I never went to summer camp as a kid, but I did grow up in the era of The Parent Trap (both versions), Camp Nowhere, Salute Your Shorts, and the Disney Channel’s attempt at reality television, Bug Juice. Summer camp was an enigma to me—a magical, lush place tucked away from life’s confines where you could cocoon yourself to find yourself. Even if you were only thirteen.
Now as an adult, the shape of summer camp has changed, but its call remains. From all corners of the internet, I’m fed the story that there could be one perfect retreat or one luxe vacation that somehow unlocks the truest part of myself, that summer is prime opportunity to reawaken my greatest potential by fall. Yet, is it possible to undergo such a sun-drenched transformation while still in the midst of everyday life? Do I need an idyllic escape, or do I need the energetic shift that comes from adopting a summer camp state of mind—giving myself permission to unplug, slow down, and embody a childlike sense of discovery, even when plans are rooted at home?
Images by Michelle Nash.
The Necessity of a Summer Camp State of Mind
Here’s why we could all use a summer camp mindset for the next few weeks: because we were never designed to hold it all. As a kid, whatever stresses that arose in the locker room, in the lunch room, during finals, or friendship sagas, all held the promise of a reset over the summer. With distance, comes perspective, and while it’s easy to dismiss what we thought of as “stressful” in school as juvenile now, the point is our bodies still register stress as stress. Summer used to be a time for getting a true break, even just socially—something that our 24/7 connectivity rarely allows for today. (And I’d argue, we need now all the more.)
Adopting a summer camp state of mind isn’t about putting your head in the sand, but it is about stepping back so you can show up more engaged, more centered, and shake off what doesn’t have to stick. Let’s look at four principles for fostering a summer camp mindset, for carving out some space for yourself and just maybe, come fall, you’ll feel like more of who you’re meant to be too.
Some of the largest trends in wellness and luxury travel are quietcations and off-the-grid locales. (Vogue just ran a story about the best places for digital detoxing, if that tells you anything.) It used to be that you could switch off the television or radio and instantly reclaim your peace of mind, but that’s harder to do as tech has evolved to quite literally keep you addicted to your phone. Screens are everywhere, most notably: always in our hands.
What feels so restorative about a summer camp is that you’re isolated from the goings-on of everyone else “back home.” Taking a break from social media could be no less revelatory, as going offline suddenly feels like you’re plugged back into the close, often quieter, immediate world in front of you. Do you really need to watch a stranger’s skincare routine or fifteen POV reels recycling the same trend? If it feels impossible to quit social media for an entire summer, try focusing on weekends or just a few weekdays to start. Choose to flex that muscle of solitude and reclaim the energy you allow into your space—it’s a small act of resistance that will reward your inner voice.
Prompt: Reflect on how social media currently makes you feel: energized, connected, overwhelmed, or distracted. Then check the time log on your phone to see how many minutes (or hours) you currently spend using it. How might that same time of digital disconnection create space for more presence and clarity in daily life?
Let Yourself Play
No rules, no rush. Remember how good it feels to lose yourself in an activity where the end goal isn’t mastery or capitalizing on a side hustle, but sheer enjoyment. Summer camp is nothing but activities—purely for the process itself.
Whether you have kids or a childlike spirit, schedule a recurring playtime this summer where you give yourself permission to simply let loose. Maybe that’s flying a kite in the park, jumping on a trampoline (or a rebounder, if you’re a woman over 35—you know why), baking a new recipe from scratch, or taking a local pottery class. We access a different part of our brains in play-mode, one that sparks creativity, lowers stress, and boosts our natural resilience. With summer’s added daylight, it’s the perfect time to schedule even 20 minutes of intentional play, maybe in the space of time you used to spend doom-scrolling. See above.
Prompt: Ask yourself, “What did I love to do as a kid that I haven’t done in years?” Maybe it’s riding your bike around the neighborhood, painting just for the fun of it, or getting lost in a library aisle.
Reframe Adventure
The heart of any adventure is stepping into the unknown. It can push us beyond our limits—think of navigating a ropes course or jumping onto the Blob—so we realize how much more lies within us. You don’t need a plane ticket to enjoy this sense of adventure, only a willingness to find your growth edge and rise to its challenge to cross it.
This becomes even more important as we age, when statistically regrets of inaction (rather than regrets over mistakes we did make) have been linked to poorer health and lower life satisfaction. Choosing adventure doesn’t have to mean big leaps; even the smaller “what ifs” like starting a book club, learning a foreign language, or hiking a nearby trail can remind us there’s treasure to be gained on the other side of uncomfortable. It’s letting routines be disrupted, leaving plans open-ended, or forming your own opinion about that [fill in the blank location] without first reading reviews that can yield a freer, feistier side to your personality. Adventure, in any size, makes us bold.
Prompt: Challenge yourself to find three new-to-you experiences within a 10-mile radius of home. Aerial yoga, a cooking class, community theater—let this be the summer you finally say yes.
Tap In to Who You (Really) Are
Perhaps the greatest lure of summer camp is shedding the insecurities and emerging as your best self at the end of 6-8 weeks. While this is probably heavily influenced by those 90s movies, there is still a kernel of truth. With less pressure to compare (taking a social media break), remembering what pure joy feels like (playtime), and actively seeking out new experiences (adventure), the gift of a summer camp state of mind reveals what’s been the ultimate enigma: reconnection to your authentic center. Who are you away from the crowd, unfiltered, and free from seeking approval?
It might seem like a trope, but it draws us because it’s true. Life can mold us in myriad ways if we’re not conscious of our motivations or clear on who we’re becoming. We can shape-shift to feel safer in someone else’s expectations rather than our own sense of confidence. With summer’s loosened schedule and relaxed routine, it’s an ideal time to realign—to let the light expose where we may have been hiding and remember that it’s not about reinvention. It’s releasing what’s never served us to remember who we’ve been all along.
Maybe my truest self is really that wide-eyed girl of thirteen.
Prompt: Try journaling through this question: “What does my most authentic self want more of this summer—and what can I let go of?” Let the answers surprise you. Honor whatever comes up, knowing that the simple act of asking is a step toward living more fully and freely.
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