How do you deal with having a summer slump? I was thinking to myself the other day about things I stopped doing that I normally do. I realized I had given up on blogging, writing my book, and doing things I truly enjoy. What has stopped me from being motivated from focusing on things that I normally focus on? After a lot of thinking, I realized the only different in my life at this time is it is summer.
Many people do suffer from Seasonal Affective disorder, I do not, but I do believe that some suffer from the doldrums of different seasons, and can often get lost in the thoughts and hoopla of it all and have difficulties on focusing on what is important to them.
Have you ever wondered if your therapist experiences emotions the same way you do? I am here to tell you a little secret, we do. We are all human. We experience ups and downs like everyone else, we just often have more tools to work with, and hopefully we have dealt with our own baggage so that we can help you learn how to move forward and deal with your issues.
So what do you do and how do you deal with it? What can you do for yourself? Good question!!!!!! I thought about this long and hard and there is one thing I know, there is no right or wrong answer, we can only do what we know feels good and is good for us.
What I can do is make some suggestions on how to make your summer frown turn upside down, and focus on what’s important to you. Here are some ideas that might help:
1. Make a to do list of things you actually plan to complete and do- This is quite important because many of us make to do lists that are impossible; and yet we never complete the tasks. Make the list of actual goals obtainable. Yes it sounds like a treatment plan, but this is a treatment plan of things you want to complete that make you feel good, and that’s important, so think of this as a treatment plan for your happiness and getting stuff done at the same time!
2. Remember to take time for yourself each day- People say take time to smell the roses, but how many of us actually do? I know I don’t. We live a fast paced life, and with that life, we forget to enjoy the small moments that will pass us by too soon. If you take even 15 minutes to yourself to just relax, read, walk, do some deep breathing, take a long shower, or bath, something just for you, you will feel more refreshed and less angry, frustrated and less pulled in 500 directions. Remember in life we wear many hats, and sometimes we forget the most important that we wear is our own!
3. Enjoy the weather when you can- Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying to sit in 105 degree weather is my idea of excitement, I am from Florida, and I know the pain of hot weather, but I do know that the weather can be tumultuous during the year, you should learn to appreciate what you have when it’s there. So if it’s a nice day, enjoy it! If it’s too hot, try to find a happy medium, such as a nice day at a pool, or maybe a BBQ outside, and a movie inside with the Air Conditioning nice and cool for your enjoyment. You have to enjoy it while you can. I know many of my friends, family and some of my clients all talk about how hard the winter was the past few years, and this is why I say enjoy each day of weather for what it is, and if it’s a nice day, enjoy it for what it is.
4. Talk to someone who understands you- Am I saying you need to see a therapist? NO. I am saying the smartest thing is to talk to someone who can understand you and be there for you without judgment, and can give ideas, as well as suggest alternatives to some of your thoughts. Many times in our lives people we are involved with are not healthy, or are too busy with their own stuff to help us in the ways we need, so seeing a therapist is an option, it does not mean it is something to be embarrassed about, it means you are HUMAN, and you are saying I need to do this for myself. This could be part of #2, aka “the me time” you need no matter what!
5. Save up and plan a trip or something you want to do in the future- Now is the time to take 5 to 10 dollars per week, and instead of going out and getting lunch or pizza out, save it towards something you want to do in the future, or start a fund for next summer, or future vacation. I personally plan out a vacation by putting away “lunch money I don’t use” into an envelope. I plan for my trip and then I go somewhere amazing. My last amazing vacation was Honolulu, Hawaii, and I loved all 10 days there, and I am planning out my next big trip now, I don’t have a destination but I do have the funds started already for it. Again it’s all about being prepared and saving for this situation, but you can’t even start if you don’t put forth the effort!!!
I know that some of these things seem simple, yet how many of us forget to do these simple things daily? I know I do, and I am not going to deny I just recently got out of my own summer slump. We are all able to do this for ourselves, but it’s all about remembering the simple things in life to get to our destination. I always say KISS, Keep it simple silly!!!