Preparing For Summer: How To Make It Your Best One Yet
Summer… it’s coming.
If you’re a professional without children, you may be planning vacations, outings with family and friends, and outdoor activities. Before we had children, my husband and I scheduled our vacations in advance, planned weekends to visit family and friends, and discussed activities we wanted to put on our Summer Bucket List. We only had to worry about our work schedules and plan around them.
As we became parents-- and as our children have gotten older and more involved in activities-- our summers are almost busier than the school year. So while our kids get more excited as summer nears, I get more anxious thinking about what our summer days will look like with three children going three different directions, child care needs, wanting to make it a memorable summer for all of us, and my work schedule.
And for many years, I let the anxiety of having children home on top of my work responsibilities truly prevent me from being present with my kids and actually enjoying my summers. When I was trying to make memories with my kids, I was thinking about all the work that I should be doing. And when I was working, I was thinking about how I should be spending time with my kids since they were on summer break.
First, I realized that “the shoulds” were not helpful to me being intentional around how I spent my time or how I navigated balance between my personal and professional life. I no longer allow myself to say that “I should” be doing something which has had a huge impact on my self-talk. I also give myself permission to “go with the flow,” especially during summer breaks because that’s how I want to experience summer-- not rigid, but going with the flow of whatever comes our way.
I have also learned to ask myself, “How do I want to experience this break?” And particularly when I know that I have to juggle work responsibilities with my children being off for 2.5 months over summer, I ask myself, “What does a ‘productive’ summer mean to me?”
For me, I want to truly enjoy the summer weather, activities with our family, seeing friends, going to local festivals, taking vacations, and just soaking up the “freedom” that our children experience during the summer. Becoming an adult doesn't mean that we can’t have fun in the summer too.
Being “productive” over the summer months means that I have a happy balance between getting work done and being present as a mom. I am productive both in my personal life and my professional roles.
Personal Life:
In order to truly enjoy time with my kids, we spend time brainstorming a Summer Bucket List. We sit down a few weeks before summer begins and create a list of activities, excursions, home-based projects, movies, people they want to see, and experiences that they each want to have over our summer break. We communicate ahead of time that this is a list that we can reference when we need ideas for things we want to do over the summer. Our kids know that we will not do all of these things on the list, but that it’s an “idea bank” that we can pull from when the opportunity allows. If they come up with new ideas or they change their minds, we cross things off of our list and add new ideas. We have had a Summer Bucket List since our kids were toddlers. It has been my go-to for ideas when the weather is crummy (“Hey, how about we head to the children’s museum today? It’s on your list!”), and when the weather is ideal for outdoor activities (“How about we head to the park to go on a hike?”).
If you’ve never created a Summer Bucket List, I encourage you to make one. Even if you don’t have children, creating a personal list of ideas for your summer would guide you and how you want to spend your time. If you have a significant other, take time to sit down with them and write down ideas for your summer together. When I lived in downtown Chicago after college, my roommates and I made our own list: go see a concert in Grant Park, walk to get ice cream, take the bus to the lake and go on a walk, enjoy a glass of Sangria at the wine bar across the street, and try a new restaurant.
Creating a Summer Bucket List is a smart step toward being intentional about how you want to experience your summer.
Professional Life:
Since I now have a flexible work schedule, I have to schedule daily times on my calendar to focus on my work. Larger chunks of time allow me opportunities to focus and get the work done.
My first summer with a flexible work schedule I decided to be more fluid: I worked 1 hour here, 2 hours there, another 2-3 hours there, then 1 hour later in the day. Or if my kids didn’t have anything on the calendar, then I worked all day long while trying to keep the kids happy in the other room. That juggling act of kid activities and work tasks throughout the day did not work for me. I could never really focus on what I was doing at the time. And if I spent the entire day working, I felt like I let a summer day pass by without doing what I wanted to do, which was spend time with my kids. Since one of my goals is to have boundaries around being a present mom, I knew that this type of schedule didn’t work with what I was intending to do.
For me, scheduling daily, large chunks of work time on my calendar allows me to stay hyper-focused on tasks for work. It also lets me “shut down” work when I intend to do so. That way, I can be a more present mom and experience the joys of summer.
For example, if I know it is a busier day due to kid activities, I will wake up earlier than normal to get work done for 2-3 hours. I may also work later in the evening so that I can spend that time during the day with my kids. Maybe I work the entire morning, but then I spend the time after lunch doing things with the kids. Or maybe I spend the morning with the kids and work during the afternoon. Regardless, I know what I have to accomplish by a certain deadline and I work backwards to schedule larger chunks of time on my calendar to get those tasks complete.
Self-Reflection:
No matter if you have children or not, I encourage you to think about how you want to experience your summer. Start by asking yourself these questions:
What are some things you want to do this summer?
Are there events in your local area that take place during the summer that otherwise aren’t offered other times of the year?
Do you want to take a summer vacation?
Are there pastimes you enjoyed in your youth that you also want to experience as an adult?
Are there people you want to connect with during the summer that you don’t normally see?
With the longer hours of sunlight, are there things you want to do in the evenings outdoors?
How do you want to spend your time on the weekends?
If you have a flexible work schedule, what works best for you to accomplish your work responsibilities and enjoy your personal life?
If you’re looking for ideas to enjoy your summer, visit Conde Nast Traveler’s article, “101 Ways to Have Fun This Summer.”
The list below is also a great place to start:
Community Events: Explore local community events and activities. Summer often brings festivals, farmers' markets, outdoor concerts, and community picnics. These events can be great opportunities for individuals and families to bond and to explore new interests.
Nature Exploration: Spend time outdoors and engage in nature-related activities. This could include going for hikes, visiting parks, camping trips, or even just having picnics in the backyard. Connecting with nature can be refreshing and stimulating for both children and adults.
Learning Opportunities: Summer is a great time for experiential learning. Visit museums, science centers, historical sites, or participate in workshops or classes that align with your interests or your children’s interests. Learning doesn't have to stop during the summer break—it can take on new, more hands-on forms.
Healthy Habits: Begin or maintain healthy routines during the summer. This could involve meal planning with fresh, seasonal ingredients, staying active through sports or outdoor activities, and ensuring adequate rest and relaxation. My “5 Tips for Healthy Living” Journal would be a great resource.
Flexibility and Adaptability: Acknowledge that despite planning, unexpected events or changes may occur during the summer. Be flexible, adapt plans as needed, and allow for spontaneity and the opportunity to seize unexpected enjoyable moments.
Mindfulness and Self-Care: Self-care is essential for both parents and children during the summer. This could include mindfulness practices, relaxation techniques, hobbies that bring joy, and prioritizing mental and emotional well-being alongside physical activities. Personally, my daily walks and my “10-Minute Power Practice” are two self-care practices that create a powerful effect on my day.
Volunteering and Giving Back: Consider participating in opportunities to give back to your community during the summer. This could involve volunteering at local charities, organizing donation drives, or participating in community service projects. Engaging in acts of kindness fosters a sense of empathy and social responsibility.
As we count down until summer, I hope you can prepare to experience the summer season as you intend to experience it. The days are getting longer, so just remember, it’s within your control to determine how you want to spend them.
Photo Credit Kenta Kikuchi
