How to Have a Longer, Happier Summer

Summer is a wonderful time to create happy memories. There are a few simple ways we can hack our brains, so the season feels longer and we have more positive memories. Since our brains can’t store every detail, they must choose what to remember. Typically, they prioritize two things: 1) experiences that are new or unusual, and 2) the most intense and final moments of an event.

I’ve written before about how our brains tend to compress repetitive experiences into fewer memory units, while novel experiences are stored separately. This helps explain why time feels like it speeds up as we get older; our days often become more routine, giving our brains fewer new experiences to record.

This means that one way to make summer feel longer is to do more novel things. Choosing a new vacation spot is a great way to do this, but even if you return to the same place or stay home, you can still shake things up. Try dining at a different restaurant, experimenting with a new recipe, going to a concert or movie at a venue you’ve never been to, exploring unfamiliar music or book genres, visiting a museum, park, or historical site you haven’t explored, taking a dance or pottery class, introducing a new board game to family night, or engaging in a different form of exercise. Why not plan to try one new thing each week for the rest of the summer?

In addition to making more memories, you can also increase the likelihood that your memories are happy. Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman discovered that when people recall an event, they tend to focus on two key moments: the most intense part and the ending. This is known as the peak-end effect. In one study, participants were more willing to repeat a session of submerging their hands in cold water if it ended with slightly warmer water, even though the session was longer. It’s not the duration of an experience that matters most, but how it ends. If the peak moment and the ending are positive, we’re more likely to remember the experience as enjoyable.

To create happy summer memories, plan one standout experience that is emotionally intense and fun, like a special getaway, a big cookout or themed dinner party, or attending a major sports event or concert. You can also build in micro-peaks throughout the summer. Think sunset picnics, a day on the lake, watching the summer’s biggest movie, or treating the kids to their favorite ice cream spot. Each one adds a joyful highlight.

Finally, try to end your experiences on a high note. If you’ve had a bad day at the office, do something enjoyable when you get home like going for a sunset stroll or relaxing by the firepit after dinner. Save one of your vacations for late summer. Wrap up a beach week with a festive dinner and sparklers for the kids.

By filling your summer with novel experiences, joyful peak moments, and positive endings, you’ll make the season feel longer and fill it with happy memories.