It is summer! And after this long, long winter, I want to take advantage of every moment of it! But like our homes, it is easy for our days to get cluttered. This happens to me when I get distracted – usually by social media or something on my phone. There is definite value in taking time to shut our brains down – but when I let myself just fall into a distraction for more than 5 minutes, it eats into the quality of my life! It happens to me with household tasks too. Today I was sweeping the patio and noticed that the grill needed to be wiped down, and the chairs could use some cleaning, and maybe I should re-arrange the flower pots… None of these things are bad, but at the end of the day I look back and wonder why I never got to doing the things I love.
To avoid this, I try to be very intentional about my relaxation. There are many things I love to do, and I want to spend my free time doing those things, not going down rabbit holes on Facebook. I love to garden, visit the dog park, scrapbook, and do almost anything creative! These activities make me feel good. Thus, I try to organize my time so I can relax in meaningful ways.
Here are a few things I do to help me organize my time so those high-priority relaxation activities don’t get missed:
- Keep a post-it on my desk reminding me not to get sidetracked by social media.
- Set aside times of the week that are specifically for family activities.
- Keep a list out of things I want to do and places I want to visit summer.
- Integrate relaxation time into the day – not just after everything else is done.
Summers are fleeting and when fall comes we want to look back on the great memories we made. Furthermore, we don’t know what the future holds, so it never hurts to live in the present – go visit that friend that you keep meaning to see; take your kids on that hike; plant flowers that make you happy; take the canoe out! Or rent one! No one sits on their deathbed remembering that their yard or house was perfect, but they do remember spending time doing the things they loved with the people they loved. Make doing the things you love a priority.
And when you are tired – rest with intent. Nap in the hammock. Read a book. Sleep. Cuddle with your dog, cat or a loved one. Watch Netflix. But do it with intent – so even those lazy days leave happy memories.
Spend time with those you love.
Make memories.
Play outside.
Take your dog apple picking.
Go fishing.
Have a family movie night.
Go ziplining.
Set up the volleyball net.
