MM: How’s Your Summer “Break” 07/18/16 | As we all grow older we realize a sad truth: summer days belong to childhood. We no longer have 104 days of summer vacation to explore, relax, and dream up the future– if we are lucky we get a few weeks throughout the year to squeeze in all of our exploration, relaxation and dreaming. The adult summer is more like a short weekend that becomes consumed with catching up on everything we didn’t have time to do during the week– the never ending struggle of finding the balance between work and life. But we believe that Summer Break can make a true comeback with three easy tricks: 1. Treat yo self. If you are feeling overwhelmed with your work, make time in your schedule to completely disconnect from your job, and do something you find joy in. Whether it be pouring a glass of wine and watching The Bachelor or curling up with your favorite book. Setting time away to do something for you is key to a healthy work/life balance. 2. Get moving. Now you are probably thinking I am insane. You are exhausted both mentally and physically by the time you get home, why on earth would you exercise. We all know the quote from Legally Blonde, “Exercise releases endorphins, endorphins make you happy, and happy people don’t kill their husbands.” This is true! Exercise naturally releases endorphins for what is often called a “runner's high.” Working up a good sweat can completely turn your day around and make you feel a million times better. 3. Embrace the off button. Every electronic device has an off button, so use it. It sounds so simple, but for many people, this is the hardest thing to do. Don’t bring your phone to dinner, or when you are on vacation, be on vacation. For short periods of time, go without technology and you will see the relaxation that comes when you unplug from the world.