My Summer Manifesto 2026 | Living Intentionally Through the Season

Writing a manifesto every season is an intentional rhythm and grounding activity I consciously make space for throughout the year. Seasonal manifestos are a practice I have created as a way to set seasonal intentions and shape how I want to live my life. Consciously connecting at the solstices and equinoxes with my hopes and intentions, checking in with myself on how life is feeling, and writing intentions creates a soulful rhythm in my year. 

At the Summer Solstice this year I reflected on the season before and what I wanted for the season ahead. In the days around the solstice I created a summer manifesto to check in. It's a moment mid-year to reflect, to notice what is going on outdoors in nature, and to think about the themes which seasonally are part of my life. Making intentional space to write a manifesto allows for a moment in the year to reinvigorate the hopes I dreamed of at the Winter Solstice. Writing a seasonal manifesto has been part of my life since 2016 and is a creative practice I look forward to and a rhythm weaved in as part of my year.

When life feels full, having a manifesto you’ve written from the heart, which is uniquely your own, creates your own guide for life in the season and acts as an anchor to return to if you feel in need of a reminder of the life you are creating. Having a seasonal manifesto feels like I can focus more on cultivating an intentional way to live, which is shaped by me, and is something I can return to remind me of what I wanted in the season and in the life I am growing.

What is a seasonal manifesto?

A seasonal manifesto is the practice of writing a collection of statements using your noticings of what is happening in the natural world and thinking about the associated metaphorical themes, creating a vision for the season ahead. Created around the solstices and equinoxes, a manifesto helps connect you with your intentions and how you want your life to feel in the season ahead. It’s a practice I started and created in 2016 and over the past 10 years the process has evolved to what it is today. 

Writing and thinking about your manifesto is a powerful, insightful and meaning-filled process to help you open up opportunities, connect more with your hopes and thoughts about the season ahead, and holds room for flexibility. Each statement creates a gentle guide and a reminder of the feelings you want to have during a season, it connects with your senses and the themes borrowed from nature’s wisdom for the season ahead. Writing seasonal manifestos allows me to have space to focus on my intentions, it layers meaning aligned with the natural world, and opens up possibilities to allow my mind to be expansive and open to think about how I want life to feel. 

Why I create seasonal intentions in the summer

Summer in the northern hemisphere falls mid-year and is a season where daily rhythms change for a large portion of the season. As a parent my life feels oddly shaped back into the school term times, with summer being a season to hold the biggest shifts in my day to day rhythm. I work school hours and this all changes at the end of July and throughout August as the school summer holidays begin. I adjust to running my business in a small timeframe of a few hours early in the day, when I have a few moments of quiet at home before everyone wakes up. I then spend the day enjoying time with my daughter while she is young, and get to experience the summer beyond the confines of a desk and a screen. It hasn’t always been this way, I worked for 19 years in corporate HR roles and summers were spent in air-conditioned offices and heading outside only for my commute to and from work and being outside at lunch. I felt disconnected with the seasons and so writing a set of intentions for the season ahead helped me reconnect with the world beyond the office. I now create a manifesto to help me navigate the season and remind myself how I want to feel during the summer.

The summer months for me in this season of life are about making the most of the time I have with my family and being able to appreciate doing things outdoors. Summer is a season which I enjoy for the expansive daylight hours, making space for time away with family and topping up my energy by having space from work.

My seasonal manifesto is a set of reflections, thoughts and hopes for the season ahead,  gathered together as statements. The manifesto creates a way of bringing to life in words how I want to choose to feel in the season, what I want life to be like and feel like, and what I want to do to cultivate and tend to it. Writing my summer manifesto falls at a season when a few things align altogether. There’s my daily routine adjustment with school holidays on the near horizon, a desire to check in mid-year with my intentions, and the opportunity to make the most of the time of the year with peak light levels and the energy which comes with it. 

As much as I love creating a seasonal wishlist or bucket list of experiences, I really want to feel grounded and anchored in this season with how I want to feel, not just what I want to experience or visit. My summer manifesto helps guide a season where things feel more free flowing, open and expansive.

