The summer holidays are almost here which means one thing: six weeks of freedom! But, from personal experience, it doesn’t take long to get accustomed to the binge-watching life and before you know it, all of those plans you had will go out of the window and the lack of an alarm (plus the comfort of your PJs) means your bed will become your best friend.

So, let’s put an end to these bad habits before they even start and make sure we make full use of this extra-long break. I’ve put together a few ways you can keep busy throughout summer without breaking the bank or straying too far away from home.

Venture around your local area/city 

Whether you live near a big city like London or in a smaller town, there’s always more to a place than meets the eye. You may think you know the area like the back of your hand but it’s inevitable that there are a few hidden gems just waiting to be discovered. It’s time to pull out your walking boots and your google maps and see what you can find - and hey, it may even be good enough for the gram!

Meet up with friends

After another year of seeing each other almost every day, you may be a little fed up with your friends, to say the least. But sooner or later, talking over social media just won’t be enough and you’ll start to notice the absence of them when you need them most. Meeting up for a coffee or maybe a trip to the cinema will give you time for urgent updates and get you out of the house to have some fun.

Learn something new

Yes, school is over but that doesn’t mean to say you have to stop learning. Though I can imagine every one of you is sighing right now at just the thought, it’s a lot easier than you think. Thanks to YouTube and the ever-growing app store, you could learn to play an instrument or maybe even a new language if you really wanted to. What’s stopping you?

Read

I’d be a hypocrite if I said I didn’t spend a lot of time glued to my phone, scrolling through social media but every once and a while it’s nice to take a break from the screen and pull out a good old book. From popular authors such as John Green, to a personal favourite, Karen Lynch, there are so many stories and worlds you can dip into - it’s the perfect way to escape not just boredom but also reality.

Go to the park

We’ve been having some lovely weather so far this summer so why not take advantage of it? Be it a little picnic with friends or just a casual stroll in the sun, your local park is the perfect place to have some chill time. Go grab an ice cream and enjoy the fresh air while you can because it won’t be long before the rain returns to ruin the fun!

These might be simple and pretty self-explanatory but they have the power to easily change a mediocre day with ice-cream and TV into an amazing one, whether that's activities with friends or keeping yourself busy at home.

Emma x