Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Sydney J. Harris
The summer is here.
And for lots of us it’s a time of vacations, a time of being free from school or a slow time at work or in your small business.
So it’s time to deal with taking extra good care of yourself to unwind, decompress and to recharge.
And that’s exactly what this week’s article is all about. Let me share 6 of my favorite suggestions that I’ll be using this summer.
1. Just watch the clouds go by.
During the months of continuous intense work it’s easy to get trapped within the mindset that you may have to do something just about on a regular basis.
This can add a variety of tensions and stress.
So try doing nothing in any respect infrequently this summer.
Just go for a walk within the woods. Sit by the lake and absorb the wonderful landscape.
Or lie down within 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.
2. Disconnect for a time.
I’ll be disconnected for much of this summer. I won’t go browsing unless it’s essential.
I’ll only check my emails once a day. And I’ll leave my smartphone at home while I’m out within the sun having fun with a book.
I like to recommend trying this one out, especially should you are inclined to spend a variety of time at work or at school with being online or talking on the phone.
Start by just staying away out of your email and phone for possibly 6 or 12 hours. Then check them.
You may even see that you just haven’t missed much by not being available on a regular basis.
And discover that your stress levels have dropped quite a bit and it feels easier to totally deal with your loved ones, friends or your hobby.
3. Appreciate what you probably did between New Year’s Eve and the beginning of this summer.
Half of 2024 has now passed by.
And there might need been some worries.
Perhaps you were indignant with yourself greater than just a few times during these 6 months. Or disillusioned in what you probably did, didn’t do or what happened in your life.
When the stress and inner tensions are plentiful then it’s easy to get stuck in specializing in what went flawed or on your personal setbacks or mistakes.
So take a break from that.
Ask yourself: What can I appreciate about what I did and I achieved during these 6 months?
It doesn’t all the time must be big things. And remember to appreciate what you probably did, the hassle you set in even when things didn’t go exactly as planned.
4. Go slow.
This can even dial your stress down.
And, maybe even more importantly, enable you to to be within the moment and to totally enjoy all of the sights, sounds, smells and other people of your summer.
Instead of being half-lost in the longer term or in a memory while life and maybe something really wonderful is occurring right in front of you.
5. Say no to the shoulds of summer.
There are sneaky shoulds in life. They could make a vacation full of stuff you “just have to do before the summer is over” seem to be draining work.
And they’ll leave you more drained than you were before your time without work even began.
Avoid them by asking yourself:
Will this matter in 5 years? Or even 5 weeks?
Zooming out like this makes it easier to seek out a healthier perspective on things and to see the actual value of doing something.
It makes it easier to easily loosen up and to say no to doing something since you realize that it frankly isn’t that essential anyway.
6. Spend more time doing what you’re keen on.
Maybe it’s fishing. Or going out into the woods and picking berries, flowers and mushrooms. Or painting. Or reading books.
Or fiddling with your kids or hanging out with an old friend.
No matter what it may be, take into consideration how you’ll be able to fit more what you’re keen on doing into not only your summer but the remainder of your 2024.
Take a few minutes and sit down with a pen and a bit of paper. Think about what you spend your time on during a standard week.
Then find 1-2 things during your regular weeks which you could spend less time on.
Or things you’ll be able to simply say no to in order that you may have a bit more time and energy over each week through the summer, fall and winter for what you’re keen on doing.
