A collection of easy, effective tips for enjoying the season and stressing less in your everyday life!
Hi guys!
Julie Wunder here from Running in a Skirt! I want to thank Kaila for letting me guest post on Healthy Helper today.
Here’s a little about me… I live in the beautiful mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. I blog and freelance full-time, but recently left my high stress job as the morning news meteorologist at the local ABC station.
TV news was my lifelong dream, but the hours and high stress environment were taking a toll. I spent several years fighting chronic health conditions that simply went away when I quit and starting working for myself. It was a hard decision, but the best one I’ve ever made.
Running in a Skirt follows my journey to living a healthier lifestyle with more of a work/life balance. I focus on fitness, food, fashion and travel… with a lot of fun in the mix
Speaking of finding a balance, I am constantly looking for ways to manage the amount of stress in life. Isn’t everyone? With the hectic summer season here, I thought I’d share a few ways to try to have a stress free summer.
5 Ways to Have a Stress Free Summer
1) Don’t Over Schedule
Do you find yourself saying yes to everything? Combine calendars with your family early in the season. Make sure you aren’t accidentally over scheduling yourself and leave some downtime. Summer should be about taking time to enjoy a slower pace, not rushing around and trying to do it all. If possible, leave at least one weekend a month empty to enjoy the little things. I am still learning this one!
2) Traveling Frequently? Keep some items packed.
I travel frequently, especially in the summer, so I leave a bag of duplicate toiletries packed and ready to go. I will also set aside extra medicine, swimsuits and other travel items in a bag so all I need to add is clothes at the last-minute. It helps cut down on packing time and stress. I also highly recommend unpacking your laundry and starting it as soon as you get home. Put anything you’ll need for the next trip back in the bag after pulling it out of the dryer.
3) Make Cooking Simple
Summer is the perfect season to keep your meals fresh, healthy and fast! Grill and use whatever fresh, seasonal vegetables you can find. Make lots of big salads and you will not even need to heat up the kitchen. Need some inspiration? Try my 16 Clean Eating & Vegetarian Recipes for Summer Cooking!
4) Unplug
It’s easy to get wrapped up in social media and the computer, but use summer to take a bit of a break. I like to pick one day a weekend to unplug or only use social media a few nights a week. It’s hard to really appreciate the joys of the season if you are tied to your phone.
5) Get Outside
It’s only warm, sunny and light past 8 PM for so many months, so make sure you take advantage of it! Go for long walks nightly, hike, eat outside and literally stop to smell the flowers. Summer goes by in a blink of an eye, so don’t waste a moment.
I hope you all enjoy this beautiful time of year! Thanks again to Kaila for letting me post today.
What are YOU doing to have a stress free summer?
Kaila here! Thanks Julie! What awesome tips! I will definitely be implementing these in my own life. Summer is meant to be enjoyed…stress is the last thing any of us need this time of year!

Yep, I love this! I have been unplugging a lot on the weekends recently and it has been the best thing for me. Even when my phone lights up, I’m just like, “Nope, I’ll check it tomorrow!” And wow, being on TV would be so stressful for me–kudos to you for doing it for so long, but also for quitting and prioritizing your health. 🙂
Glad you stopped by and enjoyed the post!!
I resonate with so many of these. The ‘over-scheduling’ was something I really learned the hard way last year, and it has been such a relief this year to say, ‘No thank you. I don’t really have time to do that right now,’ because I’ve realized I can’t do everything. <3
Thanks Em! Glad you liked the guest post!
I’m trying to unplug a bit this summer. Just trying to be more present while my son is out of school and just be more spontaneous throughout the week.
Good to hear that!!
Unplug is a really nice one. I have to get out more!
Me too!
Thanks so much for letting me guest post Kaila! I hope you are having a good week. 🙂
So welcome!!
#4 is my favourite. I have absolutely no problem doing that on a regular basis =)
“1) Don’t Over Schedule”
Ah! I need to work on this. It’s funny how I strive for balance in food and exercise, but in actual life, it doesn’t work out that way. I want to jam pack as much in as possible, but it just leaves me feeling stressed & exhausted. I definitely plan on working on balance better =)
Thanks for tips Julie!
Great tips, Julie!! Unplugging is a hard one for me but I know I need to do it 🙂
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