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This blog has not been approved by your local health department and is not intended to provide diagnosis, treatment, or medical advice. The content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. Please consult with a physician or other healthcare professional regarding any medical or health-related diagnosis or treatment options. Information on this blog should not be considered as a substitute for advice from a healthcare professional. The claims made about specific products throughout this blog are not approved to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.
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As the days of summer can quickly get filled with action-packed, sun-drenched adventure, self-care is more important than ever. But the truth is, self-care can quickly fall by the wayside during the summer months when social calendars fill up fast, and there’s more happening than in previous seasons.
Here’s the thing: by the time summertime rolls around, the weather is warmer, and the days are longer, giving you more opportunities to think about your self-care and what you really need in order to feel cared for. It’s an opportunity to tune into yourself and think about what you need to feel the most supported in your busy summer days.
Just as your self-care practice can change day-to-day to better support your needs, the season can affect how you care for yourself as well. So, if you’re ready to relieve some stress and soak in all that summertime has to offer when it comes to your self-care, keep reading. These tips will help you feel your best both inside and out.
No matter the time of year, self-care is an integral part of our daily lives. Self-care can help support our mental health, relieve stress, and empower us to feel more connected to ourselves. It’s not selfish to care for your needs—it’s essential. You can’t show up as the best version of yourself (for yourself and others) without taking care of your mind, body, and soul.
When practiced regularly, self-care allows us to slow down and tune into our needs, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The more that you prioritize and practice self-care, the greater the benefits you begin to experience. And what better time to start your self-care than when the sun is shining brightly?
Before heading into a new season, it’s essential to look around and see where you can strengthen your boundaries or set new ones in place. Boundaries are vital for maintaining your time and energy, and in the busy summer months, they’re more crucial than ever before.
If you find that you’ve over-committed to summertime plans or travel, take a moment to reprioritize what's most important to you. This type of emotional self-care will help you create more availability for what you actually want to spend time doing. Plus, healthy boundaries will help take some of the weight off of your shoulders and, hopefully, relieve some of your stress, too.
In the non-summer months, it can feel easy to fall into the same old daily routine (and the same goes for your self-care, too!). Once summer hits, make sure to take advantage of having more hours in the day and plan weekly adventures to a local park, a new workout class, or a restaurant you’ve wanted to try.
Getting out of your comfort zone and pre-scheduled routine will help break up your day and encourage you to try new things. Plus, to be most effective, self-care requires you to adapt and experiment to see what supports you best. Who knows, you may surprise yourself with a new hobby or passion!
It’s no secret that summertime schedules often fill up quickly, and socializing is at an all-time high. To keep your stress levels in check, you must schedule time just for yourself. Whether it’s a few minutes a day or a few hours each week, alone time is essential for recharging yourself and staying grounded.
How you choose to spend your time alone is up to you—just make sure that whatever you choose supports your physical, emotional, or spiritual self so you can feel your best. Oh, and flex your boundary muscles as needed to ensure you secure some quality time with yourself.
While there’s often a societal pressure to “get your beach body ready for summer,” that mindset is quickly becoming old and outdated. Not to mention, it’s also not great for our mental health and often holds us back from doing the things we really want to do, like throwing on your favorite suit and hopping in the pool on a hot summer day without paralyzing fear of judgment.
Do your best to ditch this way of thinking and embrace yourself and your body as it is now. Self-acceptance is a powerful form of self-care (and self-love!), and the more you work to boost your confidence naturally, the more you can put on the bathing suit and fully embrace summertime.
Letting go of the idea of what your summer “should” look like can help save you a lot of stress and overwhelm. When you feel the pressure to do it all during the summer, it’s easy to feel like you can’t enjoy the moment and truly soak up relaxation.
Work to release the “shoulds” and focus on enjoying the moments as they come. While it can feel extremely challenging and unnatural at first, being present in the moment is a powerful part of a supportive self-care practice. It can even deepen feelings of gratitude for the life around you, which in turn can help you feel less stressed or bound by “shoulds.”
Hopefully, reading through the above tips left you feeling inspired to create some practical and supportive self-care this summertime. Now, where to begin? Check out some summer-approved self-care ideas below.
Whether you take a walk around the neighborhood, take a dip in the pool, check out a nearby park, or hit a local trail, getting outside can help you reset your circadian rhythm and help you feel more grounded almost instantly. Just make sure you apply non-toxic, broad-spectrum sunscreen at least 15 minutes before heading outside and reapply regularly.
Bonus points if you get your hands or feet dirty. Summertime is about exploring the outdoors, after all!
With the sun rising earlier and earlier each day, it’s time to seize the day and make use of the extra hours with an energizing morning routine. Ideally, a morning routine will help set you up for success the rest of the day and help you feel more grounded and ready to tackle the busy summer days ahead.
The good news? Your morning routine doesn’t have to be elaborate for it to be effective. It can be as simple as using uplifting essential oils, completing a short meditation, making your bed, and eating a nourishing breakfast to fuel your morning.
Make sure to take your multivitamin, too!
Of course, you can adjust your routine as needed to help you feel your best.
If you want to take your morning routine a bit further, you can incorporate some summer-friendly skincare products to help your skin feel its best all summer long. Aside from sunscreen, products like a Vitamin C serum or a blue light shield serum can help protect your skin from damage caused by UV and blue light rays.
However, keep in mind; both products do not traditionally contain SPF, so make sure to finish off your skincare routine with sunscreen as well.
As mentioned above, boundaries are essential to protecting your time and energy. Plus, not only does setting boundaries help you create more space for yourself to practice self-care, the act of setting boundaries alone is a powerful way to care for your emotional and mental needs. Make sure to continue to develop and stick to your boundaries as needed throughout the summer. This foundational tool will help you for the seasons ahead, too.
The warmer, more social summer months can often leave us craving connection and adventure, making it the perfect time to plan a trip with a friend or loved one. Whether it’s a quick day trip or a more extended vacation, getting away can help you reset your mind and let go of any lingering, pent-up stress. Plus, you’ll get to explore unfamiliar places and try new things!
At the end of a busy summer day, it’s easy to just crash on the couch and then head to bed. Do your best to create a supportive nighttime routine (and make sure to apply soothing aloe vera gel to any sunburn), so you can get a good night’s sleep before you do it all over again the next day.
Like a summertime morning routine, your bedtime routine doesn’t have to be intricate. You can simply drink stress-relieving herbal tea, put down your cell phone, and take a few moments to reflect on what you enjoyed most about your day.
No matter how you plan to spend your long summertime days, make sure that you prioritize supporting your well-being and creating room for your self-care. The more that you care for yourself, the more you will enjoy the beautiful summertime around you and all that it has to offer.
Remember, no matter the season, there’s no right or wrong way to care for your needs. What’s most important is that you acknowledge your needs exist in the first place and take action to tend to them as needed. You’re worthy of year-round self-care, always.
