Are you feeling it? That pull into the next season… fall is right around the corner and back to school promotions are popping up on television and Walmart can’t wait to roll out the school supply aisle… everywhere you look it seems that summer is coming to a close before it even felt like it started!
We’re in the thick of summer here in Missouri and as we turn the corner into August I wanted to take a moment to be mindful of the season and intentional with what’s left of it. I thought it would be fun to share a list of 10 things we can do to slow down summer. Time will pass all the same but being mindful with how we pass the time can make all the difference in how we feel about the season.
From moments we choose to soak up and moments of time we choose to clear from our calendars altogether, you are in control of your summer-time. Here’s 10 ways to slow it down.
Watch The Video: 10 Ways To Slow Down Summer
1. Get Intentional!
I find it important to set an intention for the season. Don’t you despise getting to the end of a season and feeling like it drug you through the mud and you had no say in what you did and where you spent your time. I think this happens easily when we get into the habit of going through the motions of our days, our weeks, and event our months with no clear intentions set.
ACTION: So I hate to any to-do’s to your plate this summer but this one is important! Set aside a few minutes and set your intention for summer. Maybe it’s a general feeling you want this summer or more of a bucket list. When you think about your intention it should feel good, you shouldn’t feel like you just added more to your agenda but rather now you have a clear path to YOUR perfect summer! Getting intentional is like giving yourself a road map to follow so you don’t spend your summer lost and spinning your wheels!
2. Welcome the quiet.
Now as a mom of three little ones… I of course ALWAYS welcome the quiet! Haha! BUT this is actually easier said than done in the busy world that we live in! All too often we find ourselves filling moments with audio books. podcasts and music in the background while we’re working or driving. But when was the last time you took some quiet time away with your own thoughts?
ACTION: Going back to tip #1, it’s so important to set an intention around some quiet time to process the day, be mindful and creative, say a prayer or simply stop to breathe more deeply.
3. Leave margin for boredom!
I don’t know about you but I’m often moving from one task to the next whether at work or at home to be at my highest productivity and “get it all done.” There’s just one major problem with this mode of operation… time passes you by in the blink of an eye and you’re often left feeling like there’s never enough time or enough energy for the endless amount of tasks on your list.
ACTION: Prioritize what HAS to be done and let go of the rest. If you want to slow down summer, you must accept that some things will have to take a backseat for the season. Leave open dates on the calendar! Sometimes the greatest plans are not plans at all! Allow yourself and your family to get bored! Boredom will spark creativity and most likely some spontaneous memories around summertime!
4. Unplug!
We all knew this one would be on the list! But yet again, are we really unplugging? I recently heard a suggestion to unplug one hour a day, one day a week and one week per year. What wonderful advice!
ACTION: Start with one hour per day. I like to charge my phone in the back bedroom of our house while I work in the kitchen or go for walk. I’m not tempted or distracted by my devices when they’re plugged in in another room. I also like to unplug completely on Sundays when possible! When will you be unplugging? The more you unplug, the more you can slow down summer!
5. Focus on the present!
Take a moment or two throughout your day to check your presence! Are you living in the moment? What do you see? smell? taste? feel? hear? – I like to use this meditation-type practice to fully be in the moment – especially when making memories with my kids this summer.
Five Senses Mediation Practice Example: It can be simple like looking closely at my daughter’s freckles while smelling the lemonade we’re stirring, tasting this sweet and sour refreshment, feeling her hand in mine on the wooden spoon and hearing utter chaos of wild children in the background. Ha! It’s not perfect but it’s special!
ACTION: Try this “five senses mediation” today! Being present and noticing the smallest of details is sure to slow down summer!
6. Make time for your hobbies and interests!
If not summer, then when?! I joke that my hobbies as a mother must be laundry, dishes and picking up random socks and nerf gun bullets (or legos)! But I do have to let those things go from time to time to fill my own cup with the creative things I enjoy (outside of scrubbing marker off the walls).
ACTION: What is it for you? Do you have a “hobby”? If you do, great, MAKE time for it! We can surely find 20-30 minutes a day this summer (maybe during your unplugged hour) to pursue this passions and be creative.
Don’t have a hobby? Spend some time trying some new projects! Allow yourself to get creative and try some new things!
7. Get your hands dirty!
I think it’s no secret that we all need to spend more of our time outdoors. It’s great for our mental health! We weren’t built to live inside 24/7!
ACTION: So this summer, get your hands dirty! Maybe plant a small pot of flowers on your front porch or an entire garden in the back yard, get your hands dirty… feel the earth… and NOTICE how it makes you feel!
8. Go for a walk!
On that nature note, let’s talk about going for a walk! Start a new habit of daily walking – even if it’s only 15 minutes! Go by yourself for some quiet time or invite the whole family to venture on a hike together!
Our family loves a good sunset walk before bedtime in the summer! The air is a bit cooler, the sunsets are gorgeous and that small habit will fill my cup with so much gratitude for the day!
ACTION: When and where will you be walking today? Watch nature at work around you and find three things to be grateful for today while you walk.
9. Playtime!
This one can be hard. We’re so busy and consumed by our never-ending lists that we neglect our inner child. I find myself fending off my kids as they ask over and over to play. BUT what I’ve found is that when I let go and play… actually play… I feel so much better! I feel lighter and happier!
ACTION: Run through the sprinkler with the kids! Catch the fireflies! Let your inner child shine this summer! It will not only bring back memories of your childhood but possibly slow down summer with new memories made with your children.
10. Say Goodbye To Automatic!
Instant gratification… gotta love it, right?! Well if you want to slow down summer… then instant gratification is not the way to go! You know the saying “good things take time” – where can you implement this into your summer?
Can you grow something like we talked about in tip #7? Can you start a bigger project like reorganizing your closet or storage room? Maybe work on preserving food from the garden? Find something to work on that will give your pride in your progress and not so much of the quick hit of satisfaction.
Welcome a slower way of living for summer. Take the long way home. Have patience waiting in line. Bake the bread instead of buying it this week. Read the book and sip the tea.
Appreciate the things that take a little bit longer.
ACTION: Where can you find pride in your progress and ditch the automatic? Where can you be more patient and appreciate the pace of living a slow down summer?
BONUS: Document Your Summer Memories!
We will do our best to slow down summer but time will pass nonetheless! I find it so helpful to keep a simple journal of memories on the regular so I can look back and appreciate all that happened in that season!
I would highly recommend an app I use called “Day One” – Its a journal on my phone and several times a week, sometimes daily, I’ll add a quick journal entry before bed. I often add a photo I snapped that day and talk a little about what we did or where we went… even the boring… because one day it will be fun to look back even on those boring days and reminisce about those good ole slow summers we had!
Definitely check out the Day One app (or something similar). I like a paper journals also but I find that using this app on my phone helps me to keep up the habit of actually recording our memories! What I love most about this app is you can choose to print your journal too! So at the end of each year I plan to print my journals for a keepsake!
ACTION: Find the best way to document your memories of this awesome slow summer!
Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope you enjoyed this list of ways to slow down summer! Now get out there and go for a quiet walk, unplugged and get intentional with the long summer days we have left!
Hope to see you back here again soon! I love to share all things country living and can’t wait to share more rustic recipes, farmhouse decor and country styling with you again soon!
Enjoy your summer!
Lauren