspiration from movies, shows, quotes, celebrities and aesthetics, into one magnificent mood board.

Not only have you stopped scrolling, but this act of curation will shift your mindset into manifesting these memories, allowing you to embrace summer mentally!

Tip: Try using Canva or other creative apps for easy collaging!

2. Make THE ULTIMATE summer playlist

Once you have curated this year’s summer vibe using your vision board, it is time to shift from visual aesthetics to pleasing melodies! What truly made last year’s summer memorable for me was my personal soundtrack behind every plane ride, road trip or even short summer walk around the neighbourhood. 

There is something so inspiring when pressing shuffle and a summer hit like INNA’s Amazing or Lana Del Rey’s Summertime Sadness coming on full blast.

My personal favourites are: High By the Beach (Lana Del Rey), Island in the Sun (Weezer), Me Gustas Tu (Manu Chao) and Something Good (Alt-J).

Tip: If you want to capture a certain summer aesthetic you can always search up specific playlist names such as ‘Ultimate 2016 Summer Playlist’ or ‘2000’s Tuscan Mom Summer Playlist’ on YouTube or Spotify! My personal favourite playlist channels are: Olivia!, xo,A and Szandra Mayer.

Extra tip: Listen to your favourite summer movie soundtracks to further enhance your summer mood!

3. Start a Letterboxd or Summer To-Watch List

If you are still stuck on gathering inspiration for this year’s summer, I would suggest creating a summer to-watch list on Canva, your notes app, or even using a good, old-fashioned pen and paper.

I would also recommend starting your own Letterboxd where you can record, list and rate any summer movies you’ve watched so far.

Tip: Check out my Letterboxd summer list to get some ideas!

For more summer movie inspiration, check out our Top 25 summer movies for enjoying the summer of ’25!

4. Visit an open-air or rooftop Cinema

There’s just something different in the air when you watch a movie surrounded by trees, nature and the sky!

By simply choosing to watch one of your favourite summer movies outside, you are truly embracing the summer weather to the max and making the most out of late summer nights.

If there are no outdoor cinemas near you, the simple act of taking your laptop or even phone on a late-night picnic with you is more than enough to transform your usual settings into a fun, summertime activity!

5. Craft your summer bucket list!

Although a bucket list can seem quite daunting at first, with the idea of having to cross off a multitude of tasks in such a small span of time, I’m suggesting something more realistic.

Activities include taking summer walks in the park or watching summer movies. Although these can be seen as quite ‘basic’, by simply writing them down and decorating your bucket list, your summer mood is bound to skyrocket!

However, if you have really decided to embrace summer to the max, then I would suggest treating this task as something that you can come back to every year, with the aim of ticking off only one or two activities each year!

6. Collaging

Whilst collaging could be considered an all-year activity, only during those endless summer evenings is there ever the most time to peacefully sit down and stick cut-out magazines and aesthetic stickers in your scrapbook.

If you are a collage newbie and don’t know where to start, I am sure somewhere around your house there must be an old magazine perfect for cutting! My favourite magazines to use are old Vogue issues from last year that are filled with aesthetic shots and cool patterns.

Collaging is the ideal summer activity; giving you space from the digital world and allowing you to direct all your creative energy onto something other than scrolling!

Tip: To truly upgrade your collaging game you can purchase aesthetic stickers from Amazon!

Extra tip: You can also use the Pinterest Collage Feature if you’d prefer to collage digitally (or Canva again)

7. Create a clueless-inspired digital closet

One of my must-do summer activities this year was creating a digital closet filled with all of my current clothing pieces, including shoes, jewellery and bags!

Before taking time to upload my wardrobe digitally, I used to find myself always wearing the same few pieces. That’s why, along with streaming Clueless at the start of this summer, I scoured the internet in search of an app or website where I could optimise the use of my closet!

The app I am currently using is Whering, but there are plenty of other apps (such as Indyx and Acloset) that will do the trick. Whering enables you to search for clothing pieces on the internet and its data base where you can upload them into your digital closet. There is also the option to remove the background from images so that you can upload items you can’t find online.

Why digital closets are perfect for seasonal outfit planning is their ‘looks’ and ‘outfit’ sections where you can pre-plan and craft outfits perfect for any summer occasion!

8. Summer digital deep clean

Continuing with the productive ideas you can digitally deep clean your phone and laptop.

Curiously, we find ourselves on our phones a lot, yet most of us never truly take the time to clean out emails, get rid of random photos that are taking up too much storage, and finally deleting unnecessary apps.

