Summer 2025

As I write this, natural disasters and international crises are occurring daily. We all look forward to summer as a time to relax and restore, but that can be so hard to do when the world feels and is chaotic. I am naturally an anxious person, so my baseline is already not relaxed! It is summer, and as educators, we do need to find a way to continue to recover from last year, rest and take care of ourselves.

How do we do it? I am not going to say I have the answer, but I can share what I have been doing to stay afloat.

My grounding activities this summer have been:

Reading: I have read a LOT of books this summer- mostly books my neighbors and friends have shared, and some I grabbed from little library boxes around my neighborhood. Here are a few titles-it’s all about balance!:

Birding to Change the World, A Memoir by Trish O’Kane

Meet Me at the Lake, Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

Nature’s Best Hope by Douglas W. Tallamy

Waiting for Britney Spears by Jeff Weiss

Decluttering my space: I have donated books I no longer need, clothes that do not fit and lots of knickknacks. I am letting go of things I was holding onto for sentimental reasons but don’t really want or truly need.

Connecting with neighbors: Just sitting outside and chatting with people I know or people walking by. It helps get me out of my head!

Listening to Podcasts:

Good Hang with Amy Pohler (celebrity interviews with a very funny and positive frame)

Ologies with Alie Ward (all sorts of science-related topics through interviews with professional -ologiests)

Beyond the Blinds (pop culture)

The First Degree (true crime)

Photography: My oldest hobby- I just use my phone usually, but I am taking out my old film camera to practice patience while being very selective of what to shoot.

I hope you find ways to carve out a little space for yourself. It feels indulgent sometimes to sit for a few minutes to read or listen to a podcast. But as trite as it is, you cannot pour from an empty vessel (I am not sure who said it first!)- so your family and friends will benefit too. Please take care and know that you are allowed to take time for you!

Next
Next

April Showers