Connecting to the rhythms in nature - Writing my manifesto around the summer solstice

I choose to write my seasonal manifestos around the solstices and equinoxes which enables me to connect with this natural moment in the year, creating my own pause, a moment to reflect on the season which has finished, and create a new manifesto for the new season starting. 

Connecting with nature’s cycles allows me to appreciate the seasons for what they are, and spending the week around the solstice to gather my thoughts and intentions gives me time and space to write a manifesto for the season ahead. My seasonal manifesto brings together how I’m feeling, a connection with my inner knowing, with the wisdom I’m noticing gained from the natural world. 

The seasons are shaped by the tilt and location of the earth in relation to the sun, determining the levels of light and the temperatures we experience. The moments in the year of equal light and darkness at the equinoxes, and the peak of light or darkness at the solstices, create moments where the seasons shift which have been celebrated for thousands of years. Connecting with these significant moments feels aligned with a practice of writing a new manifesto at these key seasonal shifts. In the Northern Hemisphere the Summer Solstice happens on 20th or 21st June and it’s when we experience the longest amount of daylight.

Living seasonally and connecting with the energy of the summer season

During the summer the light levels create a different energy within me. I wake early with the light rising and head to bed as the sun sets. The days during the summer months feel expansive and full of possibility as time feels expanded and the light naturally keeps me awake. During the summer I notice something different waking inside of me, I feel like I’m flourishing and expanding into the season of possibilities, whilst also feeling a soft pull towards a restful season of savouring the slow moments. In late summer we inch towards harvest in late July and August when crops are gathered and fruits harvested. It feels like there are different parts of the summer season, each needing tending to in their own way.

Creating a manifesto in the summer season for me is about noticing how this season feels in my life right now. I enjoy connecting with the seasonal energy as a way of living and choose to write my manifesto as part of the rhythm of living more in line with the seasons.

Summer is a season which brings the heat and when it is extreme it's the part of the season I struggle most with. The start of summer this year has been different, and has felt at times a little overwhelming with the multiple heatwaves and the warm weather events related to the strong El Nino year. I’ve slowed down what I do and what I choose to do, my cognitive abilities are slower and so things are taking longer than usual, and I’m not quite as focused as I want and hope to be. The heat of this summer is also changing my expectations of what summer might be for me too and this is reflected in what I choose to focus on for my seasonal manifesto this summer.

Connecting with natural metaphors during the summer season

Part of the practice of writing a seasonal metaphor is taking inspiration and ideas from what I am noticing in the natural world around me. I think about and observe what is going on outdoors, I look at the plants, the wildlife, the landscapes around me and how we as humans interact with the spaces we share. 

The summer season is a time of year when plants continue to grow, bloom and many plants reach maturity. Tree canopies are full with mature green leaves, creating bountiful shade, creating contrasts of temperature. Plants are flowering and going to seed, and some plants are repeat flowering throughout the season. Meadows fill with flowers and tall grasses, gardens feel voluminous and we move towards tending to what has already grown, we cut back areas overgrown and keep plants well watered so they can thrive.

The light levels in summer are one of the aspects of this season I love the most. Golden skies bookend the day and clear blue skies feel hopeful and uplifting. The power of solar energy feeds growth and activity and more hours of daylight creates a sense of expansiveness in our day. 

When the sky is filled with fluffy clouds it becomes one of my simplest pleasures to appreciate in the summer. Sometimes the skies shift and thunder clouds and unusual cloud formations arrive which create a sense of wonder and awe. The blue sky creates a  sense of space and can encourage us to think differently, look at things from different perspectives and think more creatively about what we see.

The warmth encourages us to spend time near bodies of water like the ocean, rivers and lakes which provide a place to cool down and escape from life. We soak up vitamin D, spent time outdoors in warm temperatures and appreciate time outside of our homes.

I choose to connect with the natural metaphors which feel present during the summer season as they help me live more in line with the natural world and the shifting seasons. I spend time thinking about how I usually interact with the season and the existing rhythms and routines I have which form part of my day to day and the season as a whole. I’ve gained more awareness and understanding of myself over the years by stepping back and thinking about the season and my relationship with it and have grown immense appreciation for our natural world as something which sustains us and the ecosystem of life.

