#summer routine

hey lovelies! ✨

summer break is finally here and honestly? it's my favorite time to both relax and get things done. i know that sounds contradictory but trust me, finding that sweet balance between productivity and fun is totally possible! after years of either doing absolutely nothing or burning myself out, i've finally found my perfect summer rhythm.

first things first: the morning routine ✨

i've learned that my day flows so much better when i start it intentionally. i wake up around 8 or 9 (not too early because we deserve some extra sleep!), make my bed immediately (small win!), and spend 15 minutes journaling before checking my phone. this tiny habit has literally changed everything for me.

my summer morning essentials:

iced coffee with oat milk and a tiny bit of vanilla

a cute journal that makes me excited to write in it

10 minutes of stretching by my window

a super quick skincare routine (sunscreen is non-negotiable!)

creating a flexible structure 🤍

the secret to summer productivity is having just enough structure without feeling trapped. i divide my days into three parts:

morning: productive focus time (2-3 hours max) afternoon: flexible time for errands, friends, or projects evening: pure relaxation and fun

this way, i never feel like i'm missing out or falling behind. the key is being realistic about what you can actually accomplish in a day. i used to make these impossible to-do lists and then feel awful when i couldn't finish them.

my productivity non-negotiables:

i always make sure to do at least one productive thing each day, even if it's small. some of my favorites:

reading 20 pages of a book

organizing one small area of my room

working on a creative project for 30 minutes

learning something new for my blog

planning content or taking photos

balancing productivity with summer fun ✨

here's my little secret: schedule your fun just like you schedule your work! this sounds silly but it actually helps me look forward to both. some of my favorite summer activities that feel refreshing but don't derail my productivity:

morning walks with an audiobook

afternoon picnics where i can also read or brainstorm

coffee shop work dates with friends

sunset swims after a productive day

weekend day trips that recharge my creativity

my favorite productivity tools:

a paper planner (something about writing things down just works better for me)

the forest app to stay off my phone when focusing

aesthetic notion templates for organizing my projects

time blocking in my calendar with cute colors

lo-fi summer playlists that help me concentrate

remembering the why 🤍

summer isn't just about getting things done or having the perfect instagram moments. it's about growing, reflecting, and creating memories that will make you smile in december when it's freezing outside. productivity should support your joy, not replace it!

i've found that my happiest summer days are when i accomplish something meaningful in the morning and then have the freedom to be spontaneous in the afternoon and evening. balance isn't perfect every day, and that's okay too.

what are your favorite ways to stay productive during summer break? i'd love to hear your tips too!

xoxo, mindy 🤍

✏️ My summer study days:

During the summer, I like to dedicate a day or two per week to studying. I don't do any cramming or studying all day. Instead, I focus on making cute notes and flashcards to help me when school starts again. I have found that this makes me less anxious to start school again, becuase instead of having to figure everything out within the first few weeks, I can show up prepared and relaxed.

✧

Ways to romanticise summer study days:

🕯️ Environment- study in a park/ cafe/ beach, study somewhere with natural sunlight, cozy lighting, quite background music/ study with me playing, make a cup of tea/ have snacks while you study

💕 Cute notes- use your favourite color to highlight key words/ phrases, write titles in a cute font, make little doodles around notes to personalise them

💭 Content- use google to search the curriculum for next year, look at books you will be studying next year and make notes, ask upper classmen what they learned in the year your'e going into, watch youtube videos on topics you don't understand yet

🃏 Flashcards- I prefer to use anki because it has a system where you can click how confident you are with the content on each card- keeping me more engaged than regular flash cards that I passivly flip through. To make anki more enjoyable to use, I customized the back ground to a cute pink screen and added a table to show my progress:

☀️ Breaks- Take a short walk outise, exercise (I usally choose weighted workouts on study days), listen to music with no distractions, read a book for a little while

🎯 Goals (arguably one of the most important aspects of study days)- write out a list of what you want to cover over the summer- notes, flashcards, written memorization, then break this down into achievable tasks to work towards this goal on study days (eg I want to make notes on specific biology topics covered next year. becuase of this, I might decide to cover one topic to make notes on and flash cards to reach this goal.

✧

I hope that you pull away tips from this for enjoying studying, wether its over your summer holiday, or the the school year 🫶

summer routine trial (3 days)

8 am : wake up and marinate in bed

8.15 : make bed and drink water

8.20 : brush teeth, glamor magic, and shower (comfy clothes ofc)

9 : breakfast of choice

9.30 : read a book

10 : post something on tumblr

10.10 : practice french

10.20 : take meds (infront of apollo alter)

10.22 : read more or work on asmr script(s) OR watch gilmore girls/sweet tooth

11 : check on emi

11.30 : read more

12 pm : have a snack

12.05 : play a game

1 : read even more

2 : free time (nap usually)

She'd do essentially the same things she does in the show; like read, sleep, listen to music, smoke, etc. but with summer activities mixed in...

She'd wake up around 7-9am, make breakfast, shower, and do her skincare.

