Most of us find it rather difficult to maintain a normal level of productivity during the warmer summer months, regardless of our occupations or where we might live. Anyone affiliated with a school or university likely has an extended break, and those of us who are out of school still feel the drive to take some time off, or go on vacation. Thus, it’s easy to lose time sitting at work daydreaming about being outside, or reading travel blogs, rather than being productive.
Most everyone has experienced this particular brand of (understandable) laziness associated with warm summer days, so we’ve put together some suggestions on how to keep your morale up as we head into summer.
1. Get Your Friends & Coworkers On Board
Staying motivated can be particularly hard if you’re the only one who seems to want to do it. An easy way to avoid this scenario is to convince those around you to keep working hard over the summer by making fun plans together as incentives. For example, if things are moving unusually slowly around the office, plan an evening happy hour with coworkers some place where you can enjoy the weather together; if you find your family being sluggish at home, plan a pool day for a weekend to keep everyone on task during the week. Everything is easier with the support of friends or family, and getting through summer obligations is no exception!
2. Stick To Your Calendar
There’s usually a lot more going on during the summer – concerts, vacations, graduations, etc. – which means it’s crucial to keep a solid calendar. While it’s important to not be too rigid, we suggest you keep close track of what you have planned, rather than fully embracing summer spontaneity. Not only will this prevent you from forgetting anything important, but a calendar showing the number of days until a given fun summer event can help you stay positive and productive in the meantime. Plus, keeping a summer calendar is easier than it’s ever been. Numerous highly rated apps allow you to sync events from your computer to your phone, helping you stay organized on the go (rather than having to refer constantly to an actual, physical calendar). Then again, if you prefer a classic wall calendar, we’d suggest you at least get one with some pretty images of outdoor scenery. These can be motivators in and of themselves as you look forward to a summer vacation!
3. Take Your Workout Routine Outside
One of the best ways to enjoy summer without disrupting your normal schedule is to use the nice weather as an opportunity to exercise in the great outdoors. And since summer days have more hours of sunlight, you can surely find time to do so, even if it’s after work. This way, you can stick to your normal routine without feeling like you’re missing out on enjoying the nicer weather. You may also find that exercising outdoors feels far less mundane than it does at the gym, which could provide a much-needed morale boost if you feel that your usual practice is getting stale. If you really want to embrace nature, we’d recommend activities like hiking and swimming to mix up your cardio. If you enjoy calisthenics more than cardio, however, many exercises can be easily adapted to be done outside.
4. Plan a weekend getaway
If scrolling through social media and seeing pictures of friends’ summer adventures has you itching for a break, you may just deserve one! An easy way to recharge is to take a quick weekend trip somewhere within driving distance: a nearby lake, beach, mountain range, or even just a different city for a change of scenery. While on your weekend trip, allow yourself to indulge a bit. For example, go out for a nice dinner, and sit outside if you can! If you’re near water, enjoy drinks on the beach and watch the sunset. If you’re traveling to a new city, check out the nightlife: many vacation towns have fun bars, clubs, or even casinos that maybe you wouldn’t visit on a typical weekend. The latter activity can perhaps represent the greatest break from your everyday reality, and while most of us are used to seeing casino games exclusively via apps or free slot titles online from European providers, brick-and-mortar casinos still offer the full experience in many pockets of the U.S. This may all seem counterproductive, whether it’s drinks on the beach or a few hands at a blackjack table, but sometimes a lack of motivation during this summer just means you need a break. We promise you’ll feel refreshed and ready to be productive again after returning from a weekend getaway.
5. Keep Your Downtime Productive
It’s easy to want to work on your tan by sleeping for hours by the pool, or to avoid the summer heat altogether by binge-watching Netflix in your air-conditioned living room. It certainly doesn’t hurt to let yourself completely relax like this when you really need it, but sometimes it can also be hard to break these habits when it’s time to start getting work done again. This is why we recommend blending your relaxation with productivity in ways that aren’t related to your usual responsibilities. Some easy things you can do to keep your mind active in your free time are reading a good book or even just listening to informative podcasts. These may seem like small acts, but they’ll keep your brain working even during relaxation, and likely keep you from entering a dull summer slump!
