Summertime is a great time for spiritual growth. With laid back schedules, lots of sunshine, and time to travel, though, it can also be a time for spiritual burnout. Here are six tips to keep you from getting burnt out spiritually this summer.
1. Keep a daily prayer routine
This is nothing elaborate, just your daily rosary or prayers before bed. This is basically to keep you in practice and not let those spiritual muscles get weak.
2. Give yourself some slack with other prayer practices
Did you used to go to a daily holy hour when you were at school but now it would be much more difficult? Were you able to make it to daily mass with your work schedule but now with travel that may not be possible? Do not worry! Prayer practices are for the person, not the person for the practices. Instead of a daily holy hour, go once a week. Instead of daily mass, go one extra day a week. This takes the pressure off and makes sure you get from these prayer times what you actually need–– time with God.
3. Don’t worry about taking on extra or new prayer practices
Enjoy the time you have in the sun, with friends, and traveling! You can praise God through those things, too. There are seasons in prayer just like there are seasons in nature and we should heed them and what they bring to our lives.
4. But then again, try something new!
If you’ve always wanted to get in the habit of praying a daily rosary, summer is a great time to start. Whatever prayer practice you’ve been wanting to try, summer is a good time to give it a shot before you get into a routine again when school and fall roll around again.
5. Learn about a saint
Pick up a book by or about a saint you want to get to know better and spend your summer doing just that. Summer is a great time for meeting new people and making new friends, and that goes for our brothers and sisters in Christ, too.
6. Have fun!
Summertime is about adventure and fun and it’s a great reminder that our spiritual lives should be the same. The grandest adventure we’ll ever go on is the journey with God and that journey is equal parts sorrow and joy. So lean into the joy this summer and enjoy who God has made you to be.
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