Are you savoring summer?

While we were at Lake Ann beach today, Doug, who is a terrific singer, spontaneously started singing George Gershwin’s Summertime. The lyrics point out that “the livin’ is easy” – but with today’s fast-paced lifestyle, summertime often seems too rushed. That song got us thinking that summer is a short, beautiful season, worthy of being savored. What does savoring mean? To savor something is to become more aware and thoroughly experience and enjoy it.

So why is savoring summer important? As a psychologist and success coach, I see that savoring helps people to relax their minds and their bodies. Savoring has terrific health benefits because it can lower stress and raise mood. When you savor, you can make mental pictures to carry with you to relive at any time. You can even take photographs and pull them out later to help you feel happier and more relaxed.

If savoring can have all these health benefits, how can you savor summer? Here are some ideas of things to savor. It’s about savoring not only the warm sunshine but also the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and activities that sometimes might go unnoticed or we take for granted.

When Doug asked me what I savor about summer, I answered that I like the flowers. Petunias, lilies and other flowers are beautifully fragrant. Doug says that he enjoys that we have ponds and a marsh in back of our home and that there are birds of all kinds singing from dawn ‘til dusk. Then at night, we hear the frogs croaking and crickets chirping. Fireflies come out, too! Do you remember seeing them as a kid? Maybe you even caught them and put them in a Mason jar with a bit of grass on the bottom and holes poked in the top so they could breathe. Then you let them out later so they could continue blinking. Now we are just glad to see them flying freely as twinkling specks of light against the darkness.

Other summer savoring might include the sounds and sights of being at a lake with little children laughing as they jump off the dock and the gentle lap of waves on the shoreline. Splashing of a fountain is enjoyable, too. There are summertime activities such as picnics, fairs, activities and sports. Of course, yummy foods abound – watermelon, corn-on-the-cob and barbecue, to name a few.

We’ve shared a few benefits of savoring and some things we savor about summer so we decided to ask some other people what they savor about summer.

We met Chanhassen residents, Tiffany and Steve Fisco. When asked what they savor about summer, Tiffany replied, “I really enjoy the sun and the warmth. I love being outside and going to the pool and beach with the kids. I also just enjoy the downtime, too, not having me work in the summer and to be able to be home and have less stress with homework and schoolwork.” Steve says, I really like coming home from work and still having a good part of my day left to enjoy the weather and to get out for ice cream with the kids and family, get some things done around the yard and just enjoy the longer days.”

Then we met Wendy Pekarek. When asked what she savors about summer she said, “I have a little yard, it’s a half acre – it’s not that little! I love working in my gardens and taking care of my lawn and making vegetables and flowers grow. I enjoy that a lot. I also have two grandchildren that I love to run around with.” I mentioned that she’s a busy lady and what some people would think of as work, she really enjoys. She nodded, “I really do get a lot out of it, it’s very rewarding, soothing and you feel like you’ve gotten something done. To me, it’s therapeutic.”

The people we talked to shared several things that they are savoring over the summer. How about you?

Here’s a challenge: Life is so busy and summer goes by quickly. We encourage you to take time to really savor summer by enjoying some of your favorite activities and becoming more aware of the beauty of nature that is available in this warmer season. Take some pictures over the summer. Then when the wintery winds are blowing, or anytime, your photos will allow you to relive the fun and enjoyment you savored in summer. And hopefully, savoring will bring back happy feelings of relaxation, too. Please let us know what you would like to see in our columns and videos.

Chanhassen residents Doug and Lynn Nodland are owners of The Balance Center. They can be contacted at WeCare@SharingLifesLessons.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2017 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.