3 Ways to Enjoy Summer Even When Life Feels Overwhelming😫

Summer is supposed to feel lighter.

Sunshine. Vacations. Family gatherings. Cookouts. Long evenings. A little more laughter. Maybe even a few days with our toes in the sand. ☀️🌊

Yet for many accomplished, responsible women, summer doesn’t automatically make life less demanding.

The deadlines don’t disappear.

The family still needs you.

The business still needs attention.

The ministry assignment keeps moving.

Someone still needs an answer, a decision, a ride, a meeting, a meal, a solution—or simply you.

And before you know it, you’re watching other people enjoy summer while you’re carrying the same responsibilities you carried in January! 😫

So how do we enjoy this beautiful season without neglecting our responsibilities, feeling guilty for resting, or becoming so overwhelmed that we need a vacation from our vacation?

We learn how to walk the balance beam.

And winning on the balance beam doesn’t mean doing everything perfectly.

It means becoming wise enough to know what God has asked you to carry—and what He has not.

Here are three lessons that help me stay balanced.

1. Cast the Weight Before You Carry the Day

One of the most freeing reminders Scripture gives us is that God invites us to cast our cares upon Him because He cares for us.

I like to remind myself:

His shoulders are bigger than mine. 😊

Somewhere along the way, especially as leaders, mothers, executives, ministry servants, and women accustomed to making things happen, we can start carrying responsibilities that were never meant for our shoulders.

We pray about something…

…and then pick it right back up.

We give it to God…

…and then spend three more hours mentally trying to solve it.

We say we trust Him…

…but we’re still rehearsing every possible outcome at 2:00 in the morning.

That isn’t rest.

That’s simply worrying with our eyes closed.

One reason I intentionally schedule oceanside R&R is that being near the water reminds me to release.

I can sit beside that massive ocean and remember:

God was managing this world long before Michele arrived—and He will still be managing it when Michele goes to sleep tonight.

There are moments when I literally need to cast things into that water spiritually.

The problem.

The person.

The unanswered question.

The deadline.

The disappointment.

The expectation.

The situation I cannot control.

And say:

“God, this belongs on Your shoulders—not mine.”

That is not irresponsibility.

That is spiritual alignment.

Ask yourself:

What am I carrying this summer that God has actually asked me to surrender?

For one woman, that may mean releasing worry.

For another, it may mean releasing the need to please everyone.

For another, releasing unrealistic expectations.

And for someone else, it may mean finally accepting:

“I cannot do everything for everybody and remain emotionally healthy myself.”

Sometimes the first step toward enjoying summer is simply putting down what was never yours to carry.

2. Give Yourself Permission to Rebalance

A balance beam requires constant adjustment.

One small shift to the left.

A little correction to the right.

Eyes forward.

Breathe.

Continue.

Life works much the same way.

Balance is rarely something we achieve once and permanently maintain.

We have to ask continually:

“Am I still carrying what God assigned me—or have I slowly accumulated everybody else’s assignments too?”

My oceanside R&R gives me space to ask that question.

I step away from the noise.

I rest.

I pray.

I think.

I listen.

And I begin separating His charge from mine.

Some responsibilities genuinely belong to me.

Others need to be delegated.

Some expectations need to be renegotiated.

Some activities have outlived their season.

Some relationships may require healthier boundaries.

And some things aren’t problems at all—they’re simply things I need to stop trying to control.

This kind of rebalancing may look different depending on your current season.

If you’re exhausted, perhaps you need physical rest.

If you’re constantly irritated, perhaps you need emotional rest.

If your mind never stops racing, perhaps you need mental rest.

If you’ve been pouring into everyone else spiritually, perhaps you need quiet time where you aren’t teaching, leading, or producing anything—you are simply God’s daughter.

And yes…

Sometimes you simply need FUN!

Dinner with a friend.

A day trip.

A book beside the pool.

Walking along the beach.

Music.

Flowers.

A beautiful meal.

