I’ve got mixed emotions about hanging up my flip-flops for the year. The parts of summer that I love – camping, barbecues, fun on the river – all come with a side of mosquito bites, inadvertent tan lines, and maybe a pound or two that I’d like to shake. But once again, it’s been a pretty great one on the balance. Now, the challenge is how to ditch my straw hat for my thinking cap. I thought I would share a few tips that I find personally helpful for those who may be finding work to be a little tougher than usual at this time of year.
- Attitude is everything. I’m a firm believer in one of the precepts of Bob Kelleher’s work: that you may not be able to control your circumstances, but you can control your response to them. The “back to school” phase of the year can be stressful even if you don’t have kids you’ve got to help get organized – traffic is worse, shopping is crowded, and there’s not that next sunny four-day weekend to look forward to. Music is my personal traffic balm. (For some of my friends, it’s podcasts and audiobooks.) I hate, hate, hate to be late, too – so in these months with more cars and buses on the road, I make sure to leave a little early. I try to choose off hours for errands. And I’m extra conscious of getting a little exercise into my day – preferably first thing. I find it sets me up mentally and makes all the little daily irritations easier to brush off.
- Go out with a bang. I like to save some vacation time for the tail end of summer. Of course, in order to do that effectively, I need to be conscientious about getting everything ready for school a bit on the early side. I may miss the sales, but I sure don’t miss the crowds – and honestly, Amazon makes everything both cheap and convenient. I leave time to unpack, clean up, and re-acclimate to regular routines, and keep an eye on the weather – but there’s nothing like one last beach or camping trip, or game night with family and friends to make me feel like summer has been well rounded out.
- Indulge an interest or a hobby. Spending more time indoors as the weather cools off and the rain (or snow) start creeping back can get a little cabin-feverish. It’s tempting to just dive directly back into work, and I do find myself working later nights just for the satisfaction of crossing tasks off my list or moving that big project along. But I think it’s important to “feed my head” as well. Like many people, I often don’t notice burnout approaching until I’m in the thick of it, and I don’t always have the time to treat myself to some self-care. However, I love to cook and I love to read. Cooking is an easy thing to fit into the day – after all, we’ve gotta eat! And preloading my e-reader with a good variety of books ensures that I can find something to suit my tastes for bedtime.
Lastly, I don’t beat myself up if I’m feeling a little less energetic or enthused during this time of year. What’s important is being alert to those sorts of feelings and seeking out the experiences that get me back on track. That could be collaborating with a coworker, learning a new skill, or making solid headway on a large or complex project.
And if that fails… well, ice cream’s not just for summer.
