For many Americans, particularly kids and their parents, summertime reflects a stretch of months that are relatively open. Regular schedules get disrupted, and even for those individuals in more corporate, 9-to-5 environments, “Summer Fridays” may allow for a shorter work week.

As someone in higher education, even if I teach additional courses during the summer, there is usually at least a month—if not longer—where I am not teaching and have more time than usual for personal and professional pursuits. Wherever you may fall professionally during the summer months, this post is meant to offer you some tips to enable the time you spend during the coming months to be more meaningful.

For parents of younger children—particularly working parents—the summer may evoke anxiety as you try to find activities to keep your children occupied during your working days. Even for stay-at-home parents, there is pressure to “schedule” activities and extracurriculars so that their kids aren’t idle for days on end. While it is important to schedule some structured time where kids are occupied with a given task or activity, I also want to remind parents not to put so much pressure on themselves this summer that they don’t leave any unstructured time for their kids—or themselves. In fact, as a recent headline from the Science section of The New York Times identifies, “Let Children Get Bored. It’s Good for Them” (Pearson, 2023).

As we live in an increasingly fast-paced and digitally dependent culture, the majority of us are socialized to make the most of every minute of our days, with busyness oftentimes being equated with productivity or purpose. It is important to keep in mind, however, that sometimes unstructured blocks or even downtime where we aren’t engaging in any specific task can be restorative. In a culture like ours, the notion of boredom has been demonized. However, boredom is oftentimes a catalyst for innovation, imagination, or even just rest. As Pearson (2023) identifies, “In moderate doses, boredom can offer a valuable learning activity, spurring creativity and problem-solving, and motivating children to seek out activities that feel meaningful to them” (para. 4).

In other words, it doesn’t make you a bad or neglectful parent if your child goes through bouts of boredom this summer, and the feeling could even serve as a catalyst for positive growth. For instance, when my niece or nephews declare they are bored, I first respond in a way that is accepting of the feeling—being bored doesn’t have to be a bad thing; it could just be a neutral description of how they are feeling in the moment. A lot of times, when they say they are bored, it is their way of conveying they want to do something other than what they are doing or want attention. The declaration can be a starting point for figuring out what the child needs in the moment and can also be an entryway for their figuring out how to regulate their own internal state.

In addition to not turning boredom into a catastrophe, there are ways that simple tasks we engage in every day can be infused with greater meaning over this summer. It is well-documented in the scientific literature that engaging in a gratitude practice can boost mental health. Taking the time to document every day what we feel grateful for has been found to be associated with a host of positive effects for individuals, including relieving symptoms of mood and anxiety-related disorders. Gratitude practices can help us manage stress and keep perspective when we do encounter setbacks over the course of our days.

Expressing gratitude can be as simple as reflecting on what we are grateful for as we walk around our neighborhood. Take, for instance, a months-long series The Times embarked on for the month of June to share inspiration for how to make walks more meaningful. The Well newsletter last month was dedicated to inspiring readers to move during the month of June and how to get the most out of a walk, whether it is for leisure, exercise, or something in between.

I found myself thinking of the series as I was walking my dogs through the park this morning. For most of our walk, I was listening to a podcast that was both entertaining and informative. However, as the walk veered closer to home, and I found myself in the middle of one of the largest parks in the city, I put my headphones away and decided to just enjoy the moment with the dogs. In watching them sniff everything around us, I found myself in both a moment of stillness and gratitude for my furry companions. Our early morning walk became an opportunity for reflection and for me to savor our surroundings in nature and the relative quiet before the bustle of the work day—and the July heat—came out in full force.

Oftentimes, when we think about living a day of purpose or meaning, we imagine that we have to engage in extraordinary acts. While there is always room for the extraordinary, a purposeful moment can also be driven by awareness and the intention of being purposeful. A gratitude practice could be part of that meaning-making, as could a more general disposition towards mindfulness over the course of our days.

So, whether you are staying put this summer and living your working and personal life as usual, experiencing a disruption in your regular schedule, planning a family vacation, or something else entirely, reflect on what you can do during these moments to infuse them with greater meaning. It may entail paying more attention, being present—or, in my case this morning in the park, unplugging from your digital device to savor the moment.

Whatever route you take this summer, may it be the start of an epic journey