Today I’d like to share six small and simple tips that you can use to create a happier summer – and rest of the year – for yourself.

You’ll be less stressed and you’ll enjoy all the smells, the sights and people in your summer even more. So slow down a bit and use all your senses to tap into what is happening in this moment around you and inside of you.

Go for something new. Expand your comfort zone in a small way. Or a bigger one.

Go somewhere you haven’t been before. Take up a new hobby. Read a book or try eating something or doing something that isn’t what the regular you would do.

Few things add happiness so simply as finding a new thing you enjoy or may even love does.

Arrange a party or a picnic. Set up a movie night when the summer rain is pouring outside. Take a walk or a run every warm morning to get your energy levels up.

4. Savor the summer moments right here instead of being lost in the future or past.

There will be moments this summer you won’t want to miss by being somewhere else in your head. So decide that you will take the time and focus to savor the small moments like a melting ice-cream in the sun but also the bigger ones with the people closest to you.

5. Ask yourself what you can be grateful for so far this year.

The past 6 months may zipped by fast, they sure did for me at least. So the summer vacation can – just like the vacation around New Year’s Eve – be a good time to take a few extra, small pauses and to look back and ask yourself:

What can I be grateful for in my life so far this year? And don’t forget to express your gratitude to the people in your life.

6.Spend more time doing what you love.

Maybe it is reading books. Or fishing. Or painting. Or playing with your kids or hanging out with an old friend. Also think about how you can fit more of whatever that is into the rest of your year too.

Sit down with a pen and paper and think about what you spend your time on during a normal week. Find one or two things during your regular weeks that you can do less of or simply say no to so that you have a bit more time and energy over each week during the fall and winter for this thing you love.

Lastly, Enjoy the rest of your happier summer!