It’s Summer, Time to Downshift Your Productivity
I love summer. The long days, the sunshine, jumping into a cold lake, getting out in my kayak or on my paddle board, flowers, farmers markets, eating outdoors, campfires…clearly, I could go on.
But maybe the best thing about summer is shifting into a lower gear. The volume of emails in my inbox goes down as so many people rotate through vacation weeks, people seem less stressed and less rushed, decisions get delayed until fall, the pace seems to naturally slow down. All of this gives us a bit more breathing room. Even when we’re not on vacation ourselves, we can downshift a bit, and that’s a necessary change for us all.
Many of us love the excitement and intensity of a busy and fast-paced life; our high productivity is a success factor. But too much of a good thing can drain our energy big time. I was talking with someone yesterday who described that feeling as losing that “spark”. I get that. Too much productivity and staying on the treadmill of doing all the things and I start to feel robotic, like my life is just about working through an endless to-do list, and I don’t know about you, but that’s definitely not how I want to live my one wild and precious life.
The slower pace of summer allows us to reset; to come back home to ourselves; to who we are, not just what we do.
So, how to embrace the pace this summer? Here are my plans so far…
Sleep in later. I’m an early riser. I’m often up by 5 and into work by 6. Most of the time I enjoy that pace, but in the summer, I try to slow my mornings down, linger in bed, drink my coffee slower, take a longer walk instead of jumping into work. It changes not only my morning vibe, but my whole day.
Read more books. It’s such a luxury and a pleasure to just read a good book. I’m keeping it easy with novels, short stories, summer reads.
Get outside. Honestly, the weather in Ontario can sometimes be, well, not so great. When we do get sunshine, warmth, plants that are actually green and flowers in bloom, we really need to get out there.
Let things go. Very little is as urgent as we think it is. I’m not saying drop all your responsibilities. I’m just saying, let some things go for a bit.
Go to the water. Being near, on or in the water has an instantly calming effect. I could just absorb that beauty for hours and need nothing more. If that’s true for you too, spend some time there.
Mix up the routine. Stay up late, eat dinner early, go for a walk at 10pm or 5am. Whatever feels interesting. Respond to what you actually want to do, instead of all the things you’re supposed to do.
Do absolutely freaking nothing. Notice the leaves in the breeze. Feel the sun on your skin. Just be.
How about you? What are your plans for how to embrace the slower pace of summer? I know it can feel counter-cultural to downshift our productivity, but the rewards and discoveries are rich and alive.
Wishing you a long and happy summer my friends,
