Simple Summer Goals: 6 Ways to Support Your Mental Health
- Gordon Gooding
- Jun 30
- 8 min read
Summer on Long Island is a gift. Each year, we get two months of uninterrupted warmth, sunlight, and perfect beach weather. Yet, too often, July and August fly by in a blur. In June, we make our grand plans: we’ll take the trip, start that project, or reconnect with old friends, with time to spare to slow down and relax. Unfortunately, by the end of July, many of those intentions remain unfulfilled, replaced by busy schedules, screen time, and the “I’ll get to it later” mindset.
At Gooding Wellness Group, we believe summer can be more than just a break—it can be a season of emotional recovery, personal growth, and meaningful connection. With some intention, planning, and flexibility, you can create a summer that supports your mental health and leaves you feeling fulfilled by the time the leaves start to fall.
Let’s explore six categories of goals that you can set for yourself this summer, along with some personal suggestions from our own clinicians. Use this guide as a springboard for your own goal-setting, not an exhaustive list. Let yourself be inspired by some of our ideas, and find what works for you and your routine!
💛 Emotional Goals: Support Your Inner Self
Summer can be a great time to check in with yourself emotionally. What do you need more (or less) of? How can you support yourself? Can you restructure your relationships to feel more supported by others? There’s no time like summertime to ask yourself these questions and find answers that resonate with you.
This summer, Gordon is determined to get back into a routine of daily meditation practice. Meditation is a powerful tool with endless benefits, including reduced stress, better sleep, and emotional regulation. Whether it’s five minutes or an hour, this daily practice can be extremely beneficial.
How you can support yourself emotionally:
Start therapy, return to it, or even take a break from it if that feels right
Try journaling
Set emotional boundaries in a relationship that needs some adjustment
Reconnect with someone who lifts you up
Set one hour a week just for you (and protect it!)
Schedule screen-free time daily
Practice gratitude and positive affirmations
🧘♀️ Physical Care Goals: Caring For Your Body
Taking care of your body can have endless positive effects on both your physical and mental well-being. It’s important to listen to our bodies and care for them in the same way we take care of others. What does your body crave? What does it want less of?
Kim is looking forward to walking more this summer. Whether it be a ten minute stroll or a three mile hike, she is prioritizing moving her body in a way that feels rejuvenating.
How you might care for your body:
Make that doctor’s appointment you’ve been putting off
Create a daily movement goal
Explore new foods and recipes that give your body the fuel it needs
Prioritize getting enough sleep every night (and maybe scheduling in some naps)
If you like the gym, try a workout you’ve never done before
🌿 Nature Goals: Connect with the Outdoors
Nature is one of our most powerful healing tools. Time in nature is proven to reduce stress and improve mood. Even just sitting out on your lawn for a few minutes can significantly improve your day. We are also lucky enough to live on an island that offers beautiful beaches, trails, gardens, and parks. Whatever you prefer, use the outdoors to your advantage this summer!
Greg’s goal is to spend more time exploring Long Island’s beautiful parks. Some of his favorites are Caumsett, Westbury Gardens, the Planting Fields, and Sagamore Hill!
Some ways you can connect with nature:
Morning walks before work
Weekend hikes
Beach or ocean visits
Reading a book outside
Gardening
Simply sitting in the sun for a few minutes every day
🧭 Exploration Goals: Discover New Places and Experiences
Adventure and exploration doesn’t require a passport. We are surrounded by places we’ve never been and experiences we’ve never had. Whether it’s a coffee shop you’ve never tried or a country you’ve always wanted to travel to, there is opportunity for exploring wherever you are, no matter your budget. With beautiful weather and a little extra free time, summer is perfect for immersing ourselves in the new and exciting opportunities around us.
This summer, Peter wants to explore Acadia National Park, and Liana wants to plan a trip to Montauk with her friends! More broadly, Margaret has set a goal to do one new thing a week, which can really be anything her heart desires!
Ideas for summer exploration:
Attend a local concert, event, or museum
Visit that farmer’s market you’ve been meaning to go to
Try a new type of food or a restaurant you’ve been eyeing
Take a day trip to explore a new town
💸 Financial Goals: Plan with Peace in Mind
Money can be a huge stressor in our lives that is not discussed enough. Luckily, summer gives us some extra time for planning and organizing our finances so we can get some of that stress off of our shoulders. Whether you want to spend less or you want to spend more on the things that matter, it is important to take time to reprioritize where your money is going.
With two kids freshly out of college, Kim and Gordon are taking time to re-examine their family budget without the pressures of tuition. Meanwhile, Lisa is saving up for a Caribbean get-away she’s hoping to take this winter!
How to set yourself up for financial success:
Make a small savings goal and track progress
Set a weekly budget for activities
Declutter and sell items you no longer need
Review or set a fall financial plan
📚 Learning Goals: Never Stop Growing
If your brain thrives on growth, summer can be a great time to take low-pressure steps toward professional or personal development. It is never too late to learn a new skill or expand your knowledge within your professional field. Learning shouldn’t stop when you finish your schooling- it can be an extremely fulfilling and inspiring aspect of our adult lives.
