10 Simple Daily Habits To Start This Summer For A Calm And Soft Life

For many of us, there’s something about summer that calls for simplicity and a soft way of living. As the pace of life changes with the season, it’s a great time to focus on some habits to start this summer… the kind that help you feel calm, grounded, and quietly productive. No dramatic overhauls, just tiny, intentional changes that add up to a lighter, brighter season.

Let’s walk through 10 habits you can weave into your days, along with a few summer lifestyle tips to make this simple summer part of living a soft life. You could definitely make practicing these habits part of your overall summer goals list – or these could be your ONLY goals for the summer, it’s completely up to you!

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10 Simple Habits to Start This Summer for a Softer, Calmer Life

Small shifts can make a big difference when you’re ready to step into a softer life and let the season feel a little lighter. Here are ten soothing daily habits to help you move closer to the kind of soft, quiet life you’ve been craving.

1. Porch-Sitting: Stillness as a Daily Ritual

Sometimes, the best way to elevate your life is to do absolutely nothing. Make it a habit to sit on your porch, balcony, or by an open window each day. No agenda, just you and a few quiet moments.

Try This:

• Leave your phone inside and sit outside for at least 10-15 minutes… any time of day works.
• Notice the sounds: the hum of insects, rustle of leaves, neighborhood sounds, or distant laughter.
• Keep a comfy chair or cushion ready, so it’s easy to slip into this routine.
• If you have a front porch, wave at neighbors or just watch the world go by.

A little porch-sitting is pure soft life energy, and it’s my very favorite way to get into the summer mood. Over time, this daily habit helps you unwind and creates space for a more positive outlook, which can do wonders for your mindset. If you don’t have a porch, an open window or stoop works just as well. It’s a simple way to create more stillness, unwind your mind, and ease into more gentle living.

If you’re like me and suffer from seasonal allergies, you can still enjoy this habit. Keep a box of tissues handy, only spend a few moments sitting, find the time of day when allergies are least likely to act up, or make use of allergy meds if they work for you.

2. Savor a Slower Summer Morning Routine

A calm start sets the tone for a productive day. Crafting a gentle summer morning routine can be as simple as getting up a few minutes earlier and doing something for yourself before the busyness begins.

Try This:

• Step outside with your first drink and take a few deep breaths. Catch the sunrise if possible.
• Do a gentle stretch or a few yoga poses while still in your pajamas.
• Write down one thing you’re looking forward to, or jot a short gratitude list.
• Water your plants or garden – something quiet and grounding.

A few calm moments can improve productivity by clearing your head. Many successful people protect their mornings, so let yours be a bit slower and more intentional. 

The thing is, there’s really no need for elaborate routines. You don’t have to spend 4 hours on a rigid ‘perfect’ morning routine that leaves you slightly exhausted instead of energized. This habit is more about doing just a COUPLE of things to wake up and give your brain a boost with a little extra space and time, which means it can work for you even if you’re not a morning person.

3. Watch the Sunrise or Sunset

A tiny habit like watching the sunrise or sunset can have a big impact on your mood. You don’t have to catch it every day. Even once or twice a week is enough to make a difference.

Try This:

• Pick one day to wake up early and watch the sunrise with your favorite drink.
• Set an alarm for sunset and head outside, even if it’s just for five minutes. You can also enjoy from inside if you have a great view.
• Bring your kids or partner along and make it a family ritual.

Letting yourself pause for nature’s rhythm is the essence of the soft life era and a gentle nudge toward how to live a quiet life.

4. Set ‘Summer Hours’ and Actually Stick to Them

With longer days, it’s tempting to let work or chores bleed into the times when you ‘should’ be relaxing. Setting clear summer hours gives you permission to stop and rest.

Try This:

• Set a daily alarm or reminder for the end of your workday.
• Mark the transition with a candle, music, or simply shutting your laptop.
• Let family, workmates, or housemates know about your summer hours, so they can adapt to the fact that you’re ‘off the clock’ more during the summer.
• Use your new free time for something you enjoy: an early dinner outside, a short walk, or just lounging with a book.

Setting these boundaries helps protect your energy and supports your personal goals. When I make it a priority to shut down my work at a set time, I notice I often sleep better and feel less frazzled.

I will say that sometimes it’s difficult to make this work… it’s definitely a habit that takes work and practice. To make this easier, I try to pretend that I live in an area of the world that sees summer differently and has less hustle culture (even if that ‘area’ is just my own home).

5. Daily Drinks: Create a Calming Beverage Ritual

Now you may be picturing a scene from a 1960s television show and thinking ‘Why is she recommending alcohol? I don’t need that kind of thing in my life.’ This is different! The ‘daily drinks’ I’m talking about here can be ANYTHING: coffee, tea, water… whatever beverage takes you a few minutes to make and you can enjoy at least once a day. 

Let’s take water as an example. Hydration isn’t just about gulping water – it can be about the preparation ritual, too. Making your favorite drink and savoring the process is a wonderful summer habit.

Try This:

• Slice up fresh lemons, cucumbers, or berries and keep them handy for infusing your water.
• Brew a calming herbal tea (mint and chamomile are great for summer evenings).
• Take your drink outside or to a sunny window for a few minutes of peace.
• Invest in a pretty glass, straw, or mug that makes the ritual feel special.

