Hey {{ first name | there }}! Welcome back to The Flow by Flocus. If you’re new around here, welcome! 👋 You can catch up on our previous editions right here.
This week: How many goals have you set for this summer? (Or winter, if you're in the southern hemisphere. We see you!) We’re not just talking “productive” goals, of course. We’re also talking about all those sun-soaked adventures you planned back in May. Why our summers tend to feel more stressful than soothing, how to reverse it, plus tips for reducing the pressure that comes with the season.
🩴 Why Our Summer Goals Tend to Flop
Because we’re just as intense during our restful periods as we are during “crunch mode”!
(Did you even give yourself any downtime after the quarter or semester ended before you jumped into all those summer activities?)
Not-so-fun fact: Adventuring with your friends and “making the most of your summer” requires just as much energy as studying and working.
A different kind of energy, sure. One that comes with a lot less dread and friction. But energy nonetheless. And you have a limited amount of battery power.
And because summer is short and our list of plans is long, we cram way too much stuff into way too little time.
But how do you set more realistic summer goals and make them happen? Read on to find out, plus some tips for reducing the pressure and FOMO that so often accompanies this season.
🏓 How to Set Summer Intentions that Stick
🔋 Get real about your time and energy
“Summer” is a vague, lofty concept. It feels like it stretches on forever, only to pass us by in a snap.
In reality, it’s about 3 months, or 12-ish weeks. Getting real about how much time you actually have will help plan adventures that will actually fit within that timeframe.
Same goes for your energy levels.
💤 Balance active and passive rest
When you think of summer, you likely think of forms of “active” rest: hiking, swimming, partying with friends.
This is the kind of “rest” we look forward to most when we’re in class or on the clock.
But make sure you’re getting enough passive rest in, too: napping, watching TV, and simply doing nothing.
If you don’t, you’ll really feel the burnout come September, when life starts up again.
🧋 Make your “productive” goals light and fun
If you’re not in academia, chances are life is carrying on as usual this season (hopefully with a vacation happening somewhere!).
But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the summer just as much as any student on break.
While you may not have as much wiggle room in your schedule, you can upgrade your days in simple ways with small touches of things that bring you joy.
Examples: Swap your usual coffee for an iced fruit tea or smoothie / Wear an outfit you love / Work outdoors on a nice day
Tips for Reducing the Pressure
🏏 Call it what it is: pressure. Once you’ve named it, you can take a step back from it, releasing its hold on you.
🫡 Notice the temptation to say “yes” to everything. Fear of missing out often means we agree to things we don’t really want to do. If you’re in doubt, it’s okay to say no, you’re not available (without overexplaining why).
📱 Unlearn what socials have taught you about what summer “should” look like. Everything you see on social has been edited and manipulated to the max. Not only is it not real, but it’s not even realistic.
👯♀️ Ask yourself what you want from your summer: Your opinion is truly the only one that matters, as far as how your free time is spent. So explore your inner world to see what’s calling you this season.
🪅 Flocus Picks
A curated list of things worth sharing.
How to Rest, Properly (The Flow Archives) — Remember how we talked about active and passive rest earlier? This gem from our archives dives deeper into the 2 types of rest and how to ensure you’re getting a good balance of both
How to Be Less Available, Without Ghosting Everyone (The Flow Archives) — If you tend to make yourself overly available to the people in your life, check out this throwback for tips on how to get better at boundaries
new york vintage summer jazz (Playlist) — A sophisticated summer playlist for whatever the week has in store
✨ Flocus: Your Personal Productivity Dashboard
Summer works best when it doesn't feel like a second to-do list. Flocus keeps your tasks calm and contained so you can actually switch off, and enjoy the season you've been looking forward to!
🗳️ POLL: How's your summer feeling so far?
We hype summer a little too much as a society, and all those notions about what summer is “supposed” to be adds stress to what’s supposed to be a restful season.
If you’re feeling the FOMO or peer pressure this summer, we hope you’ll keep this one in your back pocket.
What are you up to this week to truly make your summer your own? Let us know in the replies! We’ve been working remotely a lot (we’re writing this email from one of our fave coffee shops!).
Until next Sunday,
Flocus Team