Liana has been brushing up on her Spanish with Duolingo and aims to stay consistent and build her skillset. Additionally, several of our clinicians have goals to complete additional trainings and certification programs to expand their areas of expertise.
Ideas for a summer of learning:
Read one book that expands your thinking on something you would like to learn
Listen to a new podcast on a topic that interests you
Sign up for a short class, training, or workshop
Pick up a creative hobby you’ve always wanted to try
🔑 Tips for Achieving Your Summer Goals
Setting goals is one thing, but actually achieving them is another. How we approach our goals matters just as much as the goal itself, and is a key piece of meeting our own expectations. We’ve collected some tips on how to make sure your summer intentions do not get swept away with the tide:
✅ Start with Realistic Expectations
If you’re not a seasoned runner, don’t expect yourself to run a marathon by August. When you sit down to set your intentions for the summer, try not to bite off more than you can chew. Choose goals that align with your routine, your personality, and your values. If you have a big dream that feels impossible now, set smaller, achievable goals that can help you get there.
📅 Use a Calendar—And Make Your Well-Being Non-Negotiable
Block off time for your personal goals, and honor those boundaries in your schedule in the same way you would honor a doctor’s appointment or a work meeting. Too often, our self-care practices can be compromised by the parts of life that are “more important”. The truth is, taking care of you is the most important part of life. Prioritize yourself and honor the commitments you made to yourself.
✍️ Write It Down & Say It Out Loud
Putting goals on paper (or your phone) increases accountability and helps you stay focused when things get busy. Keeping your list of goals somewhere you can see them every day will act as a constant reminder and a bit of encouragement to achieve what you set out to do.
🤝 Find an Accountability Partner
If writing it down for yourself isn’t enough to get you motivated, sharing your goals with a loved one is a great way to hold yourself accountable. Maybe your friend has the same goal and you can work on it together, or maybe they’re just there to check in on you and make sure you’re honoring yourself. Either way, letting someone else in on the goals you’re working towards is a great way to push yourself further.
🌊 Be Flexible
Life happens. Not everything always goes to plan. If circumstances shift, it is important to adjust your goal rather than abandon it. If it’s raining outside, swap your morning walk for healthy movement indoors, like mindful stretching or yoga, so you can still connect with your body.
🎉 Celebrate Small Wins
Every step forward counts. Whether it’s reading two pages or reaching a quarter of your savings goal, honor the progress you are making. Not only is this a form of compassion towards yourself, but it makes life a lot more fun!
Final Thought: This Summer Is Yours
At Gooding Wellness Group, we value presence over perfection. Whether you stick to every goal you’ve set or simply carve out more moments of joy and peace, the key to the summer is to choose yourself. We all know how fast summer can fly by. It is up to you to make these fleeting moments count, whatever that may look like for you.
We’ve included a thorough list of our clinicians’ summer goals below for your inspiration. We encourage you to consider our suggestions and explore what goals you might want to set for yourself this summer. Use the included summer goals planner below to help you list and organize your own personal summer goals.
Download and print your own summer goals planner here:
Gordon’s Goals:
Make weekly trips to the ocean and to his local beach
Restart his daily meditation practice
Take a trip to Italy with his wife Kim
Read at least four fiction books that are unrelated to work
Reexamine his family budget
Continue EMDR supervision
Liana’s Goals:
Stay consistent with her Spanish lessons on Duolingo
Continue reading 1 book a month, specifically memoirs
Take a weekend trip to Montauk with friends
Peter’s Goals:
Explore new hiking trails with his wife and dog
Do some research on therapy dog training
Explore Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park
Dedicate more time to playing guitar
Practice mindfulness
Save as much money as possible
Sign up for EMDR training for certification
Julie’s Goal:
Read for pleasure in her backyard
Lauren’s Goal:
Visit the beach once per month
Margaret’s Goals:
Do one new thing every week
Spend more time adventuring with new and old friends
Spend time with people that are farther apart in age from her
Prioritize budget-friendly adventures
Greg’s Goals:
Spend more time enjoying Long Island’s beautiful parks
Take time out of each day for mindful breathing exercises
Hike Acadia National Park (maybe with Peter!)
Plan for more vacations and time off
Cut back on online spending
Find professional training to expand his skillset
Kim’s Goals:
Walk in nature every week
Journal every day
Take a trip to somewhere she’s never been (perhaps Italy)
Read a fiction book
Do more jigsaw puzzles
Reduce spending on food delivery services
Finish her financial training class
Jessica's Goals:
Visit some museums she has been meaning to go to for a long time
Make the time to read during the day
Setting clear intentions for yourself is a simple but extremely important form of self-care. Whether you have one goal or ten goals, the important thing is that you are choosing yourself. No matter what your goals look like, we hope they bring you peace, joy, and fulfillment.
Warmly,
Gordon Gooding, LCSW
Founder & Director, Gooding Wellness Group
Written by Lauren Gooding and Gordon Gooding, LCSW, Founder & Director of the Gooding Wellness Group
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