I’ve been saying the same thing over and over lately: I just want to feel caught up in my life. Not ahead, not on top of everything… just caught up, like there’s nothing waiting for me the second I finish what’s in front of me.
I said this to my boyfriend recently and he immediately pushed back. There will always be something else, he says…another emailanother plan to make, another decision awaits you at 5 p.m. (To be clear, this was not the answer I was hoping for.) The feeling of being caught up is not something you arrive at and it stays that way forever. It’s something you continue to create, in small ways, throughout the day, often without realizing it.
That’s what I’ve been paying attention to this spring. A handful of small habits that have changed the way I live my life. I show up differently in my work, in my relationships, and even in the way I think about things like food and fitness. Everything seems a little more additive and less like something I have to go through.
A more realistic way to feel better by summer
We’re currently in that in-between window – the period between May and early summer – where routines aren’t completely set in and there’s still room to change the way things feel. I see it as a sort of runway: a few weeks during which these changes have time to take shape. This way, when summer comes, you’re not starting from scratch. You are already there.
The idea of a reset sounds appealing, but it involves starting over, doing things perfectly, and putting everything in place at once. Just when your energy is already exhausted.
10 spring habits at a glance
What I found more useful this season was a simpler approach. Paying attention to what already makes me feel better and doing a little more of it.
- Build one meal a day around color. Let fresh, vibrant ingredients guide what you eat. Everything else tends to follow.
- Improve what you already do. Spring is all about amping up the vibes in your romantic life.
- Train at 90%. Leave yourself some energy so you can come back tomorrow.
- Create a clear end to your workday. A little transition helps you actually get to your party.
- Leaving something aside on purpose. Decide when the day is over instead of waiting until everything is over.
- Make a decision before your energy drops. Remove one choice from your evening: it’s a huge energy booster.
- Add a side quest. Follow a little moment of curiosity, just because you can.
- Take your evening on autopilot. A loose plan keeps your night from feeling like an extension of the workday.
- Build your day around natural light. Let sunlight anchor your routine instead of treating it as an extra.
- Notice what gives you energy. Pay attention to what works and repeat it.
10 spring habits to feel better by summer
These are the habits I came back to. They’re simple, but they’ve changed more than I expected.
1. Build one meal a day around color
I had no plans to change the way I ate this spring. Did it just… happen? Somewhere between shopping at the farmers’ market and planning quick lunches, I began to notice that the meals I looked forward to all had one thing in common: they were full of color. Bright greens, spring strawberries, fresh herbs. All the goodness of the season ended up on my plate.
This change alone made eating easier. When you start with color, the rest tends to fall into place. You build meals that are more satisfying, more energizing and much less rigid.
Try this: Once a day, start with what seems fresh and vibrant, then add something creamy and crunchy to top it off.
Some colorful meals to inspire you:
- Burrata Toast with Blood Orange, Pistachios & Honey
- Cedar Planked Halibut with Salsa Verde
- Cucumber and crispy rice salad
- Sweet Potato, Kale, and Candied Egg Breakfast Bowl
- Strawberry and Cream Pavlova
2. Improve what you already do
I stopped waiting for something new to make my days better. Most of the change comes from paying a little more attention to what already exists and treating it as if it’s important.
The same coffee, but in a beautiful mug (taken outside instead of staying at the counter). Romanticize my lunch break. A nighttime walk that’s not just about taking steps, but about noticing the light, the air, and the fact that I’m here.
This habit is about moving through what is already a part of your life. This small change made everything a little more intentional and a lot nicer.
Try this: Choose a daily habit and make it feel like something you chose: better ingredients, a different setting, or a small detail that makes you want to participate.
3. Do your workouts at 90% (and notice the changes)
For a long time, I thought a good workout should leave me completely exhausted. 30 minutes minimum, high intensity, no shortcuts, otherwise it didn’t count. This mindset kept me stuck in a cycle where I would go all out for a few days, burn out, and then completely crash.
What changed for me was realizing that consistency has a lot less to do with intensity than I thought. Research around “exercise snacks” – short, more frequent movements throughout the day – shows that even small amounts of activity can have a significant impact on your energy and overall well-being.
By backing off my workouts slightly and letting the shorter sessions count, it’s been easier to create a routine. I feel better afterwards, not exhausted, and that alone has changed how often I show up.
