Analog Summer
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Happy July, I hope this finds you well as we officially move into the first full month of summer here in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s already really hot and into the triple digits here in my little corner of the world. I hope that you and yours are finding plenty of ways to enjoy the season while also staying cool.
When I was asking for a message for this month, the big message that I kept receiving was Analog Summer. Depending on how many summers you’ve experienced, this may be something that you’re very familiar with and in lots of ways what you initially think about when you think about summer. Maybe you think about swimming, or playing in the sprinklers, riding bikes, going for hikes, making a picnic, drinking lemonade and eating popsicles. The majority of summers gone by were experienced outside, sometimes including movies in the evening. Sometimes, it can feel like these whimsical summers are gone and instead filled with tablets, scrolling, texting, and streaming while indoors under artificial lighting for most of the season. While I completely understand and appreciate the modern blessing that is HVAC, there is definitely room for a blend of outside and inside activities.
This isn’t just about nostalgia; in fact, I saw how important these analog activities are for our nervous systems and for our overall wellness. Not only do analog activities allow us to create new neuro pathways, extend our attention spans, and even make space to learn something new; it allows us to decompress and regulate our systems. This definitely isn’t a message about avoiding everything connected to wifi, but more about balance. You can increase analog activities inside your home too while enjoying the comfort of the air conditioning. Things like board games, decks of cards, coloring books, puzzles, stitching or sewing projects, playing an instrument, trying a new recipe, or listening to albums, cd’s, or cassette tapes that you physically have to change. These physical or tactile activities support a shift in the way our body responds to the world around us; increasing calm, regulation, and personal peace. You don’t have to invest a lot of money in curating items for your analog summer. You probably have some of these things in your home right now, they are often relegated to the back of closets or to high shelves. If there are a few things you would like to add to your list, you can find great deals on these things at big box stores or you can have them delivered right to your front door. (See, balance.)
Another aspect that I saw when looking at this theme included the importance of integrating some of these skills or experiences early into the summer. By starting now, you can create an environment where it’s easier to lean into some of these physical options instead of scrolling. There can be a bit of an adjustment period which is natural. You may want to have some of the things that you’ve chosen in places that are easy to reach and accessible to you and the people in your home. If things are accessible, it’s easier to choose them. If you have other people in your home, you can invite them to participate with you as a way of making the experience feel inclusive. Not only does this make it easier to participate in your analog summer; it also helps to create a healthy habit.
When I was looking at this, I also saw how activities like this can increase calm in individuals and in the home overall. With summer heat and some potential for challenges to the grid, if there are any wobbles with power or if brown outs begin, this can help to make the experience a little less stressful. If the power goes out, even for a little while, it can be stressful and can make everything shift from what the plan for the day was into a new plan. If you have already curated some analog items and have them in places that are easy to access, you’re already one step ahead. If you and others in your home are already used to incorporating some of these things into your daily routine, it will feel more natural to enjoy those options while waiting for the power to resume.
Like most things, there’s no one way or right way to do this, just the ways that are right for you. Maybe you can give yourself permission to try one activity each day to ease into this shift. You can even color while watching a movie even if only for 15 or 20 minutes. Pay attention to how the physical activity makes you feel and then choose things that feel gentle, easy, and enjoyable for you. Investing in a little bit more analog is a worthwhile investment this month whether it’s outside activities, inside activities, or both. You don’t need to put pressure of yourself to make sure you’re choosing the right thing, just try something that sounds fun to you and go from there. A bonus about analog is that you get to reconnect to things you may have enjoyed from summers in your past and enjoy them all over again while also being inspired to try something new.
I hope that you’ll give yourself some space to enjoy the physical, tactile, and even clunky aspects of an analog summer. Honestly, those are some of the best things about it, that you can physically hold something and experience it as it was intended. So, if you’ve been holding onto an old boombox, dust it off, get your tapes or CD’s out of your case logic and set it up. Or fire up the record player, run cords all over the place and experience something the way you did in a summer gone by. Taking good care of our nervous systems has been such a strong theme this year, and it’s continuing this month. I’m wishing you a wonderful month and would love to hear how you’re integrating some analog into your summer if you feel guided to drop me a note. I’d also love to hear how it’s making you feel and what surprised you about it.
If you feel guided to work with me during a private session this month, I would love to support you. You can schedule your session by clicking the link below to get into my schedule. I know schedules can be a bit busy during the summer and if you need to schedule your session for a day and time that isn’t listed, please send me a note and we’ll find something that works for both of us.
As always, I’m sending you so much love and support from my teeny tiny corner of the world straight to you.
With deepest gratitude, thank you so much for being here,
Kristy~xoxo
P.S. I’m planning on working in my little garden, trying some new recipes, listening to records, and turning a table into an official puzzle table for the summer.
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