Too much technology takes a toll on our personal well-being — so much distraction, so little time — which is only one of 50 reasons why summer getaways are so important.

"There's this magical sense of possibility that stretches like a bridge between June and August," writes Aimee Friedman. "A sense that anything can happen."

Anything can happen to you this summer, and just about anything can qualify as a summer getaway in my book, just now out, "All Is Well: The Art {and Science} of Personal Well-Being."

A summer getaway means choosing to get away from your "normal" schedule and finding the time to focus on something that feels like fun, something you value, something you know will enhance your personal well-being.

After all, your personal well-being is very personal. You might decide to sign up for salsa dancing, and, well, too bad if your wife won't go with you. Or maybe you'll decide to coach your daughter's softball team. Or dedicate 15 solid hours in August to your short game. (Full disclosure: I can hear the U.S. Open playing in the background.)

What would enhance and serve your personal well-being this summer? If you think, "I don't have the time," by all means, notice that big smelly gremlin — and then keep moving. If there's a will — you're in charge, and you can shift negative thinking to the positive — there's a way.

When it comes to focusing on what's important, you can also switch from thoughts to pictures. What do professional athletes, business geniuses and ancient sages have in common? They visualize. You don't have to be LeBron James, Misty May-Treanor, Warren Buffett or the Buddha to give it a try. Just sit comfortably, calm your mind and create a vivid and detailed mental image. Paint the picture. Experience the sounds and smells. Don't judge the visualization. Just go along with what happens.

But wait! A visualization of what? That's the creative part of the equation. You paint the picture. You're in charge.

And here's something I hope you find useful, something I've come to believe as a journalist on the healthy lifestyle beat for 40 years: Your personal well-being isn't defined by how much you weigh or how many crunches you can do.

It's much more than that. Yes, health and traditional measures of fitness are part of it, but it's also about the balance in your life, the strength and joy in your life, the relationships and love in your life.

I've just come back from getaway time in Greece, where I discovered that the ancient Greeks had an expression for this highly desirable, highly personal sense of well-being: "Ef-zeen." (That's how it's pronounced, not how it's spelled. We're not stopping to learn ancient Greek now.)

Eff zeen. It's understood to mean the good life, the contented life, the life well-lived. Sometimes it involves a long life, but not always.

What does it involve for you? What summer getaway actions can you take, will you take, to move you toward your vision, toward your own eff zeen?

Of course, it's up to you... and of course, I have some thoughts:

—Spend more time in nature. Nature deficit disorder is real and documented. You don't have to go far from home to experience the serenity that comes when you're hiking a trail, paddling a kayak or watching a turtle sit perfectly still, sunning herself on a half-sunken log.

—Don't second-guess your need for leisure time. Your body and your mind require rest and relaxation. If you're lucky enough to have a job with vacation benefits, take every moment that's coming to you.

—Eating real food will contribute to your well-being. If you aren't already doing it, learn to cook or grow some food, and — this is key — face the fact that eating fake food, processed food, will mess up your metabolism.

—Stress is nothing new. We all have it. But we don't all have a strategy for dealing with it, and that's where mindfulness and meditation practices come into play. Is this the moment you decide to start training in tai chi, qi gong or, my favorite four-letter word, yoga?

It's summer. Anything can happen.

ENERGY EXPRESS-O! OPEN NEW DOORS

"Smell the sea, and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly." — Van Morrison

Marilynn Preston is the author of Energy Express, America's longest-running healthy lifestyle column. Her new book "All Is Well: The Art {and Science} of Personal Well-Being" is available now on Amazon and elsewhere. Visit Creators Publishing at creators.com/books/all-is-well to learn more. For more on personal well-being, visit www.MarilynnPreston.com.