Sweet Summer time Self Care

Summer is a time of abundance and energy but it can also have a dark side of exhaustion and burn out if you don't tune into yourself. There is so much blooming in the world around us and the days (especially in late June/Early July) are so long. When the sun doesn't fully set until almost 10pm, it can be easy to keep going, moving, doing until later than normal. There are also more social events in the Summer (especially this summer after two strange years). So you can see and probably feel, how it is easy to be in go mode... a lot.

The Energy of summer is expansive and energizing. There is a brightness and lightness that you can feel within yourself AND see in the world around you. It can be this beautiful time of celebration and new life. And it’s exciting.

And let’s be real, a whole LOT of people spend their whole year looking forward to summer.

(Not you, my fall witches and snow babies— I see you too, this might not be you).

But summer is enticing and it can pull use in bit by bit, slowly wearing down our energy reserves and wearing us thin.. If we aren’t careful. Personally, I believe we can have the best of both worlds, if we’re mindful and honest with ourselves.

Recently, I have gone through a rather stressful period of life: moving homes and moving my business. To be honest, I am still in the midst of it and maybe why that is here, writing this. It is ever present in my mind, how important it is to take care of myself. I had a dip in my self care for a few months which retriggered some of my old coping mechanisms and gut health issues. This all started flaring back up in the beginning of June. As the solstice approached, I felt my body saying “don’t forget about me!” and I know that as the summer season bloomed so did my work and personal schedule so if I truly wanted to feel good, I had to set some solid habits here and now.

One of my favorite things to do is to create a daily habit tracker (like the one picture below). It helps me honor myself better. To some, it might seen excessive or aggressive. To me, it shows me just how much I have done for myself or alternatively just how little. It helps me realize when more is really needed but also helps me realize when I’m doing pretty damn good overall. I put some smally and silly things on like drink lemon water and some larger and harder things like meditate and breathwork. This also helps me weed how but I really enjoy (and therefore more easily accomplish), what I haven’t even given a chance (like wim hof breathing and meditation right now) and what just isn’t serving me right now (sauna).

After some experimenting, reseraching and reading, I have found some of my current favorite summer self care tips and I wanted to share them here with you.

My Summer Self Care Tips

1. Daily Cold Showers:

This comes from the Wim Hof method and is honestly quite trendy right now. (or so it seems.) I did cold showers for a good chunk of hte pandemic when it was REALLY hot in our third floor apartment and we had little to no AC. I then took a break. This spring I revisited the idea of cold showers when two of my clients were having such HUGE success from incorporating cold plunges into their routines. I will do a whole post on the benefits of cold exposure at a later date but damn has this been a fun part of my routine. Every morning I wake up and I jump in a cold shower… I think I have only missed one day since May. It is refreshing, energizing and makes me feel more alive. Cold exposure has been linked to improve sleep, improved focus and an improved immune response.

2. Feet in Grass & Sun on Face:

If you follow me on instagram than you probably see this every morning. This really is an essential part of my routine especially lately. Feet in dirt/grass is EXTREMELY grounding and it helps the body find homeostasis. Sun on your face first thing in the morning helps reset the circadian rhythm so you produce more melatonin at night and more cortisol in the morning (as you should to function properly throughout the day).

3.Outdoor Movement and/or ExerCIse:

This might be more of a personal preference but I have found it extremely beneficial for my mental health. As adult humans, we spend so much time indoors as is thanks to work, computer screens, TV and more. Due to this, most people do not get the necessary amount of vitamin D From the sun. Outdoor time has been linked to an improvement in focus, memory, and creativity as well as known correlations to decreased anxiety, depression and other mental health diseases. I love to move my body as is and the more I can do it outside in the summer the better. This keeps me feeling connected to Mother Nature, helps me get some vitamin D and exposes me to all the feel good benefits of Mother Earth. I usually hike most weeks, go for daily walks and do pilates or weight lifting on my porch.

4. Electrolyte Supplementation:

I definitely tend to get more dehydrated in the summer time especially since I am usually doing more exercise outdors and gardening or playing in the sun. When dehydrated, I can really feel the difference in my performance and cognition. While drinking plenty of water is truly important, electrolyte imbalance is just as important. Recently, I have started supplementing with LMNT and I AM HOOKED. It replenishes your body with the necessary sodium, magnesium and potassium. I didn’t realize how much I needed LMNT until I started using it. Even after the first glass, I felt a difference. Now I know if I take it once a day, I am in a good spot for my electrolyte balance and I function optimally.

5. Lake / Bay Swims:

I am a mermaid at heart. If I could spend every moment in the water I would— which is why I am so grateful that there are a few lakes within 5-10 minutes from our new home (I know, I feel spoiled) I encourage you to take a dip in the water if you can as often as you can. You don’t need to stay for long and it doesn’t need to be the most gorgeous place you have every been. Diving underneath the water on a super hot day is one of the best feelings in the world and it is truly cooling to your whole system. If you don’t have access to natural water nearby, a cool bathtub, kiddie pool or sprinklers works wonders. .. I have 100% been that person who purposefully walks through the sprinklers in the city on my morning walk. Whatever you choose, enjoy it, soak it in and say ahh.

I love summer but I also know it can be tough on our systems. We can quite literally overheat (emotionally, physically and mentally) so taking care of yourself is super important. Stay tuned for Part TWO of Summer Self Care Coming Soon