Take a Self-Improvement Break

Remember when you were younger and it was summer? You may have been excited that there was no school, not the rigid schedule you had to keep during the school, days seemed lazier (dare I say, boring). 

As an adult, summers are just not like that. There is the same schedule, maybe even more work if you have kiddos and need to keep them entertained. You are still trying to balance enjoying life and being an adult. Maybe it is time for a self-improvement break. 

A self-improvement break doesn’t mean backsliding into old, negative habits. Instead it is a way for you to enjoy how far you have come and solidify the progress you have made. 

How to take a self-improvement break

Reflection

Think about the tips, skills, techniques you have implemented over the past year (or longer). What has worked really well for you? What have you been struggling with? What areas of life do you know you need to work on but every time you think about it you just feel like giving up? Which areas have felt like banging your head against the wall?

By reflecting on what has been working and what has not been working you can figure out what might be helpful to give a break to over the summer. 

For example, if there is something that you know you want to/need to work on, but have just been dreading it. Maybe it is time to put that on the back burner until the fall. Give yourself a few months of not worrying about it so you can (hopefully) get back to it with renewed energy when the time is right. 

Acceptance

You can not go at 100% all the time. When you try you will end up burnt out. Even a vehicle can’t go at 100% all the time. 

So accept that you need to allow yourself room to breathe and rejuvenate. If you continue to work on some of your issues, you are still moving forward, just maybe at a slower pace than you originally thought. Which is A-Okay. You didn’t get to where you are in one summer. One summer won’t get you out of it. 

Not only do baby steps count, but this can also be a time to dig deeper into skills you have already had success with. A deeper dive into what you are already doing will solidify those skills and give you even better success.

Enjoyment

Sometimes when we get so focused on self-improvement, we forget to actually enjoy where we are. We focus on the finish line, except it keeps moving further away because you keep making new goals. 

Slowing down and taking stock of where you are and how far up the hill you have come can help invigorate you to keep going. It also shows you what is good in your life. Who knows, you might even see that what you have already improved on has trickled over into other areas of your life. 

It is summer! Slow down, reflect, accept and enjoy where you are right now.