038- Summer Energy Series: You’re Not a Machine. Why Summer Still Requires Boundaries

Feeling like summer should feel easier by now, but somehow you’re still riding the burnout train? In this episode of the Summer Energy Series, we’re doing a mid-season pulse check. Mornings might be lighter, but if your brain’s juggling back-to-back meetings, snack duty, sunscreen reminders, and a 9-5 that's lost its chill; you're not alone.

Melissa shares personal stories, explains why your nervous system may not have gotten the summer memo, and walks you through three soulful shifts to help you stop performing rest and actually practice it. Spoiler: rest isn’t something you earn. It’s something you protect.

You’ll learn:

• The truth behind the “yellow zone” and why it matters
• How to spot sneaky productivity guilt
• The difference between presence vs. performance this season

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Disclaimer:  I am not a medical doctor. The information and recommendations provided during our coaching sessions are intended to support your overall health and wellness and are not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment. Always consult with your physician before making any changes to your medication, treatment plan, or if you have any concerns about your health. 

Transcript

Summer Energy Series Introduction

Speaker 1 2:28

Hey, you made it back. You made it back for another episode of Smash the Crash, the podcast for midlife women juggling all things and secretly wondering why am I so freaking tired all the time, even when summer is supposed to slow down? If this is you, you are in the right place. And today's episode of the Summer Energy Series. We're completing a summer pulse check.

Speaker 1 2:53

School's been out for probably one, two, three or four weeks now and, depending on your situation, things might actually feel slightly less chaotic. I know. For me there's a little bit more breathing room in the mornings. No more chasing bus schedules for two different schools for my kids, making sure everyone has gotten changed, brushed their teeth, filled their water bottles. The iPads made it into the backpacks, because I don't want a phone call saying mom, I forgot my iPad, can you come bring it to me? And I'm not checking the clock every five seconds to make sure that backpacks are in order and we are out the door on time. That alone has lifted a huge weight.

The Yellow Zone Between Burnout

Speaker 1 3:37

But while the mornings feel easier, my nine to five has been cranking up like a pressure cooker. We're halfway through the year now. Projects that were once just ideas are suddenly on the calendar and are very, very real. Meetings are stacking, expectations are rising and that false sense of ease that I was hoping for in the summer would bring during the nine to five hours, has kind of become a distant dream. So in today's episode, I want to peel back the curtain and remind you of something that I remind myself constantly you are not a machine. Your time, your energy, your emotional and mental bandwidth, they all have limits. And just because the calendar says it's summer doesn't mean that your body and your brain are magically operating at full capacity. So let's talk about how to honor that without feeling guilty and how to gently shift into a summer rhythm that fills your cup instead of draining it dry. So I'm going to be honest. Summer sells itself like some kind of magical reset, and don't get me wrong, I'm sure it is for many, many, many people, and it can be for us too, when we schedule it. But summer makes you feel like you're supposed to slow down, rest and reset, and maybe even catch a tan or a nap in the same afternoon and reset and maybe even catch a tan or a nap in the same afternoon. But even though the logistics might ease up, like the school drop-offs or the end of year events. Your nervous system doesn't always get that memo. For me, even though the mornings feel lighter, I'm finding that my work day is a little heavier, so I'm having more mental tabs opens, more Zoom meetings in fact, back-to-back Zoom meetings barely a time for a bio break. Everything feels urgent and the tasks that feel like they should have been done yesterday, even though I'm just hearing about them now, it's like the universe said hey, you freed up 30 minutes in the morning. Great, here's a new deadline. Good luck with that.

Three Soulful Energy Shifts

Speaker 1 5:56

This is such a sneaky trap, especially for midlife women and especially high achievers and caretakers. You finally have a sliver of space and instead of using it to rest, you book it up automatically with more tasks, more planning, more doing, because somewhere deep down your subconscious has been taught that you must earn the rest, that if you're not being productive, you're falling behind. But the truth, bomb, is, you're not. You're just human. So let me say it again for all of you women tuning in today you are not a machine. You weren't built for endless output. You weren't built to run like a 24-7 task app with no off switch. Even when the pace shifts, your internal load doesn't always get lighter. Your thoughts, your worries, your calendar, they're all still on, and if you're feeling like you should be more relaxed by now, but you're actually feeling more edgy, more tired, more snappy, you're probably in what I call the yellow zone. You're showing up, you're getting things done, but under the surface there's tension, fatigue and maybe even some resentment. This is the space between burnout and balance. You're not crashing, but you're definitely not thriving. And this, my friend, is where a lot of you might live this summer.

