The 100 Years Club Installment #132: HOT STUFF #5 Summer Lovin’ & The Donut Hole

Huh? 

The donut hole?

What does that have to do with hot summer stuff (the theme of this 13-week series)?

I recently had a guest (Audrey Hope) on my podcast who talked about the importance of self-love. She referred to the “donut hole,” the gaps we have in our own lives that we need to fill before we can let another person into our lives.

We also discussed how to maintain “hot summer energy” in a long-term relationship.

But this post isn’t about hot summer sex. It’s about using some of your downtime this season to reflect on the areas you need to work on to truly love yourself and reconnect with your passions.

This Harvard study, which is about a decade old, clearly illustrates the impact of love on the human brain. Whether you’re in love with another person, your work, or a fruit salad (like the one Pee Wee Herman married), catching feelings gives us all a boost.

(Love of new food has been a common theme in my life, so watch for next week’s post about the Fancy Food Show.)

As we head into the holiday weekend, let’s think about these 10 things. The first five are all about “filling the donut hole.”

1. What do you love about yourself and your life?
2. What aren’t you loving right now, and how can you take steps to change it?
3. What’s on your “Things I Love” list?
4. Who are the people in your circle who bring you joy?
5. How can you unravel or step away from those things that are causing you pain, boredom, or other negative feelings?
6. What and who (other than the hot guy or woman on dating apps) gets your heart racing?
7. Who was your first summer love, and what was it about them and that time in your life that plunged you into a romantic rabbit hole?
8. If you’re currently in a relationship or close friendship, what’s keeping you together? What’s missing, and how can you work on it?
9. If you’re looking for love and are tired of dating apps, consider taking a break and going analog. Recent research shows that the apps mess with our mental health.
10. Love the ones you’re with. If you’re solo this weekend, embrace the things you adore about yourself. House guests or family? Look for the things you love about them, rather than focusing on some of the little annoyances. On the podcast, Dr. Diane even goes through a process for “bringing back the novelty” in long-term relationships.

So, whether you’re “filling the hole” this weekend, rekindling the hotness in a current relationship, or looking for just a hook-up and dopamine rush, you’ll find something inspirational in this 32-minute conversation. 

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For more about summer lovin’, just click below:

	13 steps towards self-love
	Find your love. (It’s a great beach read!)
	Summer FOMO is real! Avoid it!
	Not a metaphor fan? Here are the best donuts in the U.S. (literally)