Summer wellness: How to thrive, not just survive

By Debbie Green | Advertorial promotion

Somehow, summer is here! I’m not quite sure how that happened, but here we are. And while we all know in theory that we need to prioritise our self-care, in practice, it’s all too easy to let it slip to the bottom of the list.

How can we make sure we’re looking after ourselves while navigating issues like remote working, worries about the cost of living, kids off school for the summer, and maintaining that elusive life/work balance (not work/life as it’s often called!)?

Here’s a secret. The best time to make a change is during change. So this summer, let’s shift the narrative from merely surviving – to thriving during these bright and (hopefully!) sunny warm months.

Summer means different things to different people. For some, an opportunity to spend more time with their kids, enjoy a quieter time at work or get out and about more in the good weather. For others, it’s a challenging season of balancing childcare, stresses of work and everything else besides. The truth is that most of us experience both ends of this spectrum. That’s why I’m passionate about helping people develop an intentional summer wellness strategy.

Structured boundaries

We may well have set boundaries and upheld them really well at first, but often what happens is the minute something changes, we revert back to our old habits and those boundaries become more porous. This is why we need to take time to reset.

To reset your life/work balance try these tips:

• Re-establish your working hours and switch that computer off outside these hours.

• Minimise distractions – close social media tabs and turn off notifications. Put the washing-up and laundry somewhere not in your eyeline.

• Remember who’s in control here (clue, it’s you). You are able to control your life/work balance, by setting and holding firm boundaries. Remind yourself of that when you find yourself becoming overwhelmed.

• Ask for help – whether that’s from your partner or family at home or support from your boss or manager at work if you’re struggling.

• Work smarter, not harder. Create a structure, block out time for you, and make sure you stick to it.

• Use that time for you to do something that fills you up. Exercise, sit in the sunshine, go for a walk, or just have a family meal with no phones present.

Enjoying your summer

With your boundaries firmly in place, it’s important to make the most of your summertime. A few ways to ensure you keep your mindset on the brighter side include: 

• Have a plan – and a Plan B – and a Plan C, if necessary. As an example, if you’ve booked a beach break and it rains, what about taking the family to the cinema or indoor swimming pool instead?

• Or, grab an umbrella and go anyway! On my birthday last year, my family and I booked a trip to London Zoo. We woke up to torrential rain – but we went for it anyway and we had a great day, with no crowds.

• And if things really don’t go to plan, don’t beat yourself up. Be kind to yourself.

• Look for ways to create fun. If a whole day out feels daunting, how about planning a half day? What have you not done, and always wanted to try – how about one of those high ropes adventure courses, or hiring a kayak?

Looking ahead to autumn daze

Also take this time to think about how to maintain your summer schedule into the autumn and winter months. As the days draw shorter, how are you planning to take the summer warmth into the rest of the year? It’s time to start thinking about it and put some plans in place.

Be proactive and focus on something you want to do. Maybe it’s time to start something new? Perhaps trying out an art class in a pub, joining a running group or a dance troupe, honing your language skills or laughing at a comedy club? 

When, then

Often, the hardest thing to do is to just start. You know the thing you want or need to do, maybe it’s taking up running again to get your fitness back, or perhaps you want to apply for a new job, but the thought of it is just overwhelming – so you do nothing.

Confidence works on a cycle of doing – feeling more confident – wanting to do more. But how do you actually get going to begin with?

• Ask yourself, what’s in it for me? If you do this one thing to start, how will that feel? For example, if you go out for a short run, you’ll feel a bit better.

• Create a ‘when and then’ statement. ‘When I go out for a run, then I feel better.’

• Find the small quick wins that give you an easy ‘when and then’ and aim to do that one thing by the end of the day. It could just be that 10-minute walk. ‘When I’ve been for a walk, I’ll feel energised and more grounded.’

• It doesn’t matter when you do it, as long as you’ve done it by the end of the day, and then acknowledge yourself for that. How do you feel now you’ve done it?

These small steps help build confidence and retrain your brain to go back to the little things that matter. They remind you how much better you feel once you’ve done it – then why would you not do it again tomorrow? Acknowledgement of the little wins builds the confidence to do more.

The sense of wonder

Summer is the perfect season to really tap into that childlike sense of joy and wonder. It’s impossible not to be awed and amazed by the beauty of a summer day, bright blue skies, walks along the beach and feasting on ice cream.

Keeping that childlike spirit alive within us is so important. A child has no preconceptions, no fear, if you watch a child at play, you’ll see they’re completely immersed in what they’re doing. We as adults could all benefit from getting back to that completely immersed, childlike state every now and again.

Last week I went to the beach on a beautiful day, and I went paddling. I took a photo of my feet in the sea and sent it to my friend, and she said, there’s your child coming to play. She was so right! Small things matter. Plant a seed and watch it grow, lie down and look at the sky. I hope you can take some time to let your own child, the one within you, out to play this season.

The key is to be proactive rather than reactive. Don’t wait to implement these practices, otherwise summer will have been and gone! Start now, be consistent and watch how your summer experience transforms from one of mere survival to genuine thriving.

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