Simple Summer Self-Care Tips

We all love summer—the long days, socializing fun and endless adventures. However, around this time of summer, a lot of us start to crave fall and those cozy nights in. So, what’s going on there? As much as summer is fun, fierce and fast-paced, it can also be exhausting, and result in burn-out. 

The key to wellness and self-care is to keep up a routine no matter what time of year or day of the week. We don’t need to wait for fall to start taking care of ourselves. Small actions in the right direction can have a huge impact on your health and wellbeing, and as the amazing Simone Biles reminded us at the 2021 Olympics, we must always prioritize our health and wellbeing if we want to succeed at anything. 

The key is to keep things simple! When time is tight, self-care can be woven into your days in the following ways:

Breathe

We know it sounds intuitive, but we tend to breathe quickly and shallowly when we get stressed. So any chance you get, remind yourself to take a big breath in and long exhale out. Even if it’s just one breath—it’s a moment to reset and remind our brains that we are not in a fight or flight situation; we are just living life. And no, it’s not a coincidence that we named one of our summer patio collection candles after this #1 tip.

Rest

With the sun setting later and rising earlier, it’s natural that we tend to cut back on sleep during the summer months. The key is to get seven to eight hours of healthy sleep a night. Rest is essential for all functions in our body, and while it might be tempting to skip an hour here and there, it simply is not worth it. 

Hydrate 

Drink that water! Yes, patio cocktails are fun and a must in the summer, but remember that water you also ordered?—drink it. We all know that we need to drink lots of water in the summer months, but it can get tricky with busy schedules, so make it easy for yourself by committing to drinking 5-7 water bottles a day. Having a daily goal can make tracking your intake easier, and a water bottle is a great way to hydrate on the go. No more excuses; let’s just get it done. 

Plan

While sleep during the night is important, it’s also important to take time out of each day to rest. Rest can look different for everyone; for some, it might be a quick meditation, and for others, it could be listening to music. Plan ahead for ‘rest’ time, literally schedule it in your daily agenda and stick to the plan. Even just 15min of phone-free time alone can be a powerful self-care tool.

Nourish

Your body is working hard in the summer with busy schedules and warm temperatures, so it’s important to nourish it in the right way. Just because you're eating out more, doesn't mean that you have to throw the ‘good ol’ food guide out the window. Simple steps like aiming to have most of your plate fruit and vegetables or having protein at every meal can make a huge impact on your mood and energy levels. 

Summer is a great time of year to establish these simple self-care tips into your daily routine. If you weave them into your day, you will start seeing the positive impact immediately. In a society that rewards a busy schedule, we need to take an unwavering stand for our mental and physical wellbeing.