Close Ad

4 Ways to Recharge and Renew Yourself This Summer
Man jumping into lake surrounded by friends
Self-Development

4 Ways to Recharge and Renew Yourself This Summer

For many, summer is a time for taking breaks and starting over.

It’s the perfect moment to recharge and renew yourself for what’s to come before the leaves begin to fall and the sky grows cold again, ushering in the final quarter of the year for businesses and the beginning of a new school year for students.


man-jumping-into-lake-surrounded-friends 

But while most people are wasting time on fruitless efforts, you want to use this time to position yourself for building a better life. You have goals and a vision and somewhere you want to go.

You need a balance in life. You just cannot be all the time on an adrenalin peak. You need to recharge.

– Joanne Liu

 

Here are four ways to recharge and renew yourself this summer:

1. Do absolutely nothing

 

Your inclination is probably to plan things to do during your free time. After all, that’s probably why you’re reading this. However, the problem is, most of us are really bad at taking care of ourselves and, even when we’re taking a break, we do it in a way that doesn’t actually help us recharge.

We think that sleep each night is enough to rest our brain from the stresses of work and school. But that’s just not the case. For that, you need to sit in silence for a time and allow your mind to fully relax. Preferably regularly.

This can take the form of a meditation practice or it can simply be sitting around doing absolutely nothing, staring at the swaying trees or listening to the whistling of the wind. Either way, plan to do nothing for a few minutes each day this summer and you’ll see the benefit over time.

2. Review the first half of your year and celebrate your victories

 

Take some time to review where you’re at at this point of the year. Celebrate your victories and reflect on what you did a great job on.

You’ll have time later to make improvements. For now, take time to do what you don’t do often enough: appreciate yourself and the work you’re doing and give yourself a little pat on the back, even if only once before you put your head down once again.

3. Unplug

 

When’s the last time you really, truly unplugged?

Turn off your phone and computer for a day or two and see how it makes you feel. Better yet, go on retreat and do it for an entire week if you can manage it. Don’t check social, don’t peek at your email, and resist looking at the latest news headline. Your devices should be turned off altogether.

I can tell you from experience that it’s incredibly eye-opening and will keep you from ever looking at your screen usage the same again.

4. Surround yourself with love and support

 

There’s nothing more powerful than surrounding yourself with the people you care most about and who care about and support you.

Sure, these people can also frustrate you from time to time. But, perhaps, this is also a time to remember just how much these people mean to you and to express it to them so they can feel appreciated.

By surrounding yourself with love, you’re able to find your center once again, having remembered clearly what is most important and can come back to your work as a brand new person.

Hot Stories

Why Jennifer Hudson Forgave Her Mother's Killer -- Life Stories By Goalcast

At the peak of her career, Jennifer Hudson faced a horrific family tragedy. Hudson's mother and brother were brutally attacked in their family home, and her seven-year-old nephew was kidnapped. What followed was a heart-wrenching manhunt to rescue her nephew and seek justice against the man who took her family. Hudson speaks from the heart in this video on what happened to her family and how she was able to move forward.

Celebrities
People smiling in unison united
Racism Quotes

Racism is considered the marginalization and/or oppression of people of color based on a socially constructed racial hierarchy that privileges another race. The term is applied in many areas of a society that perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race or strengthen racial inequalities in education, health care, income, and civil rights.

Ever since the 20th century, the concept of biological race is considered a cultural invention that has no scientific basis. The progress over the past half-century has been impressive, but the nation still has a long way to go to reach true racial equality.

Keep ReadingShow less
Everyday Heroes
hands are put together as part of community volunteer efforts
Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

A community is so much more than people sharing a space. It's a living, breathing network of connections and shared experiences. While it's usually defined as “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common,” true community runs much deeper than that.

Diversity

Keep ReadingShow less
Quotes