Try this: Let your next workout be less intense than you think or break it up into smaller bursts throughout the day. Then notice how you feel later, not just when it ends.
4. Create a ritual for transitioning out of your workday
I didn’t realize how much my evenings were shaped by my work day until I started paying attention to how I ended it. Without a clean break, everything fell apart (flashback to how I spent every day of the week during the pandemic, yeah). Technically I would be done, but I would still wear the details for the rest of my night.
Instead, I built a small transition. A moment that signals to my body that I am moving from one mode to another. This is not a productivity hack. It’s about giving you a chance to start your evening feeling refreshed.
Try this: Choose one consistent action that marks the end of your workday – go outside, put on a different playlist, make a fun drink – and let it be the signal that you’re done.
5. Practice leaving something intentionally undone
It took me forever to accept this: there will always be something on the list. This part doesn’t change no matter how early you start or how efficient you are. What I’ve started to experiment with is deciding where the waiting line is, choosing when the day ends, instead of waiting until it’s all over.
Trust me, it changes the feel of your mornings, your evenings, and truly your life. Instead of feeling that low-level feeling of “I should still do something,” you give yourself permission to stop. Over time, it starts to feel less like a compromise and more like a choice.
Try this: At the end of the day, choose one thing that can be saved for tomorrow or next week. It’s not procrastination, it’s prioritization.
6. Stop making decisions at your lowest energetic point
Late in the afternoon, even small decisions can seem heavier than they should. What to make for dinnerwhether it’s working out, how to spend the evening – everything starts to blur in a way that makes everything seem more exhausting than it actually is.
I’ve started to notice how much easier my days feel when I make one or two of these decisions earlier, before my energy dips. No full plan, just removing that moment when everything suddenly seems too much.
Try this: Decide on one thing in advance (dinner, your workout, or your evening plan) so you don’t find out when you’re already tired.
7. Add a Side Quest to Your Day
Not everything in your day has to be effective to be worth it. (Read that again.) I left room for a little unplanned detour – a side quest, in the broadest sense of the word. Something I didn’t need to do, but wanted to do.
We are not trying to dramatize here. A different route on a walk, stopping for something that caught my eye, lingering a little longer somewhere instead of rushing. You will be shocked: it completely changes the way you feel every day.
Try this: Leave room today for a small, unnecessary decision, something driven by curiosity rather than efficiency. Follow it without thinking too much.
8. Give your evening a plan
Evenings can seem the most chaotic because they are often the most undefined part of your day. By the time you get there, your energy is low, your patience is thin, and everything from dinner to what to do afterward seems like one more thing to figure out.
What helped was giving the evening a casual shape in advance. Not a rigid plan, just a general direction so as not to start from scratch when you are already tired.
Try this: Earlier in the day, decide what type of evening you’ll have – something simple like “easy dinner and a walk” or “catch up and go to bed early.”
9. Build your day around natural light
This is one of the simplest changes with the biggest impact. Instead of thinking of time outside as something extra, I’ve started building parts of my day around it, moving small, everyday moments into the light whenever I can.
A few minutes in the sun in the morning, a walk before dinner, even a call outside… It all adds up! You feel more awake, more present and more connected to your routine in a di difficult to reproduce indoors. (You will sleep better too.)
Try this: Take something you already do – a coffee, a call, a break – and place it in natural light. Let this be the anchor around which your day is built.
10. Pay attention to your energy suppliers
It was a complete game changer by removing the “shoulds” from my day. I started paying more attention to what actually makes me feel better. Clearer, more energetic and more like me. Some things are obvious, others are surprising. But once you notice it, it becomes easier to come back to it. You stop guessing what you need and start recognizing it in real time.
Try this: At the end of the day, take a minute to notice what gave you energy. Find a way to repeat it tomorrow.
Change your habits, change your summer
The funny thing is that I still don’t feel “caught up” with my life. At least, not like I thought. There are still emails (there will ALWAYS be emails), still decisions and still things waiting for me at the end of the day. But I feel a little more present, a little more energetic, and a little more like I’m actually in my life instead of trying to keep up with it.
This is what these habits gave me. It’s not a complete reset, nor a perfect routine: just a series of small changes that build on each other over time. And that’s the real opportunity this season. You don’t need to change everything before summer arrives. You just need to start paying attention to what motivates you. You feel better and let that guide you.
The position If You Want to Feel Better by Summer, Start With These 10 Things appeared first on Camille Styles.
