SUMMER TO THRIVE A guide to chilling out and enjoying summer. by Jess Connolly JESSCONNOLLY.COM @JESSACONNOLLY
IT JUST FEELS DIFFERENT For most of my adult life I HATED summer. I blamed it on a million different things the heat, body image issues, but I have finally realized that what I hated most deep down was a change of pace. I am a settler, a developer, a lover of rhythms. I like to use the same mug every morning and sit in the same spot on the couch. I don t like when life FEELS DIFFERENT. No matter what season of life you re in, summer just FEELS different. It s hotter. We celebrate a little more. The sun is out later and people are on vacation (even if we re not). The rhythms shift school is out, community activity slow down, businesses change hours. So I made this guide for reforming summer haters like myself who need a little structure and intentionality at the beginning of the free-for-all that is June through August. Or! It may be helpful for the structure-haters who know they need a little something to point them in a solid direction.
THERE S JUST ONE RULE YOU HAVE TO PROMISE TO CHILL OUT. I MEAN IT. You can t use this guide or these worksheets if you re going to stress over them or worry about doing it wrong or not give yourself grace. IT S JUST SUMMER. SO LET S CHILL OUT THRIVE. INTENTIONALLY.
HOW DO YOU WANT TO FEEL? My wise friend Rach Kincaid always says, Don t act based on how you feel act based on how you want to feel. So how do you want to feel at the end of summer? How do you want the people around you to feel at the end of this summer? My honest answer for example: I want my kids to feel slightly sad to go back to school. I want to feel like we were grateful for what we had together. I want to feel energized and ready to WORK in the fall.
JUST PICK THREE I find that a lot of goals can get overwhelming and we are trying to CHILL OUT, right? So if you could only pick three ways to work towards how you want to feel what would they be? My honest answer for example: If I want my kids to be sad to go back to school one goal is going to be that we have FUN. If I want to feel grateful for what we had, I m going to have to intentionally be positive and not complain. If I want to feel energized to work hard in the fall, I m going to have to work less.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO Girl I know you. I know in your heart what you re thinking. Nice idea, but I HAVE to work. Or I HAVE to take care of a dozen kids. Or I have to make money. I hear you. We ve got responsibilities. But a lot of what we carry isn t a HAVE TO, it s a SHOULD do. So first let s start with listing what we actually have to do. Write down the responsibilities that can t go away. A tip for you: Fight defeat here. If you feel discouraged about your list of responsibilities listen to that. Ask God how they might need to change. But honor what they are for this season and speak the truth to yourself that you are where you re at for a reason and God will give you His strength in the midst of your weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9
WHAT DON T YOU HAVE TO DO This is where it gets fun. DIG DEEP. Do you HAVE to wear makeup? Pick up the Legos 32 times a day? Use real plates? Spend as much time on facebook? Go to every party you re invited to? Dig deep into your life, determine if all the things bring life and give God glory and make a list right now of the things you don t have to do. A few of mine: I don t have to get out of workout clothes most weekdays. I m not going to paint my nails or buy flowers this summer because both take time and money I don t have to give. I don t have to blog twice a week. I don t have to answer every single text message. I don t have to always have my laundry done. I don t have to send my kids to camp if it doesn t work with our budget.
RYHTHMS: TAKE THE THINK OUT I think establishing rhythms are a GREAT way to chill out. The idea is that instead of intently planning every minute and day differently, you establish rhythms that work for you. Certain exercise on certain days, meeting with friends rhythmically, grocery shopping at the same time. Even whole day rhythms. Here are some rhythms I rely on: workouts. In the summer, I do the same workout each weekday and don t really switch it up. My days with my kids follow a similar rhythm: chill out early morning, activity mid morning, rest time early afternoon, run errands, clean, or community in the late afternoon. You can even look at rhythms from a bigger picture maybe in June we ll rest, in July we ll celebrate and travel, in August we ll regroup and prepare. The most important part: Make sure your rhythms serve YOU, not the other way around.
NOW, THE FUN STUFF If you re going to get detail oriented about anything this summer make it the fun stuff. Make it the life giving stuff. You can use some of the prompts below or make up your own. WHAT BOOKS DO YOU WANT TO READ? WHAT TRIPS DO YOU WANT TO TAKE? WHAT FUN FOODS DO YOU WANT TO MAKE? WHAT FRIENDS DO YOU WANT TO SPEND TIME WITH? HOW DO YOU PLAN TO REST? WHEN DO YOU WANT TO DO A LITTLE DREAMING? WHAT KIND OF DATES DO YOU WANT TO GO ON? HOW DO YOU WANT TO PLAY? WHERE DO YOU WANT TO SERVE? WHAT NEW HOBBIES DO YOU WANT TO TRY? WHAT FUN ADVENTURES MIGHT YOU HAVE? WHAT NEW EXERCISES WOULD BE FUN TO TRY? A few of my answers: beach fiction, Outer Banks, homemade popsicles, watching Frazier on Netflix, bike riding dates, making sandwiches for the homeless, Holy Yoga!
NOW SAY IT WITH ME I M READY TO CHILL OUT. I M READY TO THRIVE. I M READY FOR SUMMER. God, we ask that You would help us put our eyes on You and chill out. We ask that you d help us take a deep breath and enjoy this summer. We ask that you d enjoy our lives as much as we do, that You d help us give You glory and spread Your fame. We love you. JESSCONNOLLY.COM @JESSACONNOLLY