The rest of the day would normally take place indoors, since summer weather SUCKS! Here's a couple things she might do to pass time:

Read inside or in her backyard, watch slasher movies (perfect for summer 😁), journal, or paint.

For more "summer-y" activities, she might have a picnic outside, see a local/smaller band in concert, go to a drive-in, pick flowers, go to a flea market, or go to the beach (at night/afternoon so that it's quieter). Her and Tate might have a little beach date together, with a bonfire and s'mores and all that stuff.

At night she'd watch something and go to bed around 10-12!

✨ Day 7 of the Summer Studying Challenge ✨

16th July - Do you have any summer traditions?

ooo yess, every summer vacation my family and I commit ourselves to learn a new board game/game that doesn't require anything digital.

It's honestly so much fun because it's like a breath of fresh air in this monotonous routine of schoolwork and mindless media consumption and also because we all get super-competitive and it almost always gets super dramatic. this summer we're learning how to play solitaire!! so far we've gotten down the basics but we all suck at it and win only on pure luck

✨ Day 8 of the Summer Studying Challenge ✨

17th July - What is your typical daily routine in the summer?

I don't time-block the whole day but I do have a morning and nighttime routine. the rest of the day between that usually varies according to my daily commitments and to-do list

~ morning ~

5:30-6: wake-up, go to the washroom, get fruit and some water/tea/coffee

6-9: study something, usually in 50 min-10 min Pomodoro

9-9:30: workout

9:30-10:30: have a shower, and get breakfast which I'll eat while doing Duolingo/watching ytube/ netflix

~ night-time ~

8:30-9:30: wind up all my work and clear out my desk and get some dinner which I eat while watching an episode of whatever series I'm bingeing

9:30-10: skincare routine and changing into comfy pj's, taking care of any last-minute chores, replying to texts

Your Wildfire Action Plan Checklist

Create an evacuation plan that includes:

A designated emergency meeting location outside the fire or hazard area. This is critical to determine who has safely evacuated from the affected area.

Several different escape routes from your home and community. Practice these often so everyone in your family is familiar in case of emergency.

Have an evacuation plan for pets and large animals such as horses and other livestock.

A Family Communication Plan that designates an out-of-area friend or relative as a point of contact to act as a single source of communication among family members in case of separation. (It is easier to call or message one person and let them contact others than to try and call everyone when phone, cell, and internet systems can be overloaded or limited during a disaster.)

Be Prepared:

Have fire extinguishers on hand and train your family how to use them (check expiration dates regularly).

Ensure that your family knows where your gas, electric, and water main shut-off controls are located and how to safely shut them down in an emergency.

Assemble an Emergency Supply Kit for each person, as recommended by the American Red Cross. (See next section for details.)

Maintain a list of emergency contact numbers posted near your phone and in your emergency supply kit.

Keep an extra Emergency Supply Kit in your car in case you cannot get to your home because of fire or other emergency.

Have a portable radio or scanner so you can stay updated on the fire.

productivity can mean different things

summer productivity does not mean or have to mean that you are grinding everyday to get work done. being productive could simply mean self-care. productivity comes in all forms, from painting your nails to doing the dishes to reading a book. it could even be something along the lines of creating a new playlist or folding the laundry. it’s up to you.

first off, plan a little

write your lists down somewhere that you’ll check again (i’m using a google doc.) make three lists: daily checklist, short-term goals, & long-term goals. leave room for revision.

daily checklist

don’t pile on tasks on this. it is unrealistic to put like ten things on your list to do everyday, and it’s exhausting and can even be anti-productive trying to attempt to complete such a list everyday. pick two to three things to do everyday. for example, mine says, “1. do khan academy (for SAT prep) 2. check the DMV for available appointments (to renew my permit oops) 3. read a book or three articles.” the second one is subject to change because eventually i will get an appointment, so always leave room for revisions.

short-term goals list

this is the list where you put stuff that you want to accomplish by the end of the week, month, etc. for example, mine says, “finish ap government chapter one by friday.” these can be specific or general. like my short-term goals list also has my goal of reading three books every week.

long-term goals list

what do you hope to accomplish by the end of summer? do you want to re-invent yourself? be proficient in a language? have finished all your college apps? you define your goals here.

studyblr ways to be productive

read a book get ahead and look at your AP curriculums; make a study schedule watch TED talks watch documentaries listen to podcasts make study playlists visit museums

self care ways to be productive (these are nothing new, but just serves as a reminder that taking care of yourself is good and productive. it is in no way a waste of time, so don’t let anyone convince you otherwise)

take a bath or shower the simple hygiene stuff (brush your teeth, etc.) clean your living space delete apps you don’t use or need drink water journal, draw, make music do whatever makes you feel happy (if you don’t have anything, go a try a bunch of activities! do something that scares you, you might be surprised) exercise (it doesn’t have to be a whole lot, just walk around and stretch every once in a while) sleep, rest, take time for yourself

other ways to be productive