Congratulations! If you are a teacher, you have made it through another school year. One step closer to retirement. However, retirement will seem like a far ways away if you don’t take the time to decompress this summer. After the last nine months of juggling parents, students, and assignments, it is time to just relax. Below are a few ways you should be able to decompress this summer that won’t break the bank.

Binge Watch a Series

Whether you have Netflix, Amazon Prime, cable, or some other sort of television streaming app, it is usually easy to find an interesting show that you have never watched. Once you find this intriguing show, grab a bag of chips, maybe a few cookies, and some of your favorite beverages and start binge watching like you have never binge watched before.

Maybe even stay up 24 straight hours watching your new program. It’s not like you have to wake up early the next morning for work. A few of my favorite shows to binge watch in the past are Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, and Lost.

Go to the Beach

Sometimes there just isn’t anything better than grabbing your towel, a bit of sunscreen, and a pair of stylish sunglasses and hitting up the nearest beach. Even if it is only really a lake with sand around it, that is perfectly acceptable. Wading out into the water or just having yourself a little picnic on the shore can be relaxing moments that make the stress of your school year disappear. If you visit the beach enough during the summer, there will be no doubt that you will be able to handle another school year. Plus, you will have an awesome tan.

Visit the Library

I started my summer reading lists back when I was a kid. Even as an adult, I still make sure I have a summer reading list that I can check books off of. Usually I make this list slowly during the school year when I had no actual time to read anything besides textbooks, but you can probably come up with ten books that you would enjoy reading right at this moment. Visiting your local library will give you many ideas. In addition, if you are into audible books, there are several companies out there that offer free books that you can listen to. Sometimes listening to a book read to you as you fall asleep can remind you of back when you were a child and your mom was sitting on the edge of your bed reading you a bedtime story. It’s a very peaceful setting to go to.

Reconnect with Friends and Family

 It is a bit sad that so many of us educators often get labeled as “three-month friends” because we are so busy during the other nine months of the year that we seldom hang out with anyone. We get so

preoccupied with focusing only on school matters that we frequently ignore everything else in our lives. Use the summer to reconnect with friends and family that you have not seen much lately and then promise them that you will do a better job in staying current with everyone. It is amazing how good you will feel after hanging out with loved ones for merely a few hours. All of your concerns about the school year will slowly melt away.

Prepare New Projects for the Next School Year

I know that thinking about the upcoming school year might be the last thing you want to do and that’s understandable. However, for a few of us, we like to incorporate new projects and lessons into our repertoire during the summer. It may not sound relaxing, but knowing you are fully prepared for the upcoming school year and not having to create lesson plans late at night, it can definitely give you peace of mind.

Go All in on Health and Fitness

Teachers have the habit of sometimes letting their health and fitness slide during the school year. It is not uncommon for educators to put on ten pounds during this time. However, ten pounds can quickly add up every year. America is already the fattest nation on the planet with about 40 percent of adults qualifying as clinically obese. That is not even counting the people that are merely considered overweight. Be part of the solution and not part of the problem by joining a few fitness classes this summer. Channel your inner Jack LaLanne and start creating your own Rocky montage as you begin working your way to the healthiest possible you. Exercise is a great way to decompress and by the time the next school year begins, people will notice your commitment to getting in better shape.

by Ryan Crawley

Ryan Crawley is an education and fitness guru currently making his home in Illinois. He always tries to look on the humorous side of things as he has spent years teaching, training, and writing.