The summer break is your chance to relax, sleep in, and have fun without the stress of schoolwork weighing you down. It’s important to take advantage of this time and get a mental break, but it’s also important to keep up the productivity skills you learned in school. With these ten tips and ideas, you can be as productive during summer break as you were during the school year!
Take the Day Off
It might not seem like it, but taking time off can actually make you more productive. To stay on top of your game during summer break, try planning some relaxing activities each week—from workouts at home to trips with friends—and leave yourself plenty of downtime as well. Taking it easy every now and then allows your mind to reset and will help keep you focused once school rolls around again.
Schedule Breaks
For those who have to work over the summer, it’s easy to get lost in your daily grind. This can make it easy to push a little extra time into your day. That’s why it’s important that you schedule regular breaks for yourself throughout your workday. Aim for about ten minutes of downtime every two hours—and even more during summer break! A few deep breaths, a quick snack, and some stretches should do wonders for keeping you from falling prey to burnout.
Prioritize Staying Busy
The summer season is known for its lack of productivity and with good reason. Kids are out of school, companies are less structured, and there’s an overall sense that not much can be accomplished. So when it comes time to find ways to stay productive during summer break, always look for ways that make staying busy a priority. To keep yourself busy during the summer, start by scheduling at least one thing to do or accomplish in a day.
Find a Productive and Fun New Hobby
Summer break is a great time to find a productive hobby that keeps you busy while also challenging your mind. Crocheting is an example of something many people pick up in times of stress or boredom, but it could be anything from woodworking to learning a new language. Summer break is the perfect opportunity to try your hand at something you’ve always wanted to do.
Make the Most of Your Free Time
Figuring out how to spend your summer break can be challenging. It can be tempting to stay inside sitting in front of your TV or computer all day. While it’s good to have lazy days every once in a while, it’s essential to fill your summer break with productive activities. Try a new sport, play board games, travel with friends, visit the local library, volunteer at a local summer camp, etc.
Create a Summer Bucket List
Start a list of things you want to do during your summer break. But, instead of making it broad and general—like relaxing or enjoying yourself—make each item on your list concrete, specific, and actionable. Something like: Go on a date with my significant other or learn how to salsa dance. Don’t be afraid to go big; there are no limits here! Summer is the perfect time to participate in activities that you might not have time for in the school year.
Take a Vacation
For so many of us, school and work are our lives. We spend a majority of our time involved with these two things—and it’s no wonder we often get burned out. In order to stay productive during summer break, it’s important to take a vacation and recharge your mind. Turn off your phone and power down your laptop. You deserve some rest and relaxation! If you don’t have the time to take an extended summer vacation, pick a weekend for a quick trip out of town.
Put Your Phone Down
It’s easy to get sucked into hours of social media scrolling during summer break, but you don’t want your time spent away from school to be a waste. It takes a lot of willpower, but every now and then it’s OK (and even healthy) to just put your phone down and do something else.
Have a Dedicated Space to Work From
If you have to work over the summer, working in a separate, dedicated space allows you to easily shut out distractions when you’re working and focus on your task at hand. It’s hard not to let interruptions and external stimuli creep into your day when everything is happening around you. Having a designated space ensures that all of your energy goes toward accomplishing your specific tasks for each day. It also makes it easier to disconnect from work when you’re done, that way you can spend whatever free time you do have fully enjoying the summer.
Spend Time with Family & Friends
Take advantage of your time off school by taking a break from technology and spending some quality time with your family and friends. This is an excellent time to hang out, talk, and enjoy each other’s company.
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