As I look at the life sized schedule on my wall for this summer I realized that summers are not at all what they used to be. I remember just a few years ago being able to look at the months of June, July and August only to have the days coated in two words: SUMMER VACATION. I think to myself, what did I ever do in those three months? I remember being outside all of the time and playing games with my friends. I went to lacrosse and wrestling camps during the week days and traveled on the weekends here and there with my lacrosse team for tournaments. I would go to a camp on a lake and just relax. "Those were the days." Now my summer agenda has warped from tiny empty calendar boxes into boxes the size of my hand and filled to the brim with color coated lists of important "to-do's" and deadlines. I am busy every day of what used to be three long relaxing months and I bring it upon to myself. But like many people, I like the challenge and the feeling of being productive and accomplished.
This summer I have chose to be productive in as many ways as possible. Although there is much on my plate to juggle, I have to remember to put aside a few hours each week to take care of me. Finding time in a busy schedule to do something that isn't in your schedule is extremely important. Whether it be going for a run, seeing an old friend, or watching a movie before bed it is important to let your mind be at rest. It is important to keep up with your fitness life and to stay on top of work and your studies but it is just as important to take a few hours away from your week to enjoy you. Through every thing that I have going on this summer I am always sure to find the time to do something that makes me happy and lets me escape from my schedule for a little while.
Don't forget to take the time out of your busy schedule to go do something that gives you that breath of fresh air. Do something that makes you smile or laugh at least once a day. It is easy to become burned-out when you are going non-stop from day to day. Be careful to not become buried in your own schedule. After all, it is summer so enjoy every little moment you can find!
"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." -E.E. Cummings
