In my home town area we are in full swing of the summer season.

Even though this summer may look and feel a bit different because of COVID-19, it's still the time of year where our days are filled with outdoor activities and connecting with loved ones more.

The days also tend to get filled with seasonal to-do's and the preparation that goes into vacation time. And for many, there is an added emotional or mental stress because of recent COVID-19 events.

Summertime is meant to be filled with fun, ease, enjoyment and connection. Unfortunately our society, with or without a pandemic, has moved more into the doing of things rather than the being with things. We have become very task oriented, rushing from thing to thing, or place to place. This gets us stuck in the mindset of counting our accomplishments and how productive we were as the measurements of a life, or summer, well lived.

How do we bring back the ease and joy of summer? How can we savour our summer moments more instead of feeling like it has all comes and goes so quickly? 

Here are 3 easy ways for you to implement, and practice, AWARENESS this summer:

Even if it’s for a few minutes everyday make sure to take a bit of quiet time to be aware of the moment you’re in. The more you practice this daily the more natural the habit will become. You’ll begin to recognize when you’re up in your head too much and out of the present. 
You can do this while you’re in your car, in the shower, tending to yard work, listening to the conversation of a loved one, or just before you get out of bed in the morning or fall asleep at night. Simply take a moment, quiet and still your mind, and be conscious of nothing but the moment you are in.

We all know how busy and full the summer months can be. On top of our everyday responsibilities and commitments we now have additional yard work, more social get togethers, and sometimes planning a summer vacation.
Rather than trying to do everything, deliberately choose which areas you want to dedicate your time to. Do you want to spend time with loved ones? Or are you inspired to work on one of your summer projects? Or maybe you are feeling called to quiet, relaxing, self-care time.
Be aware of what your options are, and then once a week or at the start of every day, make a conscious choice of what feels best to you. (And if needed allow yourself to change your decision along the way. Being aware is also about noticing when things are no longer the best feeling fit and allowing yourself to adjust.) 

When you take a few moments each day to decide how you want to feel, it will be easier for you to notice when you are not there. And this information allows you to then change what you are doing and move more in the direction of how you want to feel.
This is something you can do for the summer months as a whole, or you can check in once a week or once a day. Think of it like choosing an emotional theme that you are wanting to have threaded through out your day and summer. 
Ease, fun, satisfaction, joy, playfulness, peace... These are just a few that come to mind for me when I think of the emotional themes that are a fit for my summer months. What are some of yours?

The simple act of practicing one, or all of the steps above will help you implement the wellbeing tool of AWARENESS through out your summer. The more you practice these steps the easier and more natural they will become. And you will find yourself savouring your summer moments more, rather than simply wondering where the days have gone.

Happy savouring!