On cooler summer days, I love drinking hot lemon-steeped water. Sometimes I even drink it in place of coffee. Of course, cold lemon water is wonderful as well!

Making this your own daily ritual helps boost energy levels and supports body energy throughout the day. Focus on the process and the experience, not just the hydration, and enjoy this soothing anchor in your daily routines.

6. Move Your Body, Gently

Anyone who knows me knows that hardcore exercise is NOT my thing. But I do know that at least a little bit of gentle movement is one of the best life habits you can build, and summer makes it easy. Your muscles are usually less tight than during the colder months, and getting outside is simple because you don’t have to bundle up first.

In the spirit of gentle living, think of movement as nourishment, not punishment. The goal is to feel better, not to check off a workout box.

Try This:

• Take a slow walk around the block after dinner, or wander through a local park.
• Do a five-minute stretch routine after you wake up or before bed.
• Try light swimming, easy bike rides, or gardening as enjoyable alternatives to formal exercise.
• If you like, join a community yoga class at the park – many are free during summer.

Aim for what feels good and right for your body. These healthy changes will increase your energy level and help you feel more relaxed and in tune with yourself. Over time, movement becomes a quiet act of self-care, not a chore.

Related: How to Stop Being Lazy and Exercise: 20 Tips for When You Have No Motivation

7. Make Room for a Creative Outlet

Making space for creativity doesn’t require hours or fancy supplies. Even a few minutes a day can boost creativity and offer a break from the usual routine.

Try This:

• Keep a book, sketchpad, or small craft kit in a basket for easy access.
• Spend 15 minutes before bed or when you wake up reading, doodling, or journaling.
• Try something new: pressing flowers, learning a few chords on an instrument, or using watercolors.
• Don’t pressure yourself to finish or perfect anything. This is play, not work.

These playful moments nourish your mind and are a soft way to fit in self improvement without feeling overwhelmed. I love heading out to the porch to sit and read – it’s my invitation to take a creative break.

My Summer Reading Picks

8. Try a Digital Detox Each Evening

Giving yourself an intentional screen break every evening can be surprisingly refreshing. Screens are everywhere, but a little intentional distance can help you create a soft life at home.

Try This:

• Set a ‘device bedtime’: put phones and tablets away an hour before sleep.
• Replace evening scrolling with a gentle activity: puzzles, conversation, a walk, journaling, or listening to music.
• Store devices outside the bedroom, or at least out of reach.
• Track how you feel after a few nights and see if your sleep quality or mood improves.

Even a few screen-free nights of unplugging from technology per week can improve cognitive function, support emotional resilience, and promote a more peaceful, mindful living experience.

9. Lighten Up Your Menu: Simple, Real Food

Eating well in summer doesn’t have to be complicated. Leaning into real, fresh foods and steering away from heavily processed options helps you feel lighter and more energized.

Try This:

• Keep fresh fruit washed and visible for snacking.
• Prep simple summer salads, grilled veggies, or quick wraps ahead of time.
• Swap soda for sparkling water with fruit slices, or make your own infused water.

I’m not trying to be the food police here. Nobody is going to eat ‘perfectly unprocessed’ and completely from scratch all the time, and that certainly does NOT need to be the goal. Easing into lifestyle changes like this – a LITTLE more real food, a LITTLE less processed food – support summer wellness and help you enjoy the simple, gentle rhythms of a soft life era.

Try something from here: 38 Easy Summer Meals You’ll Want To Make On Repeat

10. Clear a Little Clutter for a Lighter Home

A tidy space makes a huge difference in how soft and settled your days feel. Clutter can be noisy, but you don’t have to commit to a full overhaul… just a bit of daily tidying.

Try This:

• Set a timer for 10 minutes and tidy one surface: a counter, bedside table, or entryway.
• Keep a donation bag handy for items you no longer use.
• Put away shoes, bags, or laundry each evening as a mini reset.
• Invite your family or roommates to join – make it a quick group effort after the dinner cleanup.

Don’t try to tackle the whole house at once. Instead, work on slow decluttering to make it easier to unwind at home, support your best self, and encourage tidy lifestyle changes for the whole household.

More Summer Inspiration and Resources

Recommended Resource: The Simple Summer Planner — This printable planner encourages you to transform your approach to summer. Embrace the beauty of simplicity with guided journal prompts, a decision matrix for prioritizing, and plenty of practical planning pages for managing summer activities without the overwhelm. Make the most of every sunny day while you ‘Release. Refresh. Relax.’

15 Simple Summer Slowdown Tips: How To Make The Summer Go By Slower

Your 18-Item Summer Decluttering Checklist For A Simple Summer Home

Summer Journal Prompts: 39 Writing Ideas to Inspire Adults

Summer Planning for Overthinkers: Simplify Your Life with the Eisenhower Matrix

Start Your Soft Life This Summer

Start with one or two of these habits to start this summer and let them settle in before adding more. The best good habits often start small, then gently expand. Whether it’s five minutes of porch-sitting, a fresh drink in the sun, or a little more movement, these life habits can quietly transform your season in a mofe peaceful life… a little calmer, a little softer, and a lot more at ease.

You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight. The best part of the soft life is that it’s yours to define, one gentle step at a time. Summer is a beautiful invitation to take care of yourself in softer, simpler ways. Here’s to a calm summer and the quiet power of living softly as you Build Your Best Life.

You’ve got this!

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