I don’t know about you, but I crave the summer months more than ever before. I love having my kids home, taking family vacations, heading to the neighbors for a barbeque, staying up late to enjoy a glass of wine by the fire, hopping in the hot tub when the sun goes down, and just doing all the things that the sweetness of summer brings. But with the summer season comes a busyness that can oftentimes feel overwhelming so I created 5 healthy routines for summer to keep spirits high! 

I love being an entrepreneur. I love the freedom it gives me to do life on my own terms, but being your own boss always requires a lot of time, dedication, and discipline and the summer season has always felt like the perfect time for me to loosen the reigns on my business to enjoy more time with my family and friends. 

So how am I making the most of my summer and keeping my business going? I’m so glad you asked! 

 

5 HEALTHY ROUTINES FOR SUMMER

 

1. Diffuse essential oils. 

 

Diffusing helps to release cleansing molecules into the air that work to clean and purify it as well as offer a positive response in your body. I love having a diffuser in my home, car, and office because they are the best, easiest way to ensure everyone in that common space can benefit. And when our kids are home all summer long, we could all use a little extra support to keep them calm. 

 

It really is no secret that our sense of smell is one of our most powerful senses so it just makes good sense to offer our bodies smells that boost our moods, lift our spirits, and support our bodies. Our bodies can detect over 1,000 different smell receptors and our brains are so smart that those scents can connect themselves to emotions from our past and present experiences. 

 

We use our diffusers to promote healthy sleep, support immunity and respiratory health, awaken and energize our minds, calm our spirits, and so much more. All from the sense of smell and its connection to our brains. How cool is that?

 

My favorite summertime blend: 

 

6 drops Valor

4 drops Peace and Calming

3 drops Vanilla

 

If you are looking to promote healthy feelings of peace and calm throughout your home this summer, this is the ticket! Diffuse this blend non-stop for all the chill vibes. You can’t achieve all 5 healthy routines for summer without this step. I promise. 

 

Grab the oils in the blend here: link to MK YL

 

2. Unplug.

 

I know it feels so tempting to give your kids a free pass to spend Summer Break on their electronic devices. You have work piling up and you just need them to be entertained and distracted. But, believe it or not, the more screen time we give our children, the worse their behavior becomes. And we want to stress less this summer, am I right? 

So what can you offer them instead?

Plan ahead and schedule a summer full of fun for your kids. Make time to head to the park. Invite friends over to play. Grab a few new toys or craft supplies. Make special breakfasts or have a picnic lunch. It doesn’t have to be grand or cause extra work on your part, but be sure to set up a few special events or activities throughout the summer months. This will help cut boredom and limit unnecessary screen time.

Use this time away from screens to slow down and enjoy this time with your children. They are only little once. And while the thought of trying to keep up with life and business without the few hours they’re typically in school can feel a little stressful, just know you can handle it all! Use this time to take a break, enjoy your children, and show them how you can be successful at raising children and running businesses all at the same time!

3. Prioritize rest.

 

What if I told you it was possible to run a profitable business, care for your family, and still have time left over for yourself this summer? Time to read a book or travel. Time to spend in nature or curled up with your favorite television series. Time to rest. 

 

It’s totally true. 

 

My secret: Time Blocking. 

 

Break your day up into 20-minute chunks. When you first wake up, what will your first 20 minutes look like? Will you exercise? Take a shower? Eat breakfast? Answer emails? Whatever it is, schedule those 20 minutes and then move on to the next twenty until you’ve filled your entire day. And while 20 minutes at a time may feel like too small of an amount of time, you’ll be so surprised how much you can accomplish in those twenty minutes if you schedule the task and stick to it. You may find that at the end of the day you only gave your business 3 twenty minute times slots out of the nearly 50 twenty-minute chunks in a day, but that’s okay! That’s more than enough time to be useful and productive. Trust me. 

 

4. Get outside. 

 

I don’t know about you, but after the winter we have had, I am ready to get outside! Good riddance to the wind and snow and hello sweet sunshine! If you are trying to slow down this summer, you have to make it a priority to get outside and enjoy all the benefits nature has to offer! 

 

Go for hikes, picnic at the park, take a bike ride, or just simply sit and enjoy some vitamin D. Just taking time to sit outside has been shown to reduce blood pressure, decrease cortisol, and lower heart rate. Simply being outside automatically helps our bodies to slow down, giving us a sense of peace and calm that I know every mom and business owner needs. 

 

Being outside also helps to slow our minds. Which in turn helps to decrease anxiety, depression, and even anger. So if you’re feeling the weight of anxiety after a long winter spent indoors, make it a priority to enjoy your family in the sweet outdoors this summer! 

 

5. Create a schedule that works for you.

 

Scheduling also goes hand in hand with time blocking. If you don’t know what you need to be working on, spending 20 minutes on “something” is actually not productive. Don’t fall into that trap of thinking that if you’re doing something you are being productive. If you aren’t doing things that make a difference in the outcome of your day you are wasting time.

So how do you build a schedule that fits into your busy day when you’re being pulled in 5 million directions and you constantly fight the battle of knowing what should get your attention? 

Simply start each day by writing out a list of things you need to accomplish and schedule them into your day. Get your kids involved. Give them a few of the tasks or ask them to help you complete them. Summertime does not need to be 24/7 fun and entertainment for our children. Give them a routine of helping with everyday tasks and watch how they actually begin to enjoy the responsibility! 

Regardless of how you spend your summer, I hope you are able to take time to rest and recharge. You do not need to work yourself to the bone this summer in order to call yourself successful. Healthy routines don’t work if we aren’t making sure we’re healthy first. 

Clarify what is most valuable to YOU and your time. Don’t allow yourself to feel guilty when you make time for yourself this summer. Schedule out your days in manageable chunks and enjoy your kids while they’re still home. At the end of the day, life is too short to not do what makes your heart happy. Adopt these 5 healthy routines for summer and enjoy this sweet season of sunshine!