Self-Care is important throughout all the seasons of the year. Summertime rituals give us a little more time and seasonal magic to happily indulge in our most desired hobbies. Even the space to try new ones! It's the perfect season to revisit your self-care goals and lean into the ones that you're going to get the most out of during these long sunny days and warm summer evenings.
How to Make Time For Your Summer Self-Care
First, let go of the notion that you need to do all the things. That isn't fun and it isn't self-care. And it will actually make you a little miserable to try! Summer is about relaxing and leaning into the wellness opportunities around us.
Making time for yourself and the things you love can seem like a neverending chore yielding less-than-desirable results. We need to define what we want those results to look like for ourselves before we just dive in.
When and how much time do you need to block off for planned/unplanned activities?
Which activities do you need space held for the most this summer and who's in your corner to help with that/join in? If you're going solo what resources can you use to help with blocking off that time?
Making time is an intentional act and one of the first steps to creating a self-care summer adventure list that you look forward to checking off.
Questions to Consider When Creating Your Bucket List
There are 7 pillars of self-care: Mental; Emotional; Physical; Social; Environmental; Spiritual; Recreational. Consider which ones you'd like to focus on the most and the kind of energy you'd like to feel whilst practicing methods that fuel those pillars.
There are some practices that don't warrant a lot of attention during the colder months of the year. Which summer-inspired practices can be part of your regular routine this season?
Relaxing the mind and body is especially of interest during this time of the year as many of us wind down from following academic schedules and adjust to new schedules for the next few weeks before a new season comes in. How can you incorporate activities that bring about a sense of balance, self-awareness, and happiness?
Prioritize your wellness needs. We spend so much of our daily living practices managing things that don't support the wellness opportunities we seek - this is the time to change the narrative of that story. Where and when can you put yourself first this summer? How will you use that time to pour into yourself?
Summer Self-Care Reset List
downtown markets and summer festivals are great places to take a stroll, find something new, and even meet like-minded locals
find a farm to pick your own fruit and make a summer cobbler
try forest bathing at a local park or take a walk to take in nature
watch the sunset with your favorite beverage/person (or both!)
take your camera out and explore a new-to-you part of your city
map the stars and go stargazing on a clear night!
volunteer for a community cause close to your heart
take an intentional break from screen life
start/end your day with a brain dump or gratitude list
socialize IRL instead of online
give your brain a rest
listen to a podcast while on a beach walk or easy hike
learn a new craft or take an intro course
take a stroll through a museum
Pin for later!
There are so many options you can embrace this season as we detox from the hustle culture. You're worth the energy and effort needed for your personal time. We can get more out of this life experience when we consider the things we value and take action to make them part of our present reality.
