“Green was the silence, wet was the light, the month of June trembled like a butterfly.”
Pablo Neruda, 100 Love Sonnets

Now that the warmer weather is here, it’s enormously satisfying to take a more relaxed approach to reading and writing. Long days whether filled with sunshine or rain are perfect for wordsmithing and wandering outside in search of inspiration. With this in mind, here are a few quick tips for getting the most out of these early days of summer:

Sunshine boosts your mood: Spending just 10 minutes in the summer sunshine sans sunscreen (the limit considered safe by most experts) triggers a surge of mood-boosting serotonin, making you feel cheerier all day. And if you make it outside at noon, you’ll reap the biggest benefit because the sun boosts your production of vitamin D so high, there’s extra left over, which can be stored for months! Another plus of catching some rays. When you up your stores of vitamin D naturally, you’ll experience less daytime drowsiness. Vitamin C also lowers the effect of aches and pains, so you can get deeper, more restorative sleep at night.

Lemons zap stress: When you reach for lemonade or add lemon to your ice tea or peppermint tea, be sure to inhale its citrusy vibes! Sniffing the scent of this zesty fruit is a great stress reliever. It can make you feel calmer almost instantly by reducing activity in the region of the brain that’s responsible for tension.

Tunes trigger energy: Upbeat music is a proven mood-and-energy booster. For some new ideas, check out the free music Web site, Pandora.com.

And write on!