Summah... Summah... Summah TIME

I absolutely LOVE the summer time! It's my most favorite time of the year to enjoy myself and the heat … while the sun is shining bright… beaches are full of crashing waves… and the days last much longer than in the winter time! But what's most important for me during the summer time is to recharge and reboot!

This may be the same for you, especially if you work in higher education and you actually reserve the summer months OR you might be a college student yourself who is able to take the summer off.

If you're a student athlete, you're bound to continue working hard at perfecting your craft during the summer time… most of the time in the weight room since you have a month or two off from the game of football. Before fall camp starts and you are CONSUMED for the rest of the season, my suggestion is to utilize the summer time to STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES. Enjoy the calm before the storm and work on things that you normally wouldn't have the time to work on during season. This can range from things to improve your well-being… to preparing for an internship-search, or perhaps a job hunt if you're in your senior year.

Here are a few ideas that might be worth exploring this summer:

     - Take a trip back home to visit the family! --> Spending time with the fam can replenish your soul and help reset your mind before fall camp begins

     - Go on a weekend (or week) adventure with some of your close buds --> Spending time with your teammates can help build your friendships off the field... if you go with your friends that are not on your team, then enjoy the bonding time with your pals you hardly get to see during season

     - Work on your resume [see tips here] --> Set yourself up for the fall semester or what's to come after by preparing your resume and incorporate aspects of your sports career 

     - Volunteer working somewhere you might be interested in pursuing for a career --> This might be prime time to get into a workplace to start developing your professional skills. [Back in the day (not too far back!), when I was in college and graduate school, I totally used it to my advantage while introducing myself to random people. It would go something like, "Hi! My name is Beverly and I'm a grad student who is looking to volunteer and gain some work experience." You have a free pass while you're in college in that you can introduce yourself to whomever you wish to and ask to be taken under their wing!]

Other things that can help you STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES during the summer might be as simple as reading a book... watching a TV series on Netflix... having breakfast with your roomies/friends... enjoying a day at the beach... and much more! I encourage you to use this time to be as present as you can in the moment before the crazy hectic schedule begins [yet again!].