By: Brooke Phelps, LCSW

As the school year ends, it’s typical to feel a mix of emotions about the summer break ahead. Whether you are graduating, searching for a job, or looking for ways to manage your time before returning to school in the fall, the transition out of a busy academic year can be a big adjustment! While the freedom of summer break may sound liberating, unstructured time without a plan can also feel overwhelming.

Routines and structure provide consistency, predictability, and a sense of mastery in our daily lives. Being proactive and considering ways to create routine and structure for yourself in the absence of school or work obligations will provide invaluable time management, self-awareness, and accountability skills that will likely continue to serve you even past the summer time! If you are experiencing a sense of anxiety about the summer, here are some ideas to help you create structure and routine in the months ahead.

1.     Create a Bucket List: Keep a running list of activities you’d like to do on your phone that you can easily add and refer to. Whether it’s going to a museum, visiting a park, working on an art project, or reading a book, having a list of these ideas as they pop into your mind will certainly come in handy. When you find yourself with a free day, rather than thinking of something on the spot (which can feel overwhelming, especially in NYC where there is so much to do!), you can refer to your list and choose something you’ve already been wanting to try! 

2.     Make a schedule for yourself: Looking ahead and creating a schedule for the week can help you feel more in control and empowered to use your free time in a way that suits you. Your schedule can be both flexible and structured which strikes a happy balance between freedom and routine. For example, your schedule on a free day could look something like:

·      Morning – breakfast, tidying, emails, social media

·      Mid-morning – chores, errands, tasks of your choice

·      Afternoon – fun activity of your choice

·      Evening – make dinner, watch a movie, work on a project, meet up with friends

·      Night – nighttime routine and go to bed

Give it a try and see if it works for you!

3.     Explore your interests: If the demands of the academic year left little time for certain things you’ve always wanted to try, take advantage of your free time as an opportunity to focus on learning about yourself. Whatever you’ve been curious about, whether it’s a meditation course, trying therapy, a multistep skin-care routine, complex recipes, a running program, painting, coding… you get the point, why not give it a try! Even if you discover something is not for you, it’s empowering to invest time and energy in self-discovery, so it’s a win either way!

4.     Celebrate all the wins – big and small: Whether it’s waking up at the same time three days in a row or landing your dream job, every opportunity to acknowledge your progress and celebrate yourself is a sure way to boost self-esteem, so why not take advantage and celebrate it all? Use your down time during the summer to create ways to celebrate not only yourself, but also those closest to you!

5.     Take an honest look at your biggest time wasters: Making certain time wasters less accessible will help you spend your time doing things that are fulfilling to you. For example, if you find that you automatically scroll social media first thing in the morning, but you’d like to get up and go for a walk instead, try something as simple as deleting the apps from your phone. Putting a small barrier between you and the habit will serve as a reminder to instead do the activity you planned. If deleting the app all together feels like too much of a change, set a reminder to help hold yourself accountable, instead!

Remember – it’s only temporary, so try to have fun with the structure and routines you create! To learn more about strategies to make the most of your free time, or find ways to create structure, reach out to Upsider Therapy today at hello@upsidertherapy.com.