The Summer Wind
Summer always seems to go by faster than we expect. At first, the days are longer, and we sit outside a little later. We go to the beach, spend time with family, and leisurely wander through farmers’ markets.
For many of us, we look forward to the summer months. The sun, the breeze, warm late nights, frosty drinks and dinner plates that came straight off the grill.
Summer is also a time when many of us slow down, reconnect and fill our cups. Many of us spend time in ways that we typically don't do over the fall and winter season, like:
Connecting with people. Having friends over for a barbecue, getting together with family, or finally catching up with the neighbour you’ve been waving to for the last three years.
Getting outside in the garden, spending time with friends on the patio, or late-night evening walks.
Taking time to slow down for that European vacation or a staycation, acting like a tourist in your own city.
Making space for the food festivals, outdoor concerts, or that road trip with all the windows down, blasting the tunes.
Being spontaneous. Did you know Dairy Queen closes in ten minutes? Or packing up for a beach day with your kids or your fur baby.
All of a sudden, we’re closing the windows at night to keep out the chill, and we start seeing ads for back-to-school supplies and cool commercials for jeans.
A small yellow character stands in the middle of a broken wooden pool, with a sunglasses emoji covering its bum. A large pink inflatable pool float sits nearby, adding a playful, cartoon quality while suggesting a moment of reflection or transition.
As the days get shorter and the leaves begin to fall, many of us slip right back into our routines. By the time the winter wind starts blowing, it can feel like the slower days of summer happened a lifetime ago.
Rest Is More Than Sleep
Maybe what we enjoy about summer is that we’re experiencing different forms of rest. True rest goes beyond just sleep. According to Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, there are seven essential types of rest needed to fully restore the body and mind:
Physical rest gives your body a break. Sleeping in on vacation, taking an afternoon nap or spending Sunday morning in bed with nowhere you need to be.
Emotional rest gives your brain a break from constantly thinking, planning and solving problems. When you finally vent to a friend, have a good cry, or get heavy thoughts out of your head.
Sensory rest gives your brain a break from all the noise and stimulation around you. Put the phone down, turn off the television, dim the lights and enjoy some quiet.
Social rest is time with people you can relax around. The friend you can sit on the patio with for three hours without feeling like you need to entertain each other.
Creative rest gives you time to enjoy and take things in, rather than always producing something. Go to an art gallery or read a book just for fun with no purpose.
Mental rest isn’t doom scrolling for more hours than you care to admit. It’s about quieting the mental chatter when our head hits the pillow, like taking short breaks throughout the day or journaling before bedtime.
Spiritual rest is about connecting with something greater than ourselves. That might come through faith, meditation, community work, or time spent connecting with nature.
Bring a Little Summer With You
The temperature may change, but we can continue making space for the things that filled our cups all summer.
Keep connecting. Invite the neighbours across the street over for a movie night. Have a virtual movie night, à la 2020, with friends and family across borders. Keep the summer coffee dates going, even if you have to move them indoors.
Keep connecting with nature. Grab your favourite plushy blanket and fluffy socks, sit by the window with something warm and watch the leaves change. Bundle up for a walk when the first snow arrives. Mother Nature is still there. She’s just wearing a different outfit.
Keep slowing down. Protect an evening with absolutely nothing on the schedule. Take a fall staycation. Spend a Sunday morning drinking coffee without opening your email.
Keep making room for fun. Have friends over for dinner. Try something new. And at work, bring your team together for something that isn’t just another meeting, like a virtual game of SlayRide or Cozy Café.
Keep a little room for spontaneity. Call someone because you were thinking about them. Take the long way home because the leaves look beautiful. Not every enjoyable moment needs to be planned three weeks in advance.
Before we know it, pumpkin spice season and sweater weather will be here. So before summer slips away, think about what actually felt good. Take a moment to appreciate what Mother Nature and the land gave us this season. Remember what filled your cup, and carry these moments of rest with you into the fall and winter months ahead.