A museum.

A hammock.

A cruise.

An afternoon where your phone doesn’t dictate the agenda.

Rest doesn’t always mean sleeping.

Sometimes rest means giving your soul permission to enjoy being alive.

And here’s something leaders especially need to remember:

Rest is not the opposite of productivity.

Healthy rest can actually protect our capacity for meaningful productivity.

3. Let Rest Make Room for Something New

One of my favorite parts of stepping away is noticing what happens after the mental clutter begins settling.

New ideas come.

Perspective changes.

Problems that seemed enormous suddenly look manageable.

Solutions surface.

Creative thoughts begin flowing.

And sometimes I realize that an old thought pattern has been taking up space that God wants to fill with something new.

That’s another reason I love the ocean imagery.

As the waves move in and out, I imagine old thoughts being carried away:

I should have done more.

I should be further along.

What will people think?

Maybe it’s too late.

I can’t slow down.

Everything depends on me.

Out they go. 🌊

And I make room for:

Fresh perspective.

Fresh vision.

Fresh creativity.

Fresh gratitude.

Fresh strategy.

Fresh courage.

And sometimes…a fresh NO. 😊

That matters because when our souls are perpetually overloaded, we don’t always have the emotional or mental bandwidth necessary to hear clearly, create freely, or lead wisely.

But when I return refreshed, I notice something else.

I’m not only a better leader.

I’m a better person.

A better daughter.

A better friend.

A better listener.

A better coach.

A better servant.

A better decision-maker.

Rest hasn’t taken something away from my assignment.

It has restored something to the woman carrying the assignment.

And that distinction matters.

Your Summer Balance Check

Before this season passes, take a few minutes and consider:

What is draining me right now?

What genuinely energizes me?

Where do I feel most peaceful and alive?

What responsibilities belong to me—and which ones have I unnecessarily adopted?

What environment helps me hear God more clearly?

What restores my emotional, spiritual, physical, and creative capacity?

These aren’t selfish questions.

They are questions of stewardship.

Because the more self-aware we become, the better equipped we are to steward the potential God placed inside of us.

And what restores me may not restore you.

My refreshing place may include an ocean.

Yours might be a garden.

A quiet room.

Music.

Walking.

Painting.

Reading.

Travel.

Time with family.

Time completely alone.

That is why discovering how God uniquely designed you is so valuable.

You begin understanding:

What gives me energy?

What drains me?

How do I naturally process life?

What environments bring out my best?

What types of responsibilities strengthen me—and which ones consistently deplete me?

That kind of self-awareness doesn’t merely improve your summer.

It can change how you lead, serve, work, relate, and live.

Before Summer Slips Away…

My encouragement to you is simple:

Enjoy some sunshine. ☀️

Laugh loudly.

Take the day trip.

Sit near the water.

Eat the ice cream.

Turn off the laptop.

Permit yourself to BREATHE! Aaaaaahhhhhh….

Cast those cares.

Let God carry what belongs to Him.

Then come back refreshed, rebalanced, and recharged for whatever He has placed in your hands.

You do not honor God by running yourself empty.

You honor Him by becoming increasingly aware of how He designed you—and learning how to steward that design wisely.

Because when you understand what energizes you, drains you, strengthens you, and restores you, you are better positioned to maximize the beautiful potential God has already placed inside of you.

💎 You are God’s Exclusive Masterpiece.

Take care of the masterpiece while you carry the mission.

Ready to Discover More About How God Designed You?

Discover Your Capacity—and What Recharges You

Download the Divine Design Decoder Guide and begin exploring the unique qualities, strengths, and distinctions God has placed within you.

Then, if you’re ready to go deeper, explore the Divine Design Discovery Experience to gain greater self-awareness and practical insight for how you lead, serve, relate, and move forward.

Message me at [email protected] for your FREE Divine Design Decoder Guide

Cheers To Your Final Days of Summer!

Coach MJ💋

MBA, M.Min