Summer is the time of year when everyone is looking for ways to take care of themselves. This can be a difficult task for many people as they try to balance their work, family lives, and other responsibilities. This article includes 10 self-care tips that you can use to help yourself during summer!
What does summer mean to you? Do you see it as an opportunity to catch up with friends and family and finally put your feet up or do you associate it with personal development and extra workload? Whichever scenario it reminds you of, this season it’s all about finding the right balance between work and rest and starting a self-care summer routine that is easy and effortless.
It’s important to take care of yourself during summer to make sure you’re healthy enough to go for a holiday and enjoy it, and since you’ll have more free time it’s the best time to make changes to your schedule that can bring you long-term benefits.
Here are 10 self-care tips you should follow this summer:
1. Make your rest time purposeful and peaceful
In a world of social media, it’s difficult not to feel the pressure to constantly improve your skills and learn new things, so you might be tempted to make your days off as productive as possible. However, being overworked only defeats the purpose and makes you too tired to retain new information and progress at all.
Therefore, you should consider a purposeful summer and make sure there’s a balance between rest and hard work. It’s important to learn how to view your rest days as a step forward; if you imagine that our energy is like petrol that allows us to function, it also runs out quickly and the only way to refill it is by slowing down.
You can try this visualization exercise as part of your self-care tips and then practice it whenever you can – changing perspective like this will help you get rid of the guilt you feel when you’re trying to relax and allow you to finally enjoy lying on the beach without doing anything productive. And if you include some productive activities in your schedule, remember to take frequent breaks and focus on slow and steady progress instead of pressuring yourself to improve fast.
2. Prioritize and plan in advance while creating your self-care tips list
While the summer period is generally synonymous with rest, in reality, it can be a more challenging time than other months as that’s when most of us are hoping to book a holiday and often end up working overtime to be able to get away at all. Similarly, it might be difficult to focus on your routine knowing that your days off are getting closer or that there are a lot of fun events taking place at the same time.
To stay focused, make sure that you plan everything in advance (yes, spontaneous trips are fun but also a lot of extra stress we’re saying no to this season). First, talk to your boss and discuss your workload to know how to organize your time. Then, make a list of tasks you have to do before your holiday and divide them into more important and less important ones.
For example, if there’s a doctor appointment you’ve been postponing for a while, you should make sure to tick it off the list as soon as possible but if you wanted to hang out with your friends, it can probably wait. Additionally, it’s important to prepare your schedule for the time you’re back from your holiday. Settling back into your usual routine might be difficult since you’ve just spent a few days relaxing – it should be gradual and not too intense.
3. Live in the moment
Summer is the time for collecting happy memories but instead of focusing on documenting them, you should prioritize being present in the moment. And yes, you’ve guessed it - one of the most effective ways to focus on here and now is staying away from the Internet and electronic devices. Summer is the best time to get off the grid as social media will be flooded with adverts that encourage you to get a ‘beach body’ and holiday pictures that make it difficult not to compare your plans to other people’s.
And while if you want to binge-watch a TV series, you should, don’t forget to take advantage of the sunny weather and try to enjoy a simpler life. This means that you should avoid multitasking and ground yourself in the present whenever you do something mundane – for example, if you’re washing the dishes simply pay attention to the way your body moves, to what you can feel, see, or smell.
A good way to learn how to live in the moment is also practicing meditation. Even sitting down with your thoughts and focusing on your breath for a few minutes a day can be beneficial and allow you to slow down and appreciate the current moment a bit more. This is one of the easiest self-care tips you implement this summer.
4. Taking care of your body is the best self-care tip for summer
Take care of your body but not in the way you think. Instead of searching for a summer diet that can make you look better in a bikini, consider prioritizing your health and eating a lot of fruits and vegetables as they can lower your blood pressure, prevent diseases, and support your digestive system. Plus, the healthier you eat, the more your well-being improves.
Similarly, remember to wear plenty of sunscreens – UV not only increases the risk of cancer but also causes wrinkles and skin discoloration – and protect your eyes from direct exposure by purchasing glasses with the right protection. Lastly, don’t forget to hydrate yourself – replenishing your body with water is even more important when the temperatures increase.
Most of us think that we drink enough but don’t so the best way to make sure you do is by counting how many glasses you have per day or buying a bottle that measures your daily intake. Additionally, try to avoid drinking fluids that can dehydrate you such as caffeine, tea, and alcohol. Stay hydrated is one of the best self-care tips you can implement.
