Don't Let Summer Crush You!

Summertime is here for educators which brings much joy and happiness after a long and challenging school year. For some, it's a time to slow things down, relax, hang with friends, go on vacation, and reflect. Others take up unique jobs and accomplish things they weren't able to during the busy school year. So many options yet how many of us get caught in the "lazy trap?" We tell ourselves that we worked hard all year so we don't have to do anything "too strenuous" this summer. This sounds nice in theory and at the end of the year when we are tired, but summer can crush us as educators if we aren't meticulous about how we choose to grow as people and professionals during the sunny months. 

Now, I am not saying that you don't deserve to sleep in, go on vacations, play with your kids, etc. These are the fruits of our labor throughout the year. My point is that humans weren't meant to be stagnant and sit around for two and a half months. Happiness in our lives does not come from binging Netflix for three days, scrolling through social media non-stop, and floating at the pool for more than a week. It comes from the pain we endure, risks we take, and challenges we accomplish. Weird I know, but when we look back on our lives, it will be things we endured and accomplished that meant the most to us, not the things that require little mental and physical strain.

My challenge to you is this; DON'T GET CRUSHED BY SUMMER! Life is a balancing act. If the pendulum swings too far one way, it is not good for our health. Sit by the pool but read a challenging book. Watch Netflix but take-up a new hobby. Look at social media once a day but write during the times you would normally browse. Sleep in a little but meditate when your up. Go on vacation but stay-up with current best practices in your content area. Hang out with friends but always look for ways to build new relationships. Go shopping but learn a new skill.

So, when you look back on summer in September, hopefully, you have more to talk about when asked the question, "How was your summer?" other than "it was good, yours?" Always challenge the status quo and never stop innovating and growing.