Phew, is it just me or do you feel that every weekend in the summer is packed full with events and obligations?
We just had the 4th of July where most of us had a long 4 day weekend. The weather was hot and sunny and there seems to be something going on every. single. day. It was an exhausting weekend!
I know firsthand how it can be hard to actually relax and slow down during the summertime, especially when you live in a place like Maine, that is freezing cold 9 months out of the year! We have such a short window of warm weather to cram everything in, that we feel obligated to say yes to everything and always be busy! There is this notion that summer is all about having fun and being outside and doing things but there is also this notion that summer is a time to relax – like grab a book and sit on a dock on a lake relax. It’s kind of contradictory to think of summertime as the time of year to kickback and relax when it is one of the most hectic times of year.
I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes I wish for rain so I have an excuse to run my errands or stay inside my house and relax! It can be so hard to stay in and do your laundry when someone asks you to go to the beach, but if it rains, you feel less guilty staying in and doing stuff for yourself.
But you know what? It's ok to slow down in the summer. It's ok to say no to things, and it's ok to sit inside on a beautiful, hot, summer day with your AC on and watch TV or read a book! You don't always need to be outside doing something just because it is the summer. It’s ok to say no to things and simply enjoy the day relaxing or just running errands; we all need time to recharge and take on the tasks of everyday life and shouldn’t let the sunny hot weather make us feel guilty about it!
So I encourage you to take some time for yourself this summer and not feel guilty about it! I plan on taking a day to relax and read my book and not worry about what I am missing out on. I hope you can do it too and see how great you feel afterwards!
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