5 Simplification Tricks to Stay Sane during a Busy Summer

This conversation was sponsored by jimmyCASE, but all opinions are 100% my own! Enjoy!

Let’s be real, summer for us college women is not always the most relaxing. And it can be hard to handle a busy summer.

We’ve got jobs, volunteering positions, and often a course or two, all while trying to figure out where we’re living next year, what courses to sign up for in the fall, and how on earth we’re going to manage to actually have some fun vacations with our friends and family.

All of it can make a girl go a little crazy. Before you know it, a month has flown by and you’re that much closer to being back in school. We’ve all been there. This summer is especially insane for me–I’m writing a whole book this summer and I’m kind of freaked out about that. Loving every moment of that, but it’s still scary! Check out this post to learn more about that!

So this summer my goal is to learn how to not go crazy when I’m this busy. I know, that’s a pretty lofty goal. But through simplifying some key aspects of my life, I think it’s definitely doable. But I have decided to take 5 steps towards creating a simpler, more meaningful summer. Pretty much I want to have my life under enough control that I can get everything done without ripping my hair out. And I want you to do this with me!

So I’ve decided to share my 5 tips for how to handle a busy summer with you, since I know we’re all in the same boat. I hope you enjoy them!

1. Have time every day to do something fun

This is something I’m very bad at doing. Throughout the school year, I just study all the time and then if I have a moment of down time I just turn on Netflix or YouTube binge “Good Mythical Morning” from like three years ago or something. But this summer I want to make sure I take time out of every day to do something engaging and fun, either by myself or with m husband.

Here is my list of hobbies/activities that I want to do more of this summer:

1. Knitting
2. Sewing
3. Reading
4. Baking
5. Exercising (but fun! Like yoga or running by the river!)
6. Writing for my blog creatively instead of only as a job.

Often our lives are bombarded by social media and if we don’t have constant stimulation we get bored. Our generation really doesn’t have much of an attention span, people. And that can cause both a lot of stress as well as the feeling that the summer is slipping away. By taking time you would have spent on Netflix or just lounging around doing things that you find meaningful, your summer starts to be more meaningful and feels a little less like it’s escaping you. What kinds of things would be on your list?

2. Keep your home clean

This might not seem like something fun, but it leads to the ability to have more fun. When you’re trying to handle a busy summer the last thing you want to do is a pile of dishes from three days in a row, or to have to scramble to clean the house before your friends come over.

Cleaning a little bit each day can help relieve so much stress, as well as give you more free time in the long run. Five minutes here or there is much better than 3 hours later. Simplifying your weekly cleaning schedule by just picking up after yourself or getting rid of a bunch of stuff you never use reduces crazy amounts of stress from your day-to-day life.

If you need some help with getting started, I have a free printout for that! Check out my post on cleaning with roommates here!

There’s just something serene about looking around your living space and seeing it all tidy and neat. When you’re running back and forth or working from home, though, it can be easy to treat your home like a bit of a dumping grounds. Let’s stop that habit this summer so that you can have those impromptu visits from friends, or just have a clearer head when you’re sitting at home.

3. Meal plan effectively

Taking ten minutes every Saturday and just sitting down to plan your meals makes the rest of the week a breeze. I take it a step further usually and chop up all the veggies and fruit I buy the day I do groceries so it’s ready to go whenever I need to make dinner. Generally when it comes to cooking, the majority of time is wasted just staring blankly into the fridge, not sure what you’re going to make because you haven’t planned effectively.

Save yourself some stress and make things easier by sitting down and planning for the rest of the week. It makes grocery shopping quicker, means you eat healthier food, and gives you a simpler cooking experience that is much more enjoyable than frantically throwing things together at the last minute.

4. Pare down your responsibilities

Sometimes if we’re super busy a lot of the time it’s our fault for saying “yes!” to too many things. You have work, plus you volunteer, plus you seem to always be out with friends or you boyfriend and you just never have any time for yourself.

Well maybe it’s time to start saying “no.” Think about the things that take up your time and ask yourself these questions:

“Do I have to do this?“ Figure out how much of something you have to do, and what things you really don’t have to do at all.

“Do I want to do this?” If you don’t have to do something, is it still contributing to your life? No, you don’t have to spend time with friends, but do they act as a source of encouragement for you? Do they help you feel loved? Then make sure you make time for them.

“Can I cut back on this?” If you have to do it, or if you just want to do it, you might still be able to cut back on it. Maybe instead of going out with your friends every single weekend you can go out every other weekend to give yourself some down-time. Remember, out of everyone on this entire earth, you are the only person that you will always have there for you. It’s important to get to know yourself, and to be comfortable by yourself, even if you’re super extroverted (like me). So figure out what a healthy balance is for each of the things that are taking your time and try to stick to that.

5. Look for items that simplify your life

I don’t know about you, but I’m constantly looking for my purse. But I always have my phone on me! That’s why when I saw the jimmyCASE I was immediately hooked.

The jimmyCASE is a phone case that has an elastic pocket on the back that can hold up to 6 cards, cash, or even some keys! Plus, you can get it in any colour you’d want! I’m loving my colourful new case for my iPhone 5C (YES they do older models, too!), and it’s making my life way easier. Now, when I’m heading out, I can just throw my credit card and my bus pass in the pocket and I’m good to go. It makes it so easy to run errands or go for a jog without having to bring my whole purse with me to the grocery store or awkwardly shove my keys in a pocket while jogging where they just bounce the entire time.

Another great feature I’m loving is how well it actually protects your phone. I’m a major klutz, so I drop my phone all the time. My phone case has been well-tested already, after only having it for a few days, and it has stood the test! Seriously I dropped my phone down the stairs in this thing and not even a scratch. I’m very impressed. Not many phone cases have withstood a fall down the stairs like this one.

If you’re having a super busy, on-the-go summer, the jimmyCASE is a great accessory to have! It’s practical, plus it’s super cute. I hate the flaps that are usually on wallet-phones, so I love that this one has all of the cards on the back. Overall, I give it a 10 out of 10 and am already looking into getting one for a my sister for Christmas (Katie don’t read this…)

What are some of your tips on how to handle a busy summer? How do you take time to enjoy a holiday while you have seven thousand things on your to-do list? Let’s talk about it in the comments below!

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