Top 10 summer selfcare mistakes and the easy solutions!

Summer is my absolute favorite favorite season, it just seems to go by way too fast!💨 Every season has its self care challenges. 🥲When it comes to summer, Many of us, myself included, pack our summer schedules so tight there is no breathing room! 

We can end up taking care of everyone and everything, and not making time for our own Selfcare. 🧘🏿‍♀️We plan day trips and vacations, because the kids are finally out of school. Then there are all the barbecues and family visits that pop up here and there; and of course there are all the outdoor activities and  opportunities that we just have to participate in, because folks… 🥶WINTER IS COMING 🤣🤣🤣

So what do we do? How do we take advantage of all the amazingness that is summer without loosing track of our Selfcare? How do we have the most BEAUTIFUL summer while staying in BALANCE? 

Here are my top 10 tips for an amazing Selfcare focused summer!

1. Schedule your summer morning mindfulness routine🧘🏿‍♀️

My summer schedule is different from the rest of the year. The kids are not in school, their camp schedules are different and we are on summer hours the office. This means my morning routine, which during the rest of the year would include some mindfulness activities, might get thrown off. The sooner I get into my new schedule and build in my mindfulness time in the morning, the better my summer is. It’s easy to let my morning routine fall by the wayside, but mindfulness makes every day better and makes for a super summer.

2. On vacation 🏖️ make time for Selfcare

Vacations are also a time when my Selfcare routine can get left behind. Being in a different space, in different environments, and having to wrangle everyone else and different schedules, may cause my Selfcare routine to be upended! My solution is to plan ahead AND to be flexible. My Selfcare routine on vacation may look different from at home and the time of day may differ. I may opt for a walking meditation on the beach in the afternoon instead of my usual morning yoga. Just making sure to build in moments for me each day, even when on vacation makes all the difference.

3. Food🥗

Most of us love the tastes and smells of summer! I invite us all to enjoy those summer fruits and veggies! In-season produce is so much more flavorful! Choose delicious healthy options instead of calorie dense ones. opt for enjoying every bite and savoring the beauty of healthy eating. Eat outside, combining the enjoyment of amazing food with beautiful nature! Eat with friends! Did you know that your body floods with the feel good hormone OXYTOCIN when you combine fine food with fine friends? This summer take advantage of that boost! 

4. Exercise🏋🏾‍♀️

Summer is great because the options for moving my body are so much more. Swimming in the pool outside, walking outside, running outside, biking outside, hiking outside, yoga outside… did I mention outside? It feels like all the things I like to do are now multiplied by 2! So do what you like, and while you are at it enjoy the great outdoors!

5. Supplements💊

Sooo… sometimes when I get out of my routine, which tends to be what my loosey goosey summer schedule is, I may not remember to take my supplements! 🤷🏾‍♀️ It happens. The truth is we don’t get all the nutrients we need from our food, so if we can’t make it we have to take it! So what I do is: I set a timer on my phone to remind me to take my supplements. Different ones that need to be taken at different times have different timers. And when on vacation I bring along a little pill box divider with all my supplements divided by day, so it becomes easy to pack and also a no brainer!

6. Hydrate 💧

It may seem obvious but the amount of water that sustains you during the cooler months is just no match for a hot summer. The rule of thumb that I like to follow is: your body weight in pounds divided by two is the minimum number of ounces of water you need to take in per day. Add in 2 full 8 ounces, for each caffeinated or alcoholic beverage that you take in! It might seem like a lot of water but remember our brains, hearts, lungs and kidneys are about 70-ish percent water 💧 so stay hydrated!

7. Sunscreen☀️

Taking care of your skin, the biggest organ of your body, is super important in the summer. Reef safe sunscreen, rash guards, hats, glasses, whatever protection you need, please don’t overlook. Even if you are melanated, even if it’s overcast, the beautiful sun can cause skin damage - from simple to the extreme.

8. Nature 🌻

Get outside, enjoy nature, kick the shoes off, get grounded, enjoy the sun, get your fill of vitamin D, put your toes in the ocean, hike a trail, watch the sea life, watch the land based wildlife (safely of course!) Go camping, glamping, or just stay outside late to look at the stars! Close your eyes and feel the energy of the earth. Be still and know!

9. Community 🤗 

During the winter, with kids activities and basically it just being cold, sometimes I don’t get to spend as much time as I might want to with my besties! But summer is a perfect opportunity for us all to reconnect. Those positive connections truly enhance the beauty of life. So go ahead! Be the instigator and inviter! Get that annoying text chain going 🤣 Get the folks together and enjoy each other’s company. Laugh, get caught up, support each other, bond. In doing this we renew and refresh!

10. Special activities, Fun and Joy🥳

There are some things that only happen in the summer here in our area: Summer outdoor concerts and festivals, concerts on the green, beach/lake parties, bonfires, outdoor dining at our favorite restaurants, dairy farm visits... the list goes on and on. What is it that is special in your area? What summer things can you sign up for, get tickets to, or just show up for?  What is fun for you? Is it reading a book by the pool, or going for a hike with your kids? What brings you JOY? 🤩 Spend some time to focus in on what your favorite things are… then in a safe way do them as much as possible!!! 

Bonus

Take time to unplug🔌

We are all so connected. On all the platforms and in all the ways. During this summer for your mental health and self care, be sure to take some time to wind down relax and unplug. Enjoy just being with yourself and clearing your energy.

What do you think? Is there anything missed? What are your suggestions? Be sure to share in the comments and don't forget to like and subscribe like and subscribe and go ahead and join our free community of women supporting women at growsmarternothharder.com/facebook.