How to find joy this summer
I’m not sure we have ever anticipated a summer more. I remember back at the start of the year, when the weather was bleak and we were stuck in the third lockdown, it was dreaming about these long, warmer days that got me through, and I know I’m not the only one. So today, I wanted to share some way you can choose joy this summer and truly make the most of the season.
I wanted to share a few little thinking points and questions to ponder - to really help you try and make the most of this season and find joy this summer.
What do you need?
It’s been an unusual 18 months and we probably all need slightly different things right now. So try and tune into what it is that you are craving. What do you want this summer to be all about?
Are you craving adventure and spontaneity and travel and getting back out in the world? Or are you really craving nourishment and rest and some time to really process and recharge everything that we have been through?
Tune into what your body and your mind need right now. If this could be your ideal summer, what would you want? How do you want to feel by the time September rolls around?
Sometimes at this time of year, we can start getting FOMO, that fear of missing out. We can start filling our calendars and diaries with things because we think that we should be out and about, being busy. We don’t want to miss out on events and seeing friends and family and can forget to check in with what we need. So try to give yourself a little bit of time to tune in and think - what do you really need?
How can you create room for whatever you need right now?
If you need spontaneity, how can you keep your evenings and weekends free for those mini adventures? If you’re really craving a change of scenery right now, how can you plan for that and get some dates in the diary? If what you really need is rest and recuperation and time to yourself to process, how can you communicate that to the people in your life and ring fence that time for yourself?
So often we don’t make the most of the time during the seasons that we’re in because we aren't intentional. We think and we identify what we need but then we don’t create the space for it. We may identify that we want this to be a summer of adventure, but then we don’t actually follow through with the action that allows us to do that. So I want you to spend some time thinking about how you can create room for the things that you need.
For me, I know that I really do need some time to recuperate and to recharge. I’ve tried to keep August as free from commitments as I possibly can so I can create that time for myself to sleep in a little bit later, take myself off on some little solo day trips and read all of the books on my to-read pile which is always growing! I’ve thought intentionally about what I need, and then created the room and circumstances to allow that to happen. It sounds really simple but it’s something we don’t always do!
How can you make the most of this season?
What is available to you right now during this season, that won’t be available to you come autumn? I like this question because it really reminds us that time is passing and seasons are fleeting and that the things that are available to us right now might not be available to us in the coming months. I find that this really helps to ground me in the moment and helps me make the most of the season.
For me, what is available to me right now which won’t be, come the autumn is those longer nights. In the last few weeks, my husband and I have been trying to make the most of that by going for a big walk after dinner or walking to our local pub beer garden and sitting and having a drink together and really making the most of those light evenings. I know come September and October once the nights start drawing in, that is something that I will really miss.
But try to ask yourself what is available to you right now. How can you savour those things and make the most of it in the here and now so that when September and October come around, you won’t be filled with regret?
The importance of taking some time to rest and recharge this summer
I think summer is a really lovely time to give ourselves some time to rest. It’s a time when lots of people take holidays and things slow down a little bit and when perhaps those commitments aren’t as strong as they are in other periods of time.
I always find September to Christmas a really busy period. Use these coming months to rest and recuperate, ready for that busier period. That way, when that September energy hits, you’re ready to grab onto it with both hands!
What that rest looks like will be different to all of us. It might mean slowing down a little bit or getting outside a little bit more or sleeping a bit more or taking a holiday. It will be different for all of us but if you can, try to lean into the natural slowing of things that tends to happen during mid-July & August.
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So those are my top tips for finding more joy this summer. I hope it's given you a bit of a permission slip to think about what you really need and how you can intentionally cultivate those things this summer.
I’m a big believer that that is the starting point for joy, it’s actually just identifying what will help us invite that joy in and then doing those things. It sounds super simple but it’s something so many of us don’t get around to doing in our day to day lives so I hope this has been your reminder for you to do that.
