Summer time. Time away from school, time away from routine and time to sit back. Time to release ourselves from the pressure we experience during school and the heightened work season. But, a different pressure makes its way into summer: a pressure that coincides with having so much time, but having no idea what to do with it.
The pressure to do and be. We feel the need to be doing something at all times, to keep ourselves as busy as our neighbors, as our classmates and as our friends… but why? Summer is summer for a reason. It’s the time we dreamed for because we can make it what we want it to be. We are swept into a world of keeping up with one another through what gets edited and posted to the web. We could be enjoying our time alone with a cup of coffee in the morning and our dog resting nearby, but then we are reminded through our screens of what others are doing, who they are with and where they are. It belittles our very own experience that we were truly enjoying just minutes ago! This falls in line with the pressure to BE. The pressure to be with others, the pressure to be doing something we are not, the pressure to be somewhere we didn’t plan on going.
Find peace and meaning in how you spend your time whether it be with friends, alone, with a book or exploring the outdoors. Find meaning in what you do and ensure that it is for YOU and no one else. Summer is your time. It is a time to explore, to relax, to learn, to discover, to meet new people and to travel. And when you do, it is entirely up to you and no one else.
There is no rule book as to how your summer should be spent. Make your own rule book and live by it. Strictly.
Here’s an example. Mine is expanded and much more specific (which I would recommend doing as it makes it much easier to follow if you know exactly what you want to do), but the general idea is my summer is spent how I want it and by my rules. Make your own rule book (or rule page for that matter) and keep it somewhere close. Read it throughout the day. Constantly remind yourself of your goals and your mission!
So, I ask that every little thing you experience you ensure is for you and not because of what you might feel is expected of you. Not because of what you think you should be doing, but rather what you want to be doing. Set goals for yourself. Expand on that summer bucket list in such a way that you have a bucket list not only of things to do, but things you want to feel, things you want to become, habits you want to form and routines you want to get in the swing of. Find projects that excite you and work on them for a little every day.
Summer Study Abroad, traveling, Europe, picnics, the beach, the list goes on. These are all incredible summer activities, but do not be weakened by how others supposedly fill their time. Spend your summer as you want to spend it! And that, my friend, is entirely up to you. There is no right answer.
Block out the lives of others and live yours according to you.