It was 3pm in the afternoon. The kids had just finished a very late lunch. The dishes were piled high in the sink. The kitchen counter was covered in sandy goggles, aloe vera, paperwork for summer camps, remnants of crafted friendship bracletes and library books. I had barely finished a work call from my back porch in a bathings suit using a pile of boogie boards as my chair when the kids came out and informed me they were ready for a movie. 3pm in the afternoon on a Tuesday.
Summers as a kid were full of sweet memories; sprinklers and sunshine, friends and freedom. Summers as an adult are a constant shuffle of all the regular stressors plus variable schedules all with the tantalizing possibility of a bit more fun in the sun. I am absolutely a fan of summer barbecues, watermelon smiles, and getting a little too sunkissed while out in the bright happy heat of summer. But balancing all the same work demands does not feel quite the same as it did when a kid.
Yoga to the rescue! I'm not talking about just popping into a tree pose when confronted with a half-washed load of laundry during a conference call (although I am not not saying that would help) - regaining balance internally is the practice of yoga we can use to decrease the summer stressors and enjoy the fun in the sun.
Here's my top three tips of how yoga helps reduce summer stress:
Don't drop the good stuff in your weekly routine for the great summer adventures. The quintessential yoga guidebook "The Yoga Sutra" warns us right in the beginning of letting our mind flit around with any shiney and new distraction. Our brains are wired to notice novelty, but we feel better in a bit of routine. Keep yourself grounded in your regular yoga practice. As a yoga teacher I know that summer class attendance decreases as we all seemingly have better activities to fill our summer nights with after work - but maybe don't skip all the classes in a week. There is a reason you have built the routine of regular practice into your week, probably because you feel less stressed! If you want to still enjoy the longer hours of summer, maybe consider walking to your yoga class or getting a shave ice with your yoga buddies afterwards. Or, join an outdoor yoga class to get the best of both the perfect summer weather and yoga in one evening. Just don't drop the parts of your weekly routine that you know reduce your stress.
Release your expectations. In our June weekly bookclub we are reading "When Things Fall Apart" by Pema Chodron and she masterfully reminds us in this week's reading that it is not what we have to do that causes us suffering or stress, it is holding on to the expectation that it is going to be different than what it is. Yoga philosophy says that you actually can't get the same amount of work done and change your complete schedule to accomodate summer outings, common sense agrees. So why do we stress about not having done enough? Releasing the hope that you can 'do it all' requires a truly yogic mindset of accepting what is. If you choose the meet up at the brewery for lunch over getting one more email sent at the office - accept that the email will not be sent and enjoy your beverage. If you want the core memory with your kids on a spontaneous afternoon waterfall hike at the expense of having more time at your desk job that week, accept your choice without the stress. Use the tools of yoga mindfulness to reduce your stress and accept your choices.
Plan that summer vacation! Make your breaks from work intentional by chunking the days that you are commited to sticking to the schedule and knowing when you will be fully free. When it just doesn't work to toggle between work hard & play hard, choose a vacation reset. There have been numerous studies including one from Ernest & Young that show that for every 10 hours of vacation spent your productivity at work increased by 8%, they even proved a correlation between vacation and promotions and raises! Even if that big Disney trip is not in the budget this year, take a day off (that's 8 hours) to rest, reset, and work on your summer tan. If you are looking for the ultimate reset - check out Complete Yoga Summer Training Retreats.
Even when being an adult can be hard, reducing your stress with yoga can help to savor some of the sweetness and nostalgia of summer. Join an outdoor yoga class to get some fresh air. Read a great book in the shade of a tree to discuss at bookclub. Take time off to reset and learn more about yoga at a summer retreat. The dishes will wait.
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