21 May 2017 by Lisa Meloncon<\/p>\n
<\/a>I have grown to love the academic year cycles, and like most of us, I look forward to the breaks we have between terms. I\u2019ve had the germ of this blog rolling around in my head the last few weeks, but I had trouble pairing it down to the most important things to do in the summer. So finally settled on the three Rs.<\/p>\n As move into the first part of summer (or wrapping up the last couple of weeks for you quarter term folks), it is the perfect time to rest, reorient, and to plan realistically.<\/p>\n <\/a>Yup. It\u2019s been a long year and the more relaxed pace of the summer gives you the perfect opportunity to replenish your mental and physical energy. Take some time to rest and relax to help you to rejuvenate. Without this, you\u2019ll find yourself starting the fall just as depleted as you are now. Don\u2019t forget to have lots of fun, which is something that we all need to do more often (cause can you have too much fun?!) It\u2019s really ok to do nothing during the summer. That\u2019s what resting and rejuvenating is all about. (And there\u2019s a \u201cpsychological importance\u201d<\/a> to wasting time and taking breaks.)<\/p>\n Summer should definitely afford you the time and space to create more balance in your life and hopefully, to start to build some new habits that may carry into the fall. For example, I have to recommit to a daily exercise routine. I hope to have that habit rebuilt by the time the fall term starts. I am also sleeping as late as I want and not giving myself a hard time about it!<\/p>\n <\/a>Maybe it\u2019s because I\u2019m feeling a bit nostalgic or the fear of moving to a new academic home, but this summer I\u2019m going to be taking some dedicated time to reorient. In this sense, reorient means to think through what it is that you want out of this job, to think through a strategic plan to achieve it, and to figure out ways to get rid of those things that are causing stress and angst.<\/p>\n For many of us, we sometimes get caught up in the day-to-day of work and the real and assumed expectations that we lose sight of why we wanted to do this job. Being deliberate and reflective about what you like and what you want out of this job is an important summer task. It can help clear the mental debris so that planning for the summer is easier (and realistic) and hopefully, it helps you form a strategic plan for the upcoming year. I know I talk about strategic planning a lot. The reason is that it provides a material way of tracking goals and ensuring a sense of control over your life. There are so many aspects of this job that we cannot control. The one thing we can control is our attitude and approach to it. A summer reorientation can help.<\/p>\n For example, I know that my new job will be different in some ways, with different responsibilities. That means I need to reconsider some of the things I do now to determine if the passion for those things still remain and if I\u2019ll have time to do those things. Framing these internal discussions through the lens of what I want out of (and need from) this job is a useful exercise to reduce stress, to make a plan, and to not over commit.<\/p>\n During a Mentor Monday earlier in May, Sarah Singer shared this:<\/p>\nRest<\/h3>\n
Reorient<\/h3>\n