Summer Solstice: A Mid-year Reboot

It’s hard to believe that we’re almost at the halfway point of the year – we’ve made it through the winter, watched the flowers bloom in the spring, and now summer is almost here. The summer solstice, which is both the longest day of the year and marks this halfway point, is the perfect opportunity to take stock of where you are at in the year, and hit the reset button where you need to. At the beginning of the year, we tend to set goals and resolutions for ourselves, and in the spring, we often refresh our lives, do some spring cleaning, and start fresh for the warmer months ahead. However, a summer solstice reboot is primarily focused on re-centering, returning to our goals, taking stock of all that has happened so far, and reassessing our priorities for the rest of the year. In connecting this mid-year reboot to the longest day of the year, we symbolize the fact that we have the most time to take the reins, and grab this gift of longer days and more sunlight to work toward our goals and prioritize the things we want to do. EQ is here to help you give you some tips and tricks for a successful mid-year reboot, so let’s dive in and embrace the solstice!

Steps for a Summer Solstice Reboot

Mid-year reflection

The first step of a Summer Solstice Reboot is to do a mindful reflection on the past 6 months. Using a journal or notebook, try asking yourself some (or all!) of the following questions, and try to honestly reflect on the first half of the year. If you’re interested in reading more about the benefits of journaling, you can check out our article here.

Did you set any goals for yourself in January? If yes, have you achieved any of these goals yet? Why or why not?
What has worked well for you since the start of the year?
What hasn’t been working for you?
What has made you happy this year? (Be specific!)
What has had a negative effect on your emotions?
What has surprised you?
What have you learned so far?
What has been a good use of your time?
What wins are you celebrating?
How can you make the most of the rest of the year in a way that will be meaningful to you?

Doing this mini-“life audit” and reflecting on these questions will help guide your thinking and discovery into what has been going well for you and what areas of your life could use some more work.

Reassess your goals and priorities

For this step, we’re going to go back to the first question in the mid-year reflection above: Did you set any goals for yourself at the beginning of the year? (Dive deeper into how to create lasting health goals here!)

Summer Solstice Instead of focusing on the goals you did achieve (although these should certainly be celebrated!), we’re going to focus on the goals you’ve abandoned and the goals you haven’t started yet. First, ask yourself why you have abandoned or avoided starting these goals – write down the first things that come to mind. What are your initial thoughts when you think about these goals? Are there solid reasons for why you may have ditched them or set them aside? Do they still feel aligned with your vision for the rest of the year, or is it time to scrap them? Take this time to reassess your goals – get rid of the ones that you don’t feel will serve you, and add some new ones if your priorities have shifted!

Don’t feel discouraged or disappointed for shuffling your goals around – we are always changing and evolving!

When reassessing or creating new goals, try not to set them too far into the future. Doing so can make our goals feel daunting and scary, and might prevent us from succeeding, which can set us up for disappointment. Instead, use the SMART goals criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) to create goals that will serve you in the future (more on that here!) If goals aren’t your thing, make a to-do list for the next 6 months. This to-do list can include scheduling any appointments you’ve been putting off, decluttering your house, planning a meetup with friends and family, signing up for a class you’ve been wanting to take, or visiting that restaurant you’ve been meaning to make a reservation at.

EQ’s Certified Wellness Coaches are experts in goal setting, and can work with you to determine your personal goals, create a plan for achieving them, and help you stick with it. To schedule your first wellness coaching session, visit us at myeq.com/wellness.

Refocus your energy

Next, figure out where you want to focus your energy going forward into the rest of the year. Are you wanting to chill out and reduce stress as much as possible? Are you focused on fixing your sleep schedule in order to be as rested and energized as possible? Are you wanting to hone in and really concentrate on your career and any end-of-year deadlines? Maybe you’re coming back from an injury or have been really into your exercise routine, and you want to prioritize relief and recovery. Once you figure out what area(s) you really want to focus your energy, let EQ help you get there with bundles.

Sleep: Rapid Sleep Melts, Sleep Gummies

Calm: Daily Softgels, Stress Gummies

Focus: Daily Drops, Focus Gummies

Energy: Extra Strength Daily Drops, Energy Capsules

Relief & Recovery: Extra Strength Daily Softgels, Relief Balm

Reassess your finances

The middle of the year is the perfect time to assess your finances and make sure you’re on track with any financial goals. Check out our financial tips for the Summer Solstice Reboot, and take stock of your financial goals going into the second half of the year. <1>

Budgeting

Summer Solstice If you don’t have a budget, now is a good time to look into creating one. A budget can help you track financial goals that span many months or years, like saving money for holiday spending, vacations or even retirement. If you’re new to budgeting, try using an app like Mint or Goodbudget to help ease you into creating a budget for yourself.

If you already have a budget, reassess and readjust where necessary. If your expenses have recently increased, or you need to save more than expected for a specific financial goal, you’ll need to adjust your overall budget. Then, make sure your monthly budget is manageable by adjusting your spending and saving as needed.

Make a list of all expenses

Start by combing through credit card statements, and start making a list of all known expenses that are required to be paid each month. Then, try to look ahead at any looming expenses – are there student loan payments due in November? Are you planning on making a big purchase at the end of the year? Need to save up extra for holiday spending? Become aware of these expenses, and incorporate them into your budget.

Run your credit report

Summer Solstice Now is also a good time to run your credit report and ensure you are on the right track. If your credit report is not as high as you’d like it to be, devise a plan or work with a financial counselor to improve this area within the next 6 months.

Review your investments

If you have investments such as a Roth IRA or 401(k), or invest in particular stocks or other financial assets, you definitely want to be sure that these still align with your personal investment goals before continuing with your investments.

Explore wonder and happiness

Summer Solstice Believe it or not, there is an actual science behind happiness and how it connects to our physical, mental and emotional health (you can check out our deep dive on that here). For this step, refer back to question 4 in the mid-year reflection: What has made you happy this year? Once you determine that answer, try to think about how you can continue feeling this happiness, and how you can incorporate more of the things that make you happy into your daily routine. Maybe it’s getting outside more frequently, going on more walks, making more time to call your family and friends who live far away, or dedicating more time to your hobbies.

If you feel as if you’re lacking in this area, try exploring wonder. As children, we are constantly amazed by the “small things”, and find wonder in so much of life that adults feel are mundane or average. How can you incorporate more wonder into your everyday life? Maybe it’s by taking a bike ride in a new neighborhood, visiting a new coffee shop or restaurant, or going on nature walks with a purpose, such as finding as many colors of the rainbow as you can, or identifying as many different animals as possible. Exploring wonder can help bring a little more brightness into life, and help you to see the world through a different lens.

Identify where you aren’t finding happiness

Now, think back to question 5 in the mid-year reflection: What has been having a negative impact on your emotions / where aren’t you finding happiness? Try to determine how you can avoid these areas, or dedicate less time to the things that negatively affect your emotions. Maybe it’s setting boundaries with certain people or creating space from certain situations (for some help on setting boundaries, check out our article all about “healthy selfishness” here). If something is unavoidable, such as working a job you may dislike, how can you make these activities as joyful as possible?

As we reach the halfway point, we hope this Summer Solstice Reboot will help you take advantage of these long days and help set you up for success for the rest of the year! As always, our Certified Wellness Coaches are here to help you become the best version of YOU. To schedule your first wellness coaching session, visit myeq.com/wellness.