Summer is around the corner, and, hopefully, its a chance to recharge, spend more time outside, and pay a little more attention to how we're feeling. Below are five articles with suggestions from the experts for staying well over the coming months, geared towards fitting into a busy summer of clerskhips, internships, study, or travel.
- Try "Exercise Snacks" Instead of a Full Workout: An "exercise snack" is a short burst of movement — anywhere from 30 seconds to five minutes — done a few times a day. You can climb a flight of stairs, do a few squats between tasks, or take a two-minute walk after lunch.
- Prioritize One Real-Life Social Connection a Week: The U.S. Surgeon General has called loneliness a public health crisis, and the CDC links social isolation to higher risks of heart disease, dementia, and depressison. Summer is a good opportunity to renew or reinvest in a connection--meeting someone for coffee, or perhaps for a walk around Lake Monona.
- Read a Book That Has Nothing to Do With Law: Reading for pleasure can lower stress, leader to better sleep, and improve your mood, and the genre doesn't much matter, as long as it's something other than work. The Madison Public Library has various recommended reading lists, and you can also check out our faculty reading list from National Library Week 2026.
- Catch the Morning Light: Just 20 to 30 minutes of morning sunlight within an hour of waking helps regulate your circadian rhythm, improving both sleep quality and daytime energy.
- Cook One New Thing a Week from the Dane County Farmers' Market: Even if you're not much of a cook (I'm not), picking up one new ingredient at the market and finding a simple recipe for it could be fun and low-effort. The Dane County Farmers' Market on the Square runs every Saturday, and there are smaller weekday markets across Madison as well.
Wishing you a healthy, fun and restorative summer!
Submitted by Sunil Rao, on April 30, 2026
This article appears in the categories: Law Library
