No this is not a list of vacation spots. Well, maybe it is, but not in the traditional sense. This list is five things to do to take a mental "vacation" so that come fall you are recharged and ready to set off at a frenetic pace again.
Summer is a time to do things a little differently. Do you remember as a child when school break came, your entire routine changed? Summer seemed so long back then.
Now, we never seem to take more than a one week break if that. Our schedule remains the same except maybe the scenery.
So here is a list of five things to do for July and August to give yourself a change in routine. Your life can have a different rhythm and feel refreshed by making minor changes.
1. Change your route to work. I have two ways to get to the office that are almost equal in drive time but I tend to stick to just one of them. It is a habit I don't have to think about - my car just goes that way. Going a different way makes you alert to new scenery and new traffic situations.
Maybe you don't have a great second route but try to find something to mix up your drive time. Remember it is only for two months that you will try an alternate path. There may be a way that you avoid so that you don't get stuck behind a school bus, now is a great time to use that route.
2. Next change your daily routine. Pay attention to your morning "get up and go" routine and see where you can change it for the summer. Maybe you can switch your coffee, take a shower in a different bathroom, let your hair airdry instead of styling it. Whatever - look for something that will make your morning "feel" different. When you go back to your old routine it will feel fresh. You need this break.
3. Take advantage of the extra day light. Get up a little early and go for a walk or take a walk in the evening when you would normally be settling everyone down for the night. This is not a long term commitment - getting up a little early won't be that painful. You will benefit from the fresh air and exercise.
You dont' have to do homework with the kids so dinner can be a little later if need be. Take this little bit of me time!
4. Let it go - let housework lapse for the summer. You don't need a pristine house for two months. Chances are you are spending more time outside anyway and a little mess never hurt anyone. Relax and enjoy being sloppy for a little while.
If you are like me, it will drive you crazy by the end of the summer but for the short run it feels a little rebellious. I know, I'm really living on the edge here! HA HA.
5. Learn a new trick. Find something new to learn over the summer - speed reading, a new language, perhaps a new sport. I refuse to be an old dog! Learning keeps me young. If you remember that you don't know it all then there is still a world of wonder waiting for you.
Watch how a child finds wonder is the simplest things. Find that again for yourself and explore something new that never occurred to you before or something that you never took the time to learn in the past.
I hope you have fun and mix it up for yourself this summer. Come September 1, you can go back to your old routines, they will still be waiting for you but now they will feel new. Perhaps you've made some changes that will stay with you.
Look at it as a two month vacation for your mind and the best part is, you don't have to deplete your vacation day bank to do it.
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