By Jessica Dunn

This summer has felt like the world opened back up. The restrictions and fears that came with the COVID-19 pandemic are still present but somehow quieted.  Naturally, this has led to an increase in socialization opportunities with those we haven’t seen in some time and in numbers we haven’t experienced in years.

This should make us happy, right? If your answer is that it feels daunting or comes with some unease, you are not alone.

Something that has been apparent to me as I talk with others who are coming out from under their pandemic rock is that we all built effective ways to cope with the changes of the last few years.

Being the resilient creatures that we are, many of us found ways to experience joy through creative ways to connect with others. This helped many people dodge some of the isolation that we felt in the beginning and offered creative new ways to connect with people on our terms.

The seemingly sudden change in restriction can cause us to feel shell-shocked as we enter into the socialization of the old days.

This is where the importance of a self-care practice comes in.  Keeping the tenants of self-care in mind has always been a part of my seasons busy with “fun” activities. Often the temptation to go outside of our normal routine with plentiful invitations and seasonal dependent plans can leave us feeling drained and slightly out of control in our own life.

Identifying ways we feel rejuvenated and carrying out these actions can help restore some feelings of control and may reduce apprehension entering into some social situations.

The idea of self care is often discussed as an imperative practice for those who are going through a trying time in their lives.  We heard much about self care throughout the pandemic-urging those in front line positions to rejuvenate and disconnect.

This practice can be just as important in a “happy” busy time in our life as in a time of difficulty. In fact, anything that takes us out of our day to day norm can create stress which can manifest by creating feelings commonly found in anxiety or with burnout. Overextension of ourselves can potentially cause increased worry, fatigue, impaired sleep or feeling disconnected.

So what are some simple self care practices to employ this summer?

Saying no can be an excellent way to practice self care-saying no to others may mean saying yes to yourself. Check in with yourself when you get an invitation, if there is doubt or pressure to accept that invitation question that. Is the timing off? Are you feeling overextended from the events of the previous weekend? It is ok to say no thank you every once in a while.

Identifying activities that make you feel rejuvenated while still enjoying the summer. Maybe your favorite thing to do in summer is to take a book to the beach but every trip has been a group outing.  Prioritize your experience and take out that book! Or catch the sunset every so often, ensuring you are taking part in the uniqueness of the summer months, even if it is on your terms.

Practice every day mindfulness.  We often think of mindfulness as meditation which for those of us who are very active can sound daunting. Much mindfulness can be practiced while in motion, it’s all about intention and focus. Are you spending your morning walk making a to do list or focusing on your breathing and your surroundings? If it is the latter, you are practicing mindfulness and this can go a long way in enhancing the activities that you prioritize for yourself.   

Making one of these choices every day can lead to an increased connection to our selves, in turn allowing us to strengthen our connection with others and experiences that are now open to us.