It’s officially the mid-point of summer which means the hot days feel especially hotter, the excitement of vacations and cookouts are beginning to simmer down and you might find yourself reflecting on the goals you have set for yourself this year. It’s not uncommon to feel the slump, exacerbated by uncomfortable heat and burned through vacation days, but there are some actionable steps you can take to reinvigorate the fun of the season and your motivation to power through yearly goals. If you’re looking to overcome this phase of burnout and feel a sense of excitement to power through the next half of the year, follow this detailed guide guaranteed to move you out of any seasonal slump.
Start Your Days with Some Vitamin D
Research shows time and time again that starting your day with some morning sunlight is the ultimate way to regulate your circadian rhythm and begin your routine on a sunny note. Kicking the day off with a morning walk, or even 10 minutes soaking up the sun can immediately put you in a better mood and set yourself up for a successful rest of your day. Starting with positive feelings makes it that much more likely you’ll continue to feel positively, which in turn, makes you want to be more productive.
Focus on Hydration and Electrolytes, not Just Water Intake
If you’re not properly hydrating in the middle of summer, it’s no wonder you may be feeling a little funky. Dehydration not only can lead to some mean headaches, or migraines if you’re susceptible, but it can also impact mood and focus. Since the heat paired with activity can cause you to lose much more fluids than you’re taking in, it’s critical that you consciously rehydrate throughout the day. Rather than focusing on drinking water alone, incorporate electrolytes and hydrating foods into your diet. Eat a lot of foods like watermelon, cucumber and oranges and also introduce drinks like coconut water or electrolyte light mixes into your water.
Shift Your Daily Routine Around the Heat, not Against It
The heat makes anyone want to lay around inside with the AC on full blast. Lethargy is a normal side effect of blistering temperatures and extreme UV levels. In order to maximize your productivity on sweltering days, you need to make a strategic routine. Front load errands outside the house or intensive work in the morning so by the time the midday slump hits, you can transition to lower effort tasks that are less physically and mentally straining. As far as working out goes, scheduling sessions in the morning or evening when the weather is more temperate and you're less likely to become dehydrated.
Reintroduce Some Novelty During Weekdays
It’s easy to fall into a rut when every day is the same and there are no new things in your week to look forward to. Introducing novel activities to get excited for can spruce things up and reignite a sense of enthusiasm. Decide on a weekly movie night, pencil in a regular coffee with friends or pick a day each week to take yourself on a date. No matter what you decide on, having at least one fun activity on the calendar can drastically change your mood and motivation to get other things done.
Break Your Goals Down Into Smaller Mile Stones
Rome was not built in a day, or however the saying goes. Setting big goals for yourself at the start of the year or even the seasons can feel exciting and produce a lot of dopamine with the ideas of what you could achieve. Though, as it usually goes, the feeling of optimism can quickly dissolve when life gets in the way or the goals begin to feel too great to complete in the time frame you’ve set for yourself. Having a list of grandiose goals can also start to feel like a burden, rather than something to strive for when you don’t make progress in the time you expected. Instead of throwing the baby out with the bathwater and letting a lull in motivation get to you, break down your goals into smaller, achievable milestones. For example, if you set the intention to walk 10,000 steps everyday this month, instead set one to walk 10,000 steps every day for the current week. A series of shorter finish lines, rather than one long run, can actually make you more likely to complete the bigger picture goals you’ve set out for yourself. Consistent quick wins can snowball into long-term sustained efforts, helping to reinvigorate your sense of discipline and creating a manageable way to be productive.
