Making Room For Summer: Work/Life Balance In Minnesota's Favorite Season
Minnesota’s summer months are upon us, which means packed schedules, vacation time, and cabin escapes. It’s our time to get outside and soak up the sun with our family and friends while we can . But life can be stressful when you’re juggling work deadlines, family weekend getaways, and wanting to make the most out of our summer. I’ve organized a few key tips to stay balanced during our summer months!
Don’t spread yourself too thin
It can be easy to make weekend plans with the family, head out to the cabin after work on a Friday afternoon, then come back on Sunday to realize it’s back to reality. Of course you want to be out on the lake all weekend long and jam pack your family time with a full weekend agenda. You also don’t want to over-plan because you might have a busy week staring you down at the office. Make sure you are prioritizing your job and following through with obligations but also taking some time to yourself on the weekends. Self-care is essential all year round so make sure you’re carving time out for yourself. Keep up your routines so you’re not exhausted from weekend getaways throughout the week!
Don’t save everything for the weekend
It can be super stressful when you work hard all week, and then finally get to relax outside on the weekends. It’s like we’re binging our outdoor time in our short two-day (or 2.5-days for those lucky gray ducks with summer hours) weekends. Instead of waiting for your time off to roll around, try to get in little activities throughout your work week. It can be as simple as changing your morning gym routine to a run or bike ride around your neighborhood. Maybe for your lunch break, throw on your tennis shoes and take a quick walk around outside. Grill out with the fam on a Tuesday night and enjoy your backyard. It can feel like a lot of pressure when we want to fit so many activities into a mere two days. Spread it out and soak up the sun a little each day.
Leave work at work
This one is key to getting the most out of our summers. Set limits around when you stop checking your email on your phone after leaving the office. Go out and enjoy some work-free time with your friends. We want to be present and enjoy these short months while we can. You don’t need cell service at the cabin, you also don’t need to stress about having wifi on your camping trip. Finish what you need to get done throughout the week, so you’re not glued to your phone when you go out to enjoy time with family and friends.
Drop the summer guilt
Beautiful weather to Minnesotans is one of our favorite things to talk about but it also puts pressure on us to make the most of those days. I feel like there’s this underlying pressure to be out and seize the days when we have them, because we don’t get many! “Good weather guilt” is real here in Minnesota. We go through brutal winters that keep us indoors for so long that when we finally get a glimpse of a beautiful summer day, we can’t help but want to make the most of it. This can create major stress and sometimes you just have a large to-do list that needs to get done, and you can’t play outside… It can bring us down and give us anxiety if we’re not outside basking in the sun. If you had a crazy week and all you want to do is lay on the couch in the air conditioning, you shouldn’t feel bad that there’s blue skies and sunshine out. Drop the guilt and just relax. There’s always tomorrow!
//image by Samantha Gades