Ultimate Summer YES List

Let’s be honest, summer kind of sneaks up on us. One minute you’re still wearing a “light jacket” and pretending you don’t need sunglasses, the next you're panic-buying SPF 50 and wondering if last year’s sandals are still socially acceptable.

So in the spirit of saying yes, here’s your official Summer 2025 permission slip. No pressure to have the “best summer ever,” but this is your nudge to wring a little extra joy out of the sunshine.

Sunrise or sunset, pick your fighter. Just once this summer, wake up early or stay out late enough to actually watch the sky do its big dramatic colour show. No filter needed, no deep caption required, just you, the sky, and maybe a strong coffee or a glass of something bubbly. (No judgment on the beverage choice.)

Summer isn’t the time to blend in. This is the season to wear that flamingo-pink dress, orange eyeliner, turquoise bikini….you know, the stuff you convinced yourself was “too much.” Nothing is too much in June. You are the vibe. Go be seen.

We’re not here to guilt you into “summer body” nonsense. We’re here to say: move in ways that make you feel alive. Dance at a festival. Walk to get ice cream. Try paddleboarding and immediately fall off. Sweat, laugh, repeat. The gym will survive without you.

Sometimes the most powerful “yes” is to your own peace. Say no to overpacked calendars, group chats that drain you, or anything that makes your soul sigh. You don’t have to do everything. “No” is a full sentence, and frankly, a summer essential.

Summer doesn’t need to be productive. Lie on a picnic blanket doing absolutely nothing and call it self-care. Nap under a tree. Read half a book. Stare at clouds. We’re redefining luxury, and it starts with unapologetic stillness.

Say yes to that weird new thing, try surfing. Take a pottery class. Go on a silent retreat. Learn to make jam. Try salsa dancing even if you have two left feet. You don’t need to be good at it — you just need a story to tell at the next dinner party.

Text the friend you’ve ghosted. Invite someone over even if your house is a mess. Flirt a little. Hug longer. Talk to your neighbour. Summer has a way of reminding us that connection, messy, real, slightly sweaty , is what makes life good.

Maybe you’ll fall in love this summer. Maybe you’ll just flirt with your iced coffee. Either way, romance the hell out of your life. Light the candles. Buy yourself flowers. Take yourself on a sunset walk.

Summer doesn’t need to be perfect. You don’t need a passport stamp, a tan, or a viral Instagram moment. You just need to say yes to you. Yes to joy. Yes to rest. Yes to being delightfully, unapologetically alive.

// Maya Hussain