7 Healthy Habits to Build as Summer Draws to a Close – The end of summer means a return to school drop-offs, team sports, endless work meetings, client deadlines, and no major holidays to look forward to in the near-term after Labor Day.
Are you already feeling your heart rate start to pick up? Don’t worry—the end of summer doesn’t have to inspire a sense of dread.
As we prepare to head back to the season of hustle and bustle, set yourself up for success by solidifying some healthy habits to help you relax when things inevitably get hectic next month. By practicing these now, they’ll come much more easily when you find yourself in the midst of a stressful moment or period.
1. Connect with nature. One of the best parts about summer is the potential to be outside in nature. Depending on where you live, you don’t necessarily have to lose this as the warmer season comes to a close. Set a goal to get outside for a walk – even if it’s just ten minutes – first thing in the morning. Find some green space and take off your shoes, letting your toes sink into the grass. Commit to easy ways of getting some fresh air and make them part of your natural routine.
2. Create (or find) a chill playlist. Spotify and other music services make it so easy to create our own playlists. Create your own called something like, “Relaxation” or “Chill Vibes for Difficult Moments” and add your favorite songs. Not feeling like being a DJ? There are tons of pre-made community playlists you can save in your library. If possible, play specific songs on repeat during moments where you feel completely relaxed (maybe while on the beach or resting on the couch). That way, they’ll take you back to that time when you play them later on in the year.
3. Take a breath work course. It may sound like such a simple thing (after all, we do it automatically tens of thousands of times per day), but breathing properly is so important for staying present and dealing with stress. Fortunately, this is something you can learn! Inquire about whether your local yoga studio offers classes, register for an online program, or download an app that walks you through how to get started.
4. Try a new exercise class. If the idea of trying a new type of fitness program feels overwhelming, take the opportunity to get started and practice during the slower summer months. Whether it’s a group class in your local gym or a video workout with a trainer on YouTube, building this habit now helps you get over the learning curve so you’re going full speed ahead as fall rolls around.
5. Ditch your phone. It often feels like our phones are an extra appendage, permanently connected to our bodies. While the thought of a phone-free day might feel like too much of a stretch, particularly if you have people who depend on you, try experimenting with turning off notifications or keeping your phone in the other room during certain periods of the day to see what impact it has on your stress levels. If there are people you need to be able to contact you, put their numbers on your emergency list so your phone bypasses your Do Not Disturb settings if they call.
6. Take a nap with zero guilt. There are few things better than an afternoon nap on a warm summer day. Part of the reason might be that when the pace of life is slower, we feel less guilty about doing something that might be seen as “lazy” or “indulgent.” Enough of that mindset. Carve out 30 minutes every Sunday (or whichever day works best for you), pop on an eye mask to block out the light, and take a nap. When you know in advance that this is in your plan, it might banish some of the guilt and help you feel more rejuvenated overall.
7. Schedule play days. Nope, I don’t mean for your kids (if you have them). This one is just for you. Rather than letting yourself get overwhelmed and burned out by the endless to-do lists – which only intensify in the fall – proactively schedule time for fun. Let this feel like part of your normal life rather than a special treat, and resist the temptation to let it drop from your calendar when life gets busy.
Don’t forget the importance of taking time actually to enjoy your life.
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