Summer is here. And for
many of us it’s a time of vacations, a time of being free from school or a slow
time at work or in your business. It is synonymous with relaxation and taking a
break. Often times this mentality can
also cause unnecessary pressure and stress due to the expectations that
everyone is going on a vacation or you are going to blink and the summer will
be over with nothing to show for it.
Now
is a good time to focus on taking care of you.
It’s time to unwind, decompress and to recharge. Here are some tips on
how to accomplish just that.
Just watch the clouds go by.
It is so easy to get stuck in the mindset that you have to do
something pretty much all the time. This can add a lot of unnecessary stress.
Why not change things up a bit and try doing nothing at all from time to time
this summer.
Just go for a walk in the
woods. Sit by the ocean and take it all in. Or lie down in the grass and just
watch the clouds go by.
Do only that, savor the moments of summer and feel how the inner
tensions flow out of your body and mind.
Disconnect.
Don’t go online unless it’s necessary. Try to check your emails
once a day. Leave your smartphone at home while you are out in the sun enjoying
a book.
You may find that you haven’t missed much by not being available
all the time. And discover that your stress levels have dropped quite a bit and
it feels easier to fully focus on your family, friends and the moments that you
are spending making memories.
Half of 2018 has now gone by
and it’s easy to get stuck on focusing on what went wrong or on your own
setbacks or mistakes. So take a break from that. Try flipping it around and ask
yourself: What can I appreciate about what I did and I accomplished during
these 6 months?
It doesn’t always have to be big things. And be sure to
appreciate what you did, the effort you put in even if things didn’t go exactly
as planned.
Slow it down.
This will also dial your stress down. And, perhaps even more
importantly, help you to be in the moment and to fully enjoy all the sights,
sounds, smells and people of your summer. Instead of being lost in a memory
while life and perhaps something really wonderful is happening right in front
of you. In other words…be fully present.
Say no to the ‘shoulds’ of summer.
There are sneaky shoulds in
life. They can make a vacation filled with things you “just have to do before
the summer is over “and they’ll leave you more tired than you were before your
time off even started. Avoid them and
you may find that it makes it easier to simply relax and to say no to doing
something because you realize that it just isn’t that important anyway, just to
be able to say you did it.
Spend more time doing what you love.
Maybe it’s hanging out at a marina with friends. Or reading
books. Or playing with your kids or hanging out with an old friend by a fire.
No matter what it might be, think about how you can fit more of what
you love doing into not only your summer, but the rest of your 2018. Think
about what you spend your time on during a normal week.
Then find 1-2 things during your regular weeks that you can
spend less time on. Or things you can simply say no to so that you have a bit
more time and energy over each week during the summer, fall and winter for what
you love doing.