Disrupt Your Fast-Paced Summer for Your Health's Sake

Vacations, activities, house projects...you're busy. Can you slow down enough to check in with yourself?

You spend a lot of time going from one activity to the next during the summer months which can be quite stressful. There's no time like the present to interrupt this pattern of busyness by doing something out of the ordinary; something maybe you've haven't taken the time to do: like check in with yourself and assess your health.

Take Care of You

One way to start taking care of yourself is to create an inventory of your health. Ask yourself: How's my diet? How often am I exercising? What are my sleep patterns? What's my level of stress? Review your responses and identify one or two small, manageable changes to make. If necessary, visit your primary care provider to discuss ways to improve your physical health. To improve your mental health, make an appointment with a Best Care EAP counselor. 

Simplify Your Life

It may seem counterintuitive, but "downshifting" can be the key to "upshifting" your overall quality of life. Again, take inventory and ask yourself what's most important? What do you value most in life? How much quality time do you spend with the people you care about the most? What's the best way to use your time to create the life you want? Review those answers and re-evaluate your commitments. When you focus on what's really important, you may find yourself more content, satisfied, and able to do more with less. A bonus is that you may feel less anxious.

That said, there are always going to be things which play on your mind and make you feel anxious. Worrying about things you can’t control not only stresses you out in the present but makes you more nervous about the future, too. So next time you find yourself worrying about something, interrupt the thought process by getting up from your seat, stretching your arms above your head, breath in deeply, turn your thoughts to a time when you felt great and think about that instead. Or, take out a sheet of paper (or start a journal) and write down what's on your mind. It does take some practice, but these tasks can be helpful once you start doing them.

Declutter to Feel Renewed

Use the remaining weeks of summer to get rid of things weighing you down or sapping your energy. Box up clothes you never wear and clean out the garage. Your surroundings will feel lighter. The same goes with decluttering your mind. Maybe it's time to move on from a painful experience or extend forgiveness to someone, or maybe you just need to reset your attitude toward someone or something in your life. These changes may not happen over night, but you'll feel good about making the decision to start them. 

Still can't slow down and relax this summer? Best Care EAP is here to help. Best Care EAP counselors are available to meet in-person, over the phone or virtually. It's easy to schedule a confidential appointment. Click here to get started or call (402) 354-8000 or (800) 801-4182.

More Resources

Want more tips and resources? Check out our free on-demand webinars and a variety of articles in our Resource Hub.