Summer is often a wonderful time. The days are longer, brighter and more inviting (dependent upon your hot flushes being under control), people seem happier and your garden grows. Maybe it’s the holidays, maybe it’s the sunshine, but summer tends to be quite a lovely, but busy time of the year.
Don’t get lost in the rush-rush, go-go mentality. Stop and smell the roses.
Check out my top 6 ways to relax, recharge and reboot this summer.
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Unplug from technology
Technology is a double-edged sword; it’s fantastic on many, many levels, however it can be such a time waster and mood changer (especially the social medias). Give yourself some time off. Choose a time frame (a day, a week, a month), choose your parameters (social media, internet, television, gaming consoles), choose your start date (today!), then go and enjoy your time doing something else. Enjoy a new book, go for a bush walk or a walk by the beach, go catch up with a friend or sit outside and listen to or learn to play a musical instrument. Or go take a nap. Up to you. This time away from technology can leave you re-energised, happier, and with a new mojo and enthusiasm for something new.
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Take some time to spend outdoors, even dine outdoors!
The days are longer, the weather more inviting (most of the time), the animals are awake and chatting and more often than not, the sun is shining. Time outdoors in fresh air and sunshine can re-establish or emphasise your sleep/wake cycle (supporting melatonin production), energise you, and leave you relaxed. If you don’t have the time to slot in an outdoor adventure, or if you want to incorporate more and more outdoor time, consider eating your meals outside. The fresh air and the serenity are such instant game-changers.
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Meal prep
Take the stress out of cooking by figuring out what the plan is before the hunger kicks in. Meal prepping can be as large or small as you would like. Some people spend a day cooking for the week, freezing meals, portioning meals and organising snacks. Others spend 10 minutes perusing a recipe book, choosing what the meals for the week are, and make a loose shopping list. Others are tech savvy – they spend 15 minutes or so looking through recipes at taste.com.au, find the recipes they want, then use the ‘shop ingredients now at Coles’ button to either have the ingredients delivered to their home, or ready for them to click and collect – then all you have to do is cook!
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Make social plans – and stick to them
Summer is the time that most people get social. Holidays, long nights, sunshine, call it what you want, but summer is a time for socialising, and I encourage it! Some people thrive on socialising and some find it great but draining. Whichever is your response, make sure you are scheduling or allowing time for socialising! It is soul soothing, healthy and brain sparking. How much or how little, how long or short, and even when and where is completely up to you!
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Take some time for yourself
On the other hand, don’t forget to make some time for yourself, to do exactly what you want to do (or not do). Read a book, take a nap, mow the lawn, enjoy your coffee, play the recorder, go to the beach, whatever floats your boat, make time for it. And do it. As regularly as possible.
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Stargaze
If you ever need a reminder about how small your problems and your stressors are, look up at night-time. Look up and consider how big the universe is, what else is out there, what life is like in another galaxy, if another life-form exists, do they know about us, how do they live, how they converse or socialise? Think so much, that for that period of time you have forgotten about your worries and you have allowed your body to relax. Ready for a rejuvenating night’s sleep.
You only live once, you only have one body, you only get this moment once.
Live it, love it, enjoy it.
About The Author - Samantha Mainland
Samantha is a highly educated Naturopath having graduated from both Southern Cross University with a Bachelor of Naturopathy, and University of Tasmania with a Bachelor of Medicine Management with Professional Honours in Complementary Medicine.