This tiny tweak could transform your entire summer—and life

It's going to take a little bit of courage, but it's totally worth it.

Hello friends!

Happy Memorial Day! I think we all consider Memorial Day Weekend the *official* start of summer, although I’ve heard from a lot of my New York friends that it’s kind of chilly there this weekend (sorry about that, move to California!).

With that in mind, today’s mini-episode is summer-themed, and I’m so excited to be joined by my dear friend and superstar content and recipe creator

Justine Doiron

to talk all about summer. And more specifically, how to apply The Novelty Rule to your summer.

If you’re new-ish around here, The Novelty Rule is my favorite neuroscience hack, and it’s rooted in the research-backed idea that we’re more likely to notice, remember, and engage with things that are new, different, or unexpected. It actually stems from the way our brains are wired for survival—novel stimuli could signal opportunity or danger, so our brains pay close attention to them. In today’s world, it’s a way to make your life feel longer, more exciting, and more memorable.

Summer is PEAK Novelty Rule season, because with long days and (hopefully) more chill work or school schedules, there are endless novel opportunities to take advantage of. The episode packs 21 amazing ideas, but here’s one of my favorites:

Say ‘yes’ to something you would normally say ‘no’ to

In other words, apply my “never say no to yourself” mantra to the Novelty Rule. It could be something tiny, like wearing the flirty sundress you’ve always avoided because of the way your legs look (hello, it’s me), or something big, like finally trying standup paddleboarding or grilling for the first time.

The idea is to notice where you’ve been quietly telling yourself “no”—that’s not for me, I don’t have the body for that, I’m too scared, I don’t have time—and instead, say yes, and see where it leads.

So often, those “no”s are rooted in old patterns or silent insecurities—ones we didn’t even realize were still hanging around. As Justine pointed out in our convo, it’s not always fear that holds us back; sometimes it’s the voice that says we should be working or productive instead. But whether your resistance is logistical or emotional, saying yes is a way of reclaiming a version of yourself that’s more open, more playful, and freer.

From the episode:

“Have a ‘never be the one to say no to yourself’ moment. Do one thing you would normally say no to yourself about this summer. So it could be, ‘I would never be the one to grill. It could be, I would never go to the beach without a coverup. I would never go white water rafting. That's too scary for me. I would never try standup paddleboarding.’

But take one thing that's always kind of felt a little bit outside of your comfort zone, one thing you've been saying no to yourself about. And say yes to yourself and see where it leads you.

The takeaway:

Summer is hands-down the best season to put the Novelty Rule into practice, so don’t let this one drift away. Pick one thing you’ve always been too afraid to do, and force yourself to do it, just once. The payoff will be worth it, I promise!

For more incredible summer Novelty Rule ideas, including how to make chores feel like a treat, the outdoor habit that instantly romanticizes your life, and the simple mindset shift that turns you into that friend who always has the best plans, listen to the full episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.

Xo,

Liz

P.S. Paying subscribers always get key takeaways from each episode, full episode transcripts, and access to our bonus Friday posts. We recently did a deep dive into the danger of Botox and if the claims people make about raw milk are true, and this coming Friday we have one about using AI for weight loss (yes, this is a thing), so if you haven’t upgraded to paid yet, now’s the time!

Key takeaways