Maximize relaxation and productivity this summer in three easy steps

I love the freedom that comes with summer break. More time for relaxation, flexibility for sleeping in, less strict bedtimes, and endless popsicles. But, all that freedom can come with a price.

After a few weeks of summer freedom, I know I start to crave a little structure again.

Without the structure of the school year, it is easy to abandon your routines which often means we stop making any progress on the things we want to do.

That’s why I am sharing the three time management tips I leverage every summer to help me not only enjoy the break and the flexibility it brings, but also make progress on my goals and projects.

Side Note: These time management tips are NOT for when my family and I are in true “vacation mode,” but rather for all of those other summer weeks when we still need to get things done and have some semblance of normalcy to our days. 

Tip #1: Establish A Days and B Days

We love spending a day at the pool. But, because we never know exactly what the weather will bring on any given day, it is hard to plan ahead for time at the pool or other outdoor summer fun. This is why I love creating A Days and B Days.

“A” Days are when we're going to be out and about (usually outside) doing summer activities such as going to the pool, parks, hiking, etc.. Alternatively, “B” Days are when we are mostly at home with more structure and I have more time for work.

By creating two types of days, we have the flexibility to wait and assess the weather and then know if we’re leaning into an A Day routine or a B Day routine.

This also means that you can create flexible plans for your week such as deciding you will have time for two A days and two B days. But, you can keep some flexibility on deciding what type of day you are having until the night before or even the morning of.

Tip #2: Create Routines for the Morning, Afternoon, and Evening

Creating routines is truly a hidden gem to help you maximize efficiencies and productivity.

The key to creating effective routines for you or your family is simply to group together a series of tasks that you want to accomplish but to give yourself the flexibility for when you execute that routine.

For example, a morning routine for your family may include breakfast, cleaning up the kitchen, getting ready for the day, and whatever your morning chores are. These are tasks you can bundle or group together every day, but they don’t have to be done at the same time each morning.

This gives you the flexibility to allow your kids to sleep in! Because it doesn’t matter if their morning routine begins at 6:30 or 9:30.

The key is that whenever that morning starts, you have those routines to lean on and they create a sense of structure that works really well.  

Tip #3: Keep Your Weekdays and Your Weekends Separate

During summer break, it’s really easy to allow all of your days to meld together.  

Eventually, you reach a point where you don’t know if it’s Tuesday or Saturday, and suddenly it’s 3 pm and you’re still in your pajamas.

When I am on a real planned vacation, you may find me in my PJs well into the afternoon. Those are the weeks when all rules go out the window. But you can’t operate in vacation mode all summer long! This is particularly important if you work from home or are building a business.

Even during summer break, I encourage everyone to still treat your Monday through Friday differently than Saturdays and Sundays, just like you do during the school year.

By keeping some structure to your weekdays, even over summer break, it creates the space to continue progress on projects and other items you are working on. And, if you work from home, you absolutely need routines during the week.  Then, when Saturday rolls around, you can truly relax and enjoy your time off. 

Triangle mom Megan Sumrell is a former corporate executive turned entrepreneur. As a Time Management Expert for women seeking Work+Life Harmony, Megan teaches specific strategies to help women get on top of their time, calendar and goals while getting rid of stress, overwhelm, and exhaustion. For free training on how to achieve Work+Life Harmony, visit https://www.megansumrell.com/freetraining.