By taking control over your digital life, bed rotting will have less of a clasp on you, allowing you to truly enjoy your summer in ‘zen mode’.

Tip: Since summer is filled with days out and good weather, now is the chance to be brave and delete TikTok and other social media platforms for a day. If you truly don’t have any time now, will you ever?

9. Sporadic picnics

As mentioned before, having a memorable and fun summer doesn’t have to include epic beach days and never-ending club nights. Even the most minimal-effort picnics in your backyard or local park can become special summer memories that you nostalgically look back on.

These sporadic picnics can simply consist of a picnic blanket and small book or literally a good old gossip sesh with your friend on the grass.

The key element to these sporadic picnics, however, is the fact that you are making time to enjoy summer rather than simply shying away at home. As long as you are outside and embracing the good weather with people you love, summer is summering. Trust me.

10. Start writing book reviews 

Although harder to make a habit, taking the time to write book reviews on your recent books can become a fun summertime activity.

The reason writing book reviews is both enjoyable and intellectually stimulating is the fact that there is no grade attached to your review, allowing you to engage critically with the text without any pressure. This can help gather your thoughts, strengthen your opinions and give you confidence when writing.

There are many different ways to do this, and all are equally worthwhile. My preferred way is writing a quick review on my notes app with thoughts on the overall book, favourite characters and any small criticisms. I’m also an avid Goodreads user and love to rate every book I read using the app.

However, If you’re more of a pen and paper type of person, there are plenty of book review journals to purchase online and in store as well as simply writing your thoughts in a plain notebook!

11. Awaken your inner child!

Summer memories are filled with childhood wonder and nostalgia where a simple afternoon spent building a fort in your living room or attending a fun sleepover remain magical moments you cherish forever.

Activity No.11 is focused on reconnecting with your own childhood summer memories and reigniting that magical summer spark! Why not invite a friend over for the evening and watch some of your favourite movies in an adult-sized version of your childhood forts?

Perhaps this attraction towards childhood nostalgia and genuine fun summer activities is why so many people online are reminiscing on 2010’s summer days.

12. Use the extra downtime to get educated!

More than often, we delay our side ambitions for later summer days when we have more time to ourselves. Unfortunately, when the time finally comes we usually find ourselves wasting it with excuses and social media addictions.

It’s the same as taking a book with you on vacation and returning back home without turning a single page.

Consider this your official wake up call to set aside at least one hour this week to finally get to whatever ambition you’ve been putting off for summer. The time has officially come to watch that podcast, read that political summary or take that online course!

Tip: If you’re in need of some ideas here are a few links to educational podcasts and articles:

• Ethics of responsibility video
• Male Gaze in Film
• A documentary featuring testimonies of ordinary Kashmiris recount a brutal militancy and its terrible response
• Our planet full documentary from Netflix uploaded onto YouTube
• An essay on the AI Art Dilemma

13. Go on your own version of a local hike

Even if it’s walking around your neighbourhood for a couple of hours with a friend or dedicating a whole day dedicated to a fun trail in the countryside; going on a summer hike is a must-do seasonal activity!

Taking a small walk when you’re feeling under the weather is known to actively reduce stress hormones like cortisol and boost feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin.

Imagine these positive effects added on with a warm breeze and nature in full bloom. Sounds idyllic to me.

14. Taking a mindful walk

Building on activity no. 13, this task is focused on taking a mindful hike. For example, this could include dedicating your walk to scouting local animals such as squirrels, deer and hare. Another idea is bringing your digital camera or phone with you to snap pictures of any flowers, unique trees and animals that you find aesthetic.

Taking a mindful walk is a form of meditation, allowing you to express gratitude to the world around you. It is a chance to feel more fulfilled with your day and boost your mood.

15. Visit a Lido

If you’re spending your summer at home and don’t live near a beach, you can still embrace a more home-made coastal aesthetic!

People often overlook Lidos (outdoor swimming pools), which can be a great substitute for beach days! Going with friends and family can turn a usual day into a mini holiday filled with mermaid cosplay and plenty of time for tanning.

As Gen Z is increasingly being called the indoor generation, by forcing yourself to go out, you are not only socialising but making memorable summer days without even realising it!

Pick only a few activities

Although I’ve just presented you with a ton of summer activities, I urge your priority to be putting that phone down and expressing your creative energy in any way that makes you most happy.

Doomscrolling does not count as a valid source of happiness. Going out with your friends on a hike or crafting a summer bucket list that you may never even look at again holds a million times more meaning than watching another tedious clothing haul.