The Permission Slip Nobody Hands You in Summer

Every June, I notice the same thing show up in coaching sessions. Clients start the call already half apologising for slowing down.

‍ ‍"I know I should be doing more with the better weather."

‍ ‍"I haven't been as productive."

‍ ‍"I feel guilty just sitting in the garden."

Here's what I tell them. Summer slowing down isn't a productivity failure. It's the body and the calendar finally agreeing on something. Nobody hands us permission to rest. It doesn't arrive by email. So most of us just keep going until something forces a stop, an illness, a burnout, a holiday spent half working from a sun lounger.

I'd rather you take the permission before life takes the choice away from you.

That doesn't mean abandoning your goals for three months. It means being honest about which season you're actually in. Some months are for building. Some are for consolidating. Summer, for a lot of people, is for the second one, and there's nothing lazy about that.

A few questions worth sitting with this week. What would it look like to do less, on purpose, for one week this summer? What's actually urgent, and what just feels urgent because you're used to running? Who would notice, and would it really matter, if you slowed down?

Consider this your permission slip. Sign it yourself if you need to.

Inspired by: Tricia Hersey's work on rest, a reframe I come back to often.

‍ ‍Jen x

If you need help working out what your season actually calls for, that's what coaching is for. Info here