My summer manifesto in 2026

My summer manifesto weaves together layers of meaning, from the wisdom I’m noticing in the natural world in the summer as well as my hopes for the time ahead and how I want to feel. Over the years I’ve weaved in a connection to my word of the year to add an intentional connection. In many ways my manifesto this summer connects with Glow, my word for the year, creating an anchor for my energy and my focus for the season ahead. 

I’ve chosen to write my summer manifesto in a way which gently reminds me of the feelings I want to have in the season, and how I can tend and nurture what I want and need to help me slow down, rest,  and make the most of this season and chapter of our life as a family.

Summer Manifesto 2026

Savour the fleeting moments of summer

Create quiet moments and spaces to retreat

Appreciate the glow of golden light

Nourish and tend to my energy  

Soak the roots to keep well watered

Nurture spaces and times for my creativity

Notice the fruits growing and the seeds forming

Savour the fleeting moments of summer

There is something about this summer which feels different. I feel very drawn to savouring our life right now. These feelings are partly for me and partly for our daughter, I want to make the most of the time creating childhood summer memories we can look back on and appreciate. Our daughter moves from infant school to junior school in September and there is something about this chapter which feels like I need to pause the time, savour what we have and create some summer traditions together she will always remember.

I want to feel like I’m savouring the fleeting summer moments as I’ve chosen to not work with clients during August. I’m reducing my working hours to a few hours each week to spend time with my family and I want to make the most of this opportunity as I don’t know whether this might change in the future.

I want to notice more this summer and capture the moments. As someone who enjoys documenting, this summer season I want to gather more photos, collating our memories, experiences and the moments we have with family and friends so we can savour them right now and when we look back at the summer we shared.

Create quiet moments and spaces to retreat

I want the summer to feel joyful, easeful and restorative and to do that I want to create quiet moments and spaces to retreat. Having a space to retreat to from the heat of the high temperatures and the heatwaves will help us enjoy the summer, help the season fell manageable and enable it to feel restorative, rather than depleting. Creating space in our days for quiet moments and spaces to retreat will hopefully help with feeling more energised later in the day. 

I want to have a summer which feels loosely planned with quiet moments held for relaxing and slower activities. It can feel tempting to always be out and about during the summer, however a few weekends left free for spontaneous time and rest feels like it would invite in more ease and simple moments to enjoy. 

Creating quiet moments in my week is something I want to do to look after myself. I want to feel energised and ready for parenting all day, every day, during the six and a half weeks of the school summer holiday. Summer temperatures, long days and trying to fit in pockets of work, can start to feel a lot and by intentionally making space for quiet moments creates intentional pockets of time for me to rest and rejuvenate ready for the pace of activity I feel when Autumn arrives.

Appreciate the glow of golden light

I want to appreciate the glow of golden light and how this feels during the summer. As someone who loves photography, the glow of the summer sun in the early mornings and in the evenings are special times to take photos. It is also a reminder to use the opportunity for me to connect to my word of the year ‘glow’ in these moments of the day and a passion and hobby of mine.

Connecting with my passions at the start and end of the day, creates a felt sense of joy and an inner glow, whether it’s reading a book, writing, creative time on a project, or having a moment to pause with my journal. The glow of the light can act as a reminder to take just a small pocket of time to focus on something connected to my hobbies which can help me glow.

Appreciating the time of day where there are beautiful sunrises and the morning golden light is a reminder for me that this is a time where I can work on projects and feel the inner glow I get from my work. I can continue to work for a small portion of the day, keeping me connected with my business, and working on the new offering I’m bringing together which needs a different approach and thinking time for it to be created.

Feeling gratitude for the glow of golden light was an intention which arrived and might metaphorically be about the opportunities which could arrive over the summer weeks. Impromptu connection time with friends, different experiences we might have, and time to enjoy living differently during this season feel like they could bring a feeling of joy. I want to use these moments of glowing golden light for our family time to glow too, later bedtimes will mean we can choose to use the evenings differently to be together experiencing new adventures and experiences.

