Summer is coming, my friends. I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely starting to feel the nerves kick in. Throughout the Summer, we get a ton of invites and many of us have a hard time deciding what to say yes to and what to decline. Additionally, the pressure is on us to lose weight and look great. How the heck do we actually enjoy life during the Summer? Well, we need to learn to let go a bit.
Why do some of us feel stress more in the Summer?
The simple answer is that we try to say yes to too many things. In the Summer, there’s BBQs, graduation parties, birthdays and holiday celebrations. If you say yes to all of that, when do you have time for you? The trick is deciding what fits your vibe and brings you joy.
What about body judgement? I know I look in the mirror and aren’t totally happy with what I see. And I probably feel that way because of the pressure that the world puts on us. We’re expected to have a “beach body” and be able to fit into the perfect bathing suit. If we don’t, we might feel discouraged. That feeling may prevent us from actually enjoying the Summer.
And it’s talk about work for a second. Most of us work a full time job that is Monday through Friday and typically around 9:00AM to 5:00PM. If that’s your work schedule, how the heck are you supposed to enjoy your Summer? Plan, plan plan.
How do we handle all that stress?
First and foremost, understand your true values. Ask yourself what you want to accomplish during the Summer. If it helps, have a family meeting. You might want more time with friends and family. Possibly at least one to two beach days every month. Hiking in the mountains more could be on your list. And maybe even spending so much time outside that you actually get a tan, not a burn.
Second, you need to be realistic about the amount of time you have. If you work a full time job, you’re going to have less time than someone who is a teacher or a full time entrepreneur. This is where planning comes in. You have to understand that you only have so many hours in the day. If you plan those hours, you can fit in a lot of the things you want to do. So make a list of all the things you want to accomplish and plan out the events. Remember to factor in caring for yourself in addition to that fun.
Third, you need to learn to say no. When you say no, you’re setting boundaries. You can’t possibly say yes to every single invite and you definitely cannot be at every BBQ and birthday party. You are only one person and as a living, breathing human, you should have emotions too. The emotions you have should direct you when you’re responding to invites. If the event doesn’t serve you or bring you joy in some way, maybe going to that event isn’t the best idea for you.
Last, you need to remember on rule – HAVE FUN! If something isn’t in your control, try not to stress about it. If you do have some control, and don’t like the way it’s going, change it.