A Busy Girl’s Guide to Staying Sane this Summer
Brunches, lunches, work meetings, happy hours, spin classes, concerts, weddings, trips and travel and — a girl can easily lose her cool in the heat of the summer-event swirl. Here are some tips to stay sane (and keep your life organized!) this season.
Summer brings with it a lot of… events. The world slowly creeps back to life every spring (at least here in the northeast, where the demi-perma winter seems to make the whole world slow to a stop from December to March), and suddenly your social calendar starts to revive, too. Instead of just going to work and the occassional spin or yoga class, you start getting invited to weddings; more brunches; hell, maybe an extra outdoor yoga class because health and sunshine, right? It all feels exciting, and at first you take it all in stride — but suddenly, you get invited to one more thing, and you realize you realllllly haven’t slept eight hours or been home for more than 30-minutes in, like, three days, and you inevitably hit a wall.
If you want to enjoy your summer (and all the fun stuff that comes with it!) but don’t want to burn yourself out, try these tips for cultivating balance as the summer heats up (from a girl who’s burnt herself out and had to re-adjust a time or two before) —
Tips to stay on top of your event calendar this summer
Y’all, you have to keep a calendar. I know, I know — it seems like something your grandmother would’ve done way back when, but you’d be amazed at how many things can slip your mind when you’re thrown headlong into a busy week, month, or (in this case) entire season. I recommend going digital (I cross-reference my Outlook calendar from work with my personal calendar on Google) and saving some trees, but however you need to keep track of dates and events — do it. Don’t rely on your mind alone (or an iPhone reminder that pings, maybe, five minutes before you need to be at an event a 30-minute Uber ride away) and make sure you write stuff down.
Writing things out in a calendar view can also help you gauge exactly how busy you are — it may feel alright to take on an event on a Tuesday when you “don’t have any plans,” until you remember Tuesday was literally the only day in the week you have to yourself (and your laundry pile is glaring at you from the corner of your bedroom — IYKYK).
Boundary setting tips when you do need a break
Sometimes it’s okay to say to yourself “girl, sit down.” It’s also okay to say “no,” and in fact “no” is (debatably) a complete sentence. :-)
If you’re at capacity, you have to slow down. It’s like that quote therapists like to use, “If you don’t give your body a break, it will take one on its own, and it probably won’t be at a convenient time.” So, assert yourself. Say “no,” and don’t mind if folks get pissed off when you do. That sounds a lot like a them problem, bestie!
Overall, summer should be a time to revel in the abundant sunshine, make memories with the people we love, and most importantly enjoy ourselves. Don’t sweat the small stuff, and remember that you can only take on so much. Choose wisely.
Xoxo,
MM.