Summer is here! Well...almost.
Depending on where you live, what your life looks like, and what you feel like you are ready for, the ‘feeling’ of summer approaching may or may not be on your mind.
For some people, summer evokes the feeling of freedom, vacation, warmth, and slowing down.
For others, summer evokes dread, anxiety about spending money, or not having everything all figured out. While some feel like they are struggling to shed their mental clutter from winter so they can fully embrace summer.
For some, you might be somewhere in the middle!
Getting the Most Out of Summer
One of the things most of us can relate to when it comes to summer is the feeling that we need to get the most out of it. It only lasts a few months which means we have to plan everything in a short window of time.
Outdoor parties, weddings, farmer’s markets, walks in the park, trips to the pool/lake/ocean, and of course, trips out of town, state, or country to see friends, family, and new sights!
And if planning and doing alllll those things gives you joy and fulfillment, keep doing it!
But, if planning and doing allllll those things makes you want to cry or scream or take a nap for three days, that’s ok! And after you get done crying/screaming/napping, consider a new idea. A new perspective on summer.
Sometimes No Plan is the Best Plan
Consider this: Don't. Plan. Anything.
When we are constantly doing, going, moving, and busying ourselves with ‘things’, we often think this is “living”. We confuse being busy with being important. With being happy even.
Busy-ness is not happiness. It can literally be quite the opposite and it does not allow for the time and space we might need to figure out who we are and what we actually like and want. It’s a placeholder.
Do you want your summer to be a placeholder? A bookmark in your life that has no value? Those of us at Discover Counseling certainly do not!
The other thing that ends up happening if you plan everything out is that you miss the opportunity for spontaneity. You miss being able to run out to the ice cream truck as it sing-songs down your street. Or saying yes to the last-minute ticket a friend has to see a live show. Or even the moment when a rainbow pops up in the sky unexpectedly. When you plan too much, you are too busy thinking about ‘the next thing’ to see ‘the right now’. And the irony is, as you plan plan plan to ensure you don’t miss out? You are literally missing out.
How to Have A No Plan Relaxing Summer
OK, so that might make sense. But how do I actually do it? Am I actually supposed to NOT plan anything?
Yes.
But how? I have kids! family obligations! *fill in the blank*!
The answer is short. Start saying no so you can say yes when it matters. And even though ‘No’ is a complete sentence, it could also look like, “Thank you for the invite but it’s just not a good time for us/me”. Or “We have decided to experiment with not planning this summer, but if something comes up, please still invite me/us and we will let you know if we can swing it!”
You can actually be intentional and clear about what you are doing and even encourage others to join you!
An Anxiety Counselors Take on Leaving Space This Summer
When we leave space in our lives, it builds wonder and possibility as well. Think of an empty drawer somewhere in your house (Most of us don’t actually have an empty drawer so just imagine it blissfully). What is the feeling that space evokes for you? Does it feel hopeful? Freeing? Maybe even magical?
For me, an anxiety counselor in Tigard, the idea of a space that is untouched, with all its possibilities and options completely open is invigorating. I could put ANYTHING in that drawer! I could use it for another compilation of junk and clutter OR I could leave it open and free of anything at all.
Maybe this summer can be that drawer for you. And maybe, just maybe, you will learn a lot about who you are, what you love, and even what you are tired of and want to stop doing so that you can live your life the way YOU want.
And maybe it might just be the best summer ever!
Start Therapy With an Anxiety Counselor in Tigard, OR
Taking this approach of slowing down our lives and not making plans can be harder than it sounds. At Discover Counseling we know that the hustle and bustle of our lives, mixed with our anxiety, leave us feeling like we have to fill our summer with plans. In anxiety treatment, you can learn to embrace slowing down and leaving space in your life for unlimited possibilities. Start getting help and support from an anxiety counselor by following these next steps:
- Reach out to Discovery Counseling for an appointment
- Start meeting with your anxiety counselor
- Relax and enjoy your summer!
Other Therapy Services Offered At Discover Counseling in Oregon
Our caring therapists offer more than just anxiety treatment in Tigard, OR. We also offer trauma recovery, therapy for life transitions, and counseling for postpartum. As well as therapy for teens, Christian counseling and codependency treatment. At Discover Counseling, we care about not only you but also your relationships. This is why we offer premarital counseling, couples therapy, marriage counseling, and therapy for relationship problems. Contact us today to get started!
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