Thriving in Survival Mode

Summertime.

Relaxing, sitting in the sunshine, spending time with family and friends.

Well, that's what the campers are doing, anyway. We don't really have time for that.

Summertime is our busy season- Trevor's busy with repairs and preparations and landscaping and improvements, and I'm busy with payments and registrations. We have over a thousand people come through our ministry in the summer. It's busy.

For most people, summer isn't a a super-busy season- just the opposite. A lot of folks find themselves in survival mode right about.... now. Back-to-school, beginning fall work schedules... you might be gearing up for your busy season!

This was our third summer of 'summer survival mode,' and I've learned a couple of things that have really helped us to get through the summer and thrive, not just survive.

Stick to the Routine

As tempting as it may be to just relax or turn on the TV as soon as you get a chance (been there), neglecting household chores and routines is pretty much guaranteed to cause more stress and unhappiness in your life.

Keeping up the basics (wiping down the bathroom, a load of laundry a day, and a quick tidy up in the evening)- even when I feel like I don't have time- makes a huge difference in my attitude.

And while keeping up with your household routine makes a huge difference, it's even more important to make sure that you're sticking to your routine of spending time with God. It can be really easy to let that devotion time in the morning get bumped off your busy schedule. Make your time with God a priority- and stick to it!

Make Time for Downtime

Pouring yourself into work without taking time to fill back up again will make you burn out- and quickly. It may seem counter-intuitive, but taking some of that precious time to do things that refresh you will actually make you a better employee and a happier person.

Get your rest, do the things you love, spend time with your family, and most importantly, spend time with God. You are not a robot- you need to be healthy physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to be your best!

Instead of working seven days a week during the summer, I make it a point to take a half-day off once a week- and I use it to do a little blogging, a little reading, spend some time outside, and also to get some extra things done around the house. It really helps me to keep the peace in my life.

Don't Take Work Home

Yeah, this one is tough for me. I tend to take work personally and allow the lines between work and home bleed together. If you are self-employed, or if you work with your spouse (like I do), it can be an even bigger challenge to keep work at work.

Setting boundaries and sticking to them is so vital to help you keep work at work really makes a difference during the busy season!

When is your "busy season," and what do you do to thrive in, rather than just survive, it?