Nourish and tend to my energy  

Summer is a time when we can feel depleted from all the activities and the hot weather. I know I want to feel nourished this year and tend to my energy during this season. 

New routines and rhythms will naturally form as the weeks go by, adjusted from the season before. Different drinks and foods will be savoured, they will feel nourishing and will likely have a different impact on my energy. This is a reminder to nourish myself and look after my energy, especially during the busier parts of the summer season and weeks when we have hot weather weeks.

Soak the roots to keep well watered

Just like the plants in our gardens, we need to water and create the conditions to tend to ourselves in the summer. I’ll be switching from working to focusing on looking after my daughter for the bulk of the weekdays in August and will need to consciously make space to keep myself ‘watered’ and also to water the parts of me which will likely need refreshment after a day of activities and making snacks. Keeping well watered is also about ensuring I’m connecting with my values during the summer, which form the anchor and the roots of how I choose to live life.

Choosing to do things which feel good, we enjoy doing, and that top us up as a family will keep our collective roots watered, little and often is good however with a deep soaking once a week could create better growth and restoration of anything lost. Working out what the deep soaking for us as a family will likely come to life during the season.

Nurture spaces and times for my creativity

Summer is a time when typically a few of my favourite creative hobbies are put to one side as nurturing my creativity can feel unachievable most summers as my focus shifts. Time is spent ideally outside and with a focus on activities and visits beyond our home is a feature of our summer season. My hobbies are mainly indoor craft related hobbies, revolving around having supplies to use and choose from.

I want to feel more creative this summer and enjoy the feeling of being mentally uplifted by what I’m doing. I know I can make this happen by making time and space for creative projects and perhaps think ahead of time what creative activities have both a child and an adult version, and what could be possible to try outdoors. It might help me nurture a new space for my creativity in the year and help me feel topped up in a season which has historically been less about being creative and more about seeking adventures and experiences.

Notice the fruits growing and the seeds forming

At this time of year growth within the natural world has slowed, perennial plants have matured, flowers are in bloom and are reflowering, fruits are growing and starting to ripen, and plants are creating seeds. 

Over the summer I will hold these themes to notice what I might resonate with and what is being mirrored in my life. Understanding what might be growing as a fruit and what is feeling fruitful, could create a different way to think and approach parts of my life. Noticing what is in bloom, what needs deadheading to keep flowering through the season, and identifying where I might want to allow things to go to seed, is another perspective to hold and think about. Having a sense of the fruits and the seeds can help me celebrate with more focus on this season in my life and to notice how this summer feels. Having an understanding of what is growing in my life feels an intentional way to gain clarity at this time of year.

Making my summer seasonal manifesto visible

Writing a manifesto is only part of the process, bringing it to life beyond the words and making it happen is the most rewarding part. I choose to make my manifesto visible, and come back to it regularly to remind myself of my intentions for the season and how I may be bringing them to life. Sometimes I enjoy creating vision boards with images reminding me of my manifesto and have added it to my weekly planner so I can see it each time I open it. Other seasons I’ve used a mind map gathering my thoughts of my manifesto stuck on a bedroom mirror, or have written it out as part of a weekly check in within my journal.

For a long time my seasonal manifestos have lived in my journals and have been shared on my blogs. This year I’ve started adding them to a seasonal art journal and pinning the manifesto to my notice board at my desk, making it visible in a more creative way. I choose to check in every few weeks on my manifesto to see what is coming to life and this gently forms part of the practice of holding a seasonal manifesto.

How you can connect with the seasons

I hope you feel inspired to start writing your own seasonal manifesto and have enjoyed an insight into the thoughts behind my summer manifesto this year.

I’m passionate about helping people connect with the seasons in my coaching work as as a garden designer. In late Autumn I’m launching something new to help you live more intentionally with the seasons. If you’d like to hear more about it I will be sharing it with my email subscribers first.

You can sign up for my newsletter to find out first about this new offering and receive my weekly ‘Notes from the Tree Ring’.