How to Keep Your Sanity This Summer

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May 23, 2018 by thewashingteenian

By: Sara Malott, Contributor 

Since I started kindergarten in 2007, school has always started around the time of my birthday, August 20th. This year we aren’t starting school until after Labor Day. That’s right, three full months of summer before the 2017-2018 school year. With that being said, it can be difficult to keep a healthy summer mentality for three full months. Hopefully this article will be helpful for those of you already starting to suffer from boredom.

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Keep a Schedule

When I have a routine, I tend to feel more productive and my self-esteem increases because I am focusing on me. Make lists, start a bullet journal, or simply use the calendar on your phone to keep track of your events. Make sure to try your best to attend all of your appointments. Going out for just an hour or two will help your mood. The worst thing to do is to stay in bed all day for weeks on end. This is harmful to your mental and physical health.

Join a Club

If you are struggling to make plans with your friends or you have a lot of free time in your schedule, join a club. It is a great way to meet new people. This way you will automatically be able to commit a certain portion of your week to an activity without having to do much planning. If you are religious, look to see how you could be more involved with your youth group. Go to your local library and check out the activities offered for teens. Look to your newspaper for other local listings.

Get a Job

Lots of small businesses are looking for teens and young adults to help out over the summer. Make a list of places you might be interested in working, and make the effort to give them a call. This way you can have more pocket cash for vacation or activities with friends. Summer jobs are a great way to develop responsibility and other various skills that might appeal to a future employer. For more ideas about how find a job this summer, head over to Miss Sarah’s Teen Job Search Resources article. Even if you aren’t old enough to get a job, look into places that need volunteers. If nothing else, you can earn SSL hours for graduation.
Read a Book

I’ve found that there are few problems in life that a good book can’t fix. I always have a few sitting on my bookshelf that I have collected over the course of the school year. If you don’t currently have anything that looks appealing, head to amazon or the library for an interesting pick. I tend to find myself reading more challenging selections in the summer because I have more time and energy to spend on understanding a story. Reading is always a great way to keep your brain from turning to mush in the summer heat, so it’s the perfect time to go and get yourself a good book.

Make Something

Often times when I am bored I find myself turning to pinterest for inspiration. If you are a crafty person, or you’re just up for trying something new, look on the internet for a new craft or project that you could do at home. Lots of people tend to find it satisfying when they can build or make something all on their own. You could even head to a local flea market to find an old piece to fix up for inside your room. You could give your piece to a relative or the new neighbors down the block. It could be a conversation piece for you living room. Regardless of what you do with it, making a craft will give you something to focus on for a few hours.

 

Spend Time Outside

This summer, take advantage of the beautiful weather outside! Get together with your friends and plan a picnic at the park. Ride your bike down to the lake and take a swim. Take out your dad’s old fishing rod and pack a lunch to take down to the river. Find a good spot to take a hike in time and set aside some time for being alone to think. Even little things like asking your family to eat outside or taking your dog for an extra long walk will help you to feel refreshed and rejuvenated.

Avoid the Screens!!!

Many a time have I found myself curled up in bed at four in the afternoon scrolling through instagram and eating bowls of ice cream. Studies have shown time and time again that teens spending an excessive amount of time on social media tend to have lower levels of self esteem. Seeing all of your friends taking selfies together on the beach is never going to make you feel better about being bored. The thing is, your friend probably didn’t post about her parents fighting for the entire car ride down and how she’s already cried twice this week. Social media pictures are only a small glimpse of what is going on in someone else’s life. If you are feeling blue because of what everyone else is doing, get out there and make some good memories of your own. Log off for a while and tell your friends you are taking a break. The world is so much more than Youtube, Netflix, and Instagram, but that is easy to forget with a phone constantly by your side. Make sure you are having a good time this summer, and eventually you will forget about what everyone else is doing.

I hope these tips were helpful for you to make the most of your summer. School starts in September, but until then, good luck trying to keep your sanity.