Speaker 1 7:46

So here's what this has looked like for me personally. My mornings feel a little lighter. No more bus chaos. I still get my quiet time, morning walk-in, if I play my cards right and, quite honestly, I'm the dealer. Right, I'm not playing the cards. I'm the dealer, so am I dealing my own cards right? But at the same time, work is ramping. My brain is bouncing between multiple projects, staff changes, one-on-ones, making sure everyone else feels good, deadlines, and then what's coming up for quarter two? Yeah, already. And in the cracks between all of that, I still have to remember sunscreen, packing snacks. Did you eat lunch, yet drinking water? Did you eat lunch, yet Drinking water? All the things right with the summer.

Speaker 1 8:45

So if you've been trying to relax, maybe sitting outside with a book. You've gotten through a whole chapter and for the life of you, can't even remember what you read because your brain just would not quit. Sitting in what you would consider a relaxing setting, with a full-blown mental tab list running in the background, and you think quote, if I can't turn my brain off now, when can I? Here's your answer. It's when you choose to. I know it feels a little bit easier said than done, but when you intentionally make space, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally, for rest, because the calendar doesn't dictate your capacity, your body does. And remember, you're not a machine, you're human. So let's flip the script on summer Instead of performing a rest, let's legit practice it.

Speaker 1 9:41

So here are three soulful energy shifts that I'm inviting you to try, and these are ones I'm working on too. Number one you to try, and these are ones I'm working on too. Number one shift from performance to presence. So ask yourself am I doing this because I want to or because I feel like I should? And if it's not for the Pinterest? If it's, if it's for the Pinterest board and not your piece, you've got permission to pass. Now I understand that if you're working a full-time job, nine to five, just like me. There are things that we can't say no to, but there are ways that we can flip the script and make room for the things that are a priority right now, because not everything can be a priority at the same time.

Speaker 1 10:32

Number two guard and protect your energy, even when it seems like you have more of it. Just because mornings might feel easier doesn't mean that you have more capacity. Block off space in your day and literally call it, do not book or me time. Treat your time like it matters, because it does. And three add one thing that feeds your soul. Not a task, not a goal. One small thing that reconnects you to you. Maybe it's a 10 minute playlist, maybe it's a podcast, maybe it's a walk, maybe it's a solo target run, maybe it's a short walk without your phone, but be the woman who rests without guilt. Be the woman who protects her peace Like it's part of her job, because it is, and no one else is going to do it for you. And a bonus when others see you protecting it, they'll want to do it too.

Resources for Energy Reset

Speaker 1 11:33

I'm not much for trends, but if you're going to be a trendsetter, let it be this. And as you close out your podcast app this morning, I want you to remember these last thoughts. You are allowed to be a midwife woman with boundaries. You are allowed to be tired even when nothing looks chaotic from the outside. And let me tell you, you are allowed to nap. You are allowed to rest without needing to earn it.

Speaker 1 12:05

And if you're listening to this and thinking, yeah, I know I need a reset, but I don't even know where to start, well, I've got two ways to help you. Number one grab my free energy tune-up tracker. It's a quick, no fluff way to see what's really draining your energy. It does focus on five key foundational elements to energy and where you can make micro shifts that might actually help. No pressure, no guilt, just clear insight. You can grab that at melissahimmoncom forward slash tune up. Or you can join me for smash week. This is a five day self-paced program where I walk you through simple, realistic strategies to improve your energy, your sleep, your nutrition and your mental clarity. There's a reason why women love it. It works without overwhelming you. You can find all the details at melissahimmancom forward slash smash week.

Speaker 1 13:00

You don't need a total life overhaul. You just need space to breathe, clarity, to see your next step and support to stay consistent. So this summer, protect your peace, choose your yeses wisely and never forget you're a human being. You are not a machine. You deserve rest, you deserve clarity and you deserve to feel like the human that you want to be. So until next time, you best be taking care of that energy. Talk soon. See you on the next one.