Sunshine in the Haze

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Now that my pregnant body has zero tolerance for the growing heat, it seems like the perfect time to write a fun post about 8 ways to refresh your soul in the busy seasons of life.

While all these tips are well-known, everyone can benefit from a friendly reminder to lean into holistically caring for your soul during the summer months. 🍨

8 Ways to Refresh Your Soul This Summer

Being in my second trimester with my first has me acquainted with these refreshing habits very well… Otherwise, I’d die from heat exhaustion. That’s no exaggeration either. Apparently, science says pregnant women can’t regulate their temperature.

On top of the heat, my body aches for the days to pass, so I can finally see my sweet girl in the newborn knit sweater my husband and I picked out. While I’m in a rush to see her, I also crave to slow down, so I can finish all the loose ends before she’s here—pre-writing posts, scrubbing the walls, and cleaning the tub a few more times.

If you’re anything like me, when life gets hectic with schedules, it brings on an emotional breakdown of just wanting to sit on the couch and ignore everything.

In reality, what we really need is a little bit of self-care to refresh our souls and carry us through. Rest is essential if we want to stick to our schedules.

1. Read through Proverbs & Psalms

You can read anywhere in the Bible, but I find Proverbs and Psalms to be ever so needed during busy seasons.

The proverbs remind me of everything I’m to become, no matter how short tempered I feel, while the psalms comfort the parts of my soul I’ve tried to hide behind No-Bake Cookie Delight.

2. Blast worship music & roll your windows down

Whether you are in the car, running errands, or you are inside your air-conditioned home, hiding from the heat, turn up the worship music and let the summer breeze greet your skin.

When life gets crazy, my husband and I have always prioritized forcing fun into the schedule. If that means rolling down the windows and grabbing a coffee on the way to the next thing, then so be it, which actually leads me to my next point.

3. Prioritize fun in the schedule

Prioritizing fun doesn’t have to require spending money on coffee. It can work for any budget!

Fun can look like making a 15-minute meal, instead of a 30-minute one, and playing a round of Uno after supper. Get creative and pull others into the fun!

My husband and I are cheapskates, so we have spent small amounts of money when we have it on things that keep on giving. Board & card games, video games with lots of playability, etc.

But here are some more low-budget ideas:

• Grab popcorn & watch Ryan Trayhan on the big screen with the fam.
• Bring a blanket and snacks outside and have an impromptu picnic. My husband and I love doing this!
• Grab some notebooks and pens, blindfold each other, set a 30-sec timer, pick an item to doodle, and compete to draw the best blind art!
• Instead of taking your car to the wash, put on your swimsuits and bubble it up in the yard.
• Pull everyone in the kitchen to make a meal or dessert with you. Yes, it’s hectic, but it’s so much fun too!
• Find a local park and simply walk & talk with the people you care about.

4. Eat some protein & hydrating snacks

I’ve noticed I perk up a lot if I fuel my body with the proper nutrition. I have the tendency to run myself empty during the hot summer months, so I have to make an intentional effort to keep proper snacks around.

Packing pumpkin seeds, almonds, boiled eggs, or sandwich meat with a side of watermelon cubes, cucumber slices, or baby carrots wherever I go is the easiest way to maintain steady energy throughout the day.

5. When life gives you lemons, make lemon water

Not only hydrating foods, but making sure you have plenty of lemon water with a pinch of high quality salt is a MUST if you’re sweating in the sun.

I will feel shaky, aggravated, and sick to my stomach, but the moment I drink a big glass of lemon water, I feel like a new person.

And if you’ve hit the point of depletion, I always enjoy a cold bottle of fruit punch Body Armor, but that’s only if you don’t have any pre-existing kidney damage. Gatorade and Powerade make me sick for some reason, but Body Armor always rehydrates me. It was my go-to during the first-trimester dehydration.

Just remember that heavy electrolyte drinks are rarely needed in normal cases. They can make your body work harder than necessary if not needed.

6. Get some sunlight first thing in the morning

I love my living room for two reasons: 1) it provides a comfy place for family fun, and 2) WINDOWS.

My husband always opens the curtains first thing in the morning. It’s even better when he cracks open the window panes for that morning summer breeze.

There is nothing like waking up and getting a little bit of sunshine on your face before starting the hectic day. It really sets the tone.

7. Do some birdwatching

On the same note, you don’t have to pause for long to see God’s hand playing with the strings of the Earth.

In between writing sentences and church meetings, I look up and watch the birds. The way the birds sit without worry gives me a kind of healing and peace I can’t begin to describe.

It’s the intentional effort to slow down in the busy seasons that make them manageable and even beautiful.

8. Imagine someone in your shoes

If you’re having a rough time mentally or physically, ask yourself, “What advice would I give someone in my shoes?”

Sometimes taking the time to deep dive into your own self can give better advice than any blog post ever could. What problems are causing the most stress? How would you help someone navigate your situation to better fit in a few minutes of relaxation?

What Do You Do to Refresh Your Soul in Busy Seasons?

For me, the biggest help is simply making time to slow down and look up for a few seconds in the busy seasons. Intentionally slowing down can make busyness more manageable and even beautiful.

Just because life requires hustle doesn’t mean that we have to allow ourselves to become stuck in the pattern of no breaks or enjoyment.

Take a breath, Reader. Don’t let the clingy heat and busyness of the summer pass you by without pausing to create beauty in it.