Holding onto the Joys of Summer

Sun, fun, and long sunny days are coming to an end...The kids are back in school and summer plans and vacations are distant memories. We all know that Labor Day marks the start of fall and summer officially being over. Time to get serious about our goals and desires...only 4 months left until 2020! But, I believe we can hold on to the feeling of summer and the relaxation and joy we felt during these short few months and bring it with us as we close out the year. Or at least this is one of my goals for this year...try, try again...

I look forward to summer every year, it’s a time of excitement, possibilities, and adventure. Summer is a time for gathering more frequently with friends and family and spending more time outdoors. Toes in the sand and laying out in the tall overgrown grass. Summer is a time when regular schedules seem to put aside for fun and spontaneity.

Now that's joy!

I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that some Americans do not take a vacation at all, but it might not be for the reasons you are assuming. You might think it’s because of the lack of income or time, however, we learned differently. 

Did you know,“54 percent of Americans left unused vacation time on the table in 2016, while 43 percent of employees said their reason for opting out of vacation was the “the mountain of work” they’d have upon their return” (Paige Smith,Huffpost)?  The problem isn’t taking a vacation, or slowing down if we set ourselves up with tools to succeed, these breaks can become a time to reduce stress and recharge for the work ahead.

It’s easy for our minds to race to the tasks of the year ahead and want to jump in head-first. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves… I encourage everyone to give themselves a grace period. Set aside two weeks, maybe even a month, as a time for you to settle back into your schedule and set structure for yourselves and your family if relevant. We must be aware that we set the stage for our family and how they seak to live-out their lives.

Transitions are never easy, for anyone, whether it be for your children or you. However, its how we handle the transitions and the structures we put in place and try to handle them with grace and ease. Whether you have children or not, if we are honest with ourselves we all feel the anxiety to return to far busier schedules and lack of white space on our calendars.