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Don't let summer just happen

Most people, from young children to senior citizens, look forward to the opportunities of summer. While they may complain some days about the heat and humidity, the warmer weather and slower pace offers a chance to relax, to take advantage of more outdoor activities and perhaps to even enjoy a well-earned vacation.

But sometimes the temptation is just to sit back and let summer happen. It might sound tempting, but it often means time suddenly flies by, the children are bored and cranky and the family has missed many good things summer had to offer.

The solution is to do some simple presummer planning to maximize the more-relaxed time that this season allows.

An important starting point is with the children. While their summer plans may revolve around staying up late every night and sleeping until noon the next day, experts advised that life goes more smoothly if a family has a set schedule and sticks to it. When mealtimes and bedtimes are on a consistent schedule, children feel more comfortable and usually are more cooperative.

Take time to make plans with the children for summer activities. For teenagers, it might mean encouraging them to seek that summer job now or to enroll in a summer enrichment program. For younger children, it can mean organizing play dates or setting up a regular schedule for playground or pool visits.

Whether there are children in the family or not, this time of year make some clear plans for a summer vacation, if that hasn't already been discussed. Last-minute vacation planning usually means increased stress and that’s not the point of a vacation. A real vacation means leaving behind the responsibilities and demands of home and work that really reduce stress levels. Recent studies have shown that the majority of people are living overly stressful lives, and high levels of stress, over prolonged periods of time, can negatively affect both our mental and physical health.

So plan now for a summer that will bring you relaxation and revitalization. Whether it’s a long beach vacation, or just a drive to visit relatives in another state, taking the time to enjoy the season can bring many benefits and can keep families from waking up in mid-September wondering how the summer disappeared.

Counseling Corner is provided by the American Counseling Association. Send comments and questions to [email protected] or visit http://www.counseling.org.

 

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