Summer Blog 2019

By Syd Schertzer, Intern

Summer is finally here! For some that may mean an end to a long stressful school year, for others that may mean getting home from work and still having a sliver of sunlight left to enjoy. Whatever it may be, summer is the time to prioritize yourself and create or improve self-care habits.

Often times, people are focused on “what they need to get done”, “what is there still to do”, and “how can I get ahead.” They never usually take the time to ask “What can I do for myself”, or “How can I improve my mood”.

By definition of Trello, “Self-care can be defined as any deliberate action you can take in order to support your mental, physical, and emotional health”. Self- care can be as simple as taking a walk and watching the sunset, or taking a day to visit the beach. However, it is crucial to set aside time in your week to focus on yourself. Perfect time to take advantage of the gorgeous weather.

Accumulating the recommended eight hours of sleep a night, combined with less screen time and increased physical activity, can make people tend to be more outgoing and open minded. When people are in a “good mood”, they are capable of achieving more than when they are grumpy. Now, some may be thinking “I don’t have time’, or “My schedule is booked”. It is easy to make excuses or feel selfish for taking valuable time out of your day for yourself, but this can be solved with a simple solution.

Make a plan and set a date and time. For example, take a walk after work on Friday for 30 minutes. Make sure to write this down or set a reminder so it can not be avoided, then continue to set dates for other enjoyable and relaxing activities. This summer, set goals on how to improve or create your own self-care plan that benefits you personally, the most. Making small steps toward self-care is an easy way of relieving stress and developing optimistic characteristics to help positively affect your daily life.

DeBara, Deanna. “Why Self-Care is the Secret to Becoming a Productivity Powerhouse. Trello. March 11, 2019. https://blog.trello.com/self-care-for-productivity.