5. Strive to become happy
While it’s easier said than done, remember that you don’t need to achieve more or have more to be happy. The key to happiness is learning how to appreciate what you have and being content with who you are as a person even when you fail. To practice gratitude, try to start every day by writing down a few things you’re grateful for; these could be people in your life, good weather, your job or simply being alive. It doesn’t matter what those things are, the goal is to train your mind to focus on the positives.
If you struggle with self-esteem and feel good enough only when you succeed, it’s worth incorporating positive affirmations into your daily routine. You can stand in front of the mirror and give yourself a pep talk. Positive affirmations don’t have to be statements you fully believe in but every time you repeat them, try to visualize your life as if they were true. For example, you can tell yourself something like, ‘I’m doing well’, ‘I’m beautiful’, ‘I have great coping skills’, ‘I’m successful’, and so on. If you’re consistent with your practice, you’ll be able to see a change in your mood and confidence soon.
6. Discover your values
Having days off also means having the mental space to look inwards and reconnect with your needs. When we keep ourselves busy, we often fail to recognize our thoughts and emotions which can make us get stuck in a place we don’t necessarily want to be. While changes can be scary, sometimes they’re necessary and your priority should be to live according to your values even if it means quitting your job or ending your relationship. To learn what your values are, a good place to start is identifying the happiest moments in your life and considering what they meant to you.
For example, you might remember high school fondly because you had many friends and one of your values is a social connection or because you enjoyed learning new things and you value self-growth. To make this easier, you can keep a diary where you describe an event and outline what you liked and disliked about it. You can also take a test online if you want to get faster results.
7. Become active and incorporate exercise into your daily routine
One of the best ways to recharge batteries during summer is to combine lazy days with physical activity. If you’re one of those people who feel tired when temperatures increase, incorporating exercise into your schedule can keep your energy levels high and help you become more fit in the process.
But the one thing you should remember is to avoid exercising outside when the sun is strong and make sure you keep yourself hydrated or it will be counterproductive. You should also start small and gradually introduce exercise to your routine; for example, in the first week, you can go for evening walks and do yoga in the mornings, then have a go at cardio and other more strenuous exercises. A good idea is also to join a class that involves physical activity, where you can meet new people and learn a new skill on top of that.
8. Reconnect with friends to improve your mood
Whether you like it, you need to be able to bond with other people from time to time. Even if your social circle is wide, summer is a great opportunity to reconnect with old friends. It’s not only great for your mental health as it satisfies your basic need but also allows you to put some things into perspective.
For example, you might reminiscence old times and realize that things you used to worry about weren’t as important as you thought they were. If you have someone you could catch up with, simply send them a message and see how they respond. Show an interest in their life and try to connect with them – you might have gone separate ways, but people change and grow, and you might find some common ground.
9. Learn to let go
If spring is the time of new beginnings, summer is the time for drastic changes. Once you’ve discovered your values, you can evaluate if your goals align with them. This might be tricky to do because sometimes we’d rather live in denial than admit to ourselves that our current situation isn’t serving us, but you can start journaling to organize your thoughts. Writing about your feelings can help you decide if there’s something in your life that needs to be let go of.
If that’s the case, be gentle to yourself and remind yourself that no one’s path in life is simple and that sometimes it’s worth taking a step back because that’s the only way to go forward. Then try to come up with solutions for your situation; quitting your job on the spur of the moment might not be the smartest decision but maybe you could sign up for courses that would allow you to start a new career. Break the new goals down into smaller segments and make them a part of your routine, then commit to it.
10. Make a Bucket List
If you want to look forward to summer or the future in general, you should get round to making your Bucket List if you haven’t already. The best thing about it is that it makes you feel more excited about life and that it allows you to get out of your comfort zone. Plus, everyone needs novelty in their lives from time to time and your holiday is the best time to achieve it.
When you do make the list, remember to include realistic goals – traveling around the world is a great idea but you might not be able to afford it or quit a job so focus on something more achievable such as watching a play, asking a stranger out, or going to a festival. Making a Bucket List can give you a direction in life as it’s another great way to find out what your values are. If it’s filled with adrenaline-inducing activities, you might be craving adventure and it might be time to consider if the office job is for you, if it involves doing things with other people, you might want to focus more on your social life as part of the self-care tips you follow this summer.
Summer is ultimately a time for vacations, fun in the sun, and relaxation. It's also a time when many of us neglect ourselves, letting our self-care tips fall by the wayside. We get so caught up in the moment that we forget to take care of our bodies.
