#97: 6 Things Saving My Sanity This Summer
This is NOT a productivity post.
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6 Things Saving My Sanity This Summer
We’re taking a break from our regularly scheduled programming to talk about something very important: fun.
Last week, I went to New Orleans and stayed in a wild historic house—think creaky floors, unusual antiques, and the ghost of Tennessee Williams who wrote Suddenly, Last Summer right there, in the upstairs quarters. Since then, I’ve been slammed with deadlines for my writing projects, and here’s what I’ve realized:
In my last job, I was busy in the way a circus dog is busy—jumping through flaming hoops, waving at executives, learning to walk on my hind legs for a raise that never came. But now? The work I do actually requires my brain. All of it. All the time. And while that’s rewarding, it’s also a different kind of exhausting.
It hasn’t been a bed rot summer for me—it’s been more like a brain melt summer. So instead of pushing through with sheer willpower and iced coffee, I’ve been asking: What nourishes me? What helps me feel less like a burnt matchstick by 6pm?
Here are six small joys helping me survive (and actually enjoy) the busiest creative season I’ve had in a long time.
1. Walk & listen sessions.
If I’m not being steam-broiled by NYC humidity, I love firing up my Audible account and walking through the park with an audiobook in my ears. Movement + story = magic.
Recent audiobook/book faves:
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid – A riveting love story set against the backdrop of NASA in the early 1980s.
These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean – The reining queen of historical romance writes her first contemporary and absolutely nails it.
Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston – A charming rom-com with heart, healing, and a touch of music magic.
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune – A vacation romance with gorgeous beaches and even better longing.
Tell Them You Lied by Laura Leffler – A dark novel about reinvention and the lies we tell to survive in the wake of September 11 in NYC.
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall – A small-town love triangle so big, everyone gets a front-row seat.
2. Gentle TV, please.
Less murder, more corsets. That’s the order of the day.
These TV shows feel like sending my brain to the spa:
The Buccaneers (Apple TV+) – American girls in London causing scandal and sipping tea = YES. Based on an Edith Wharton novel!
The Gilded Age (HBO Max) – The costumes! The scandals! The petty rich-lady rivalries!
Sirens (Netflix) – A fantasy series about two estranged sisters with magical abilities to uncover secrets darker than the sea at night.
Below Deck (Peacock) – Messy yacht crew + high-maintenance guests = serotonin.
Top Chef (Peacock) – The only competition show that consistently makes me emotional about scallops.
The Valley (Peacock) – Vanderpump-adjacent adults behaving very badly.
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars (Paramount+) – Still the most joyful, glitter-drenched competition show on TV.
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (Netflix) – Come for the high kicks, stay for the emotional breakdowns.
Too Much (Netflix) – TBD on Lena Dunham’s latest. I’m watching. I have… thoughts. But I’m not ready to unpack them yet.
And when I’ve deviated from gentle:
My Mom Jayne (HBO Max) – A haunting doc directed by Mariska Hargitay about her mother, Jayne Mansfield.
I’m Your Venus (Netflix) – If you had questions about the death of Venus Xtravaganza after watching Paris is Burning, this is the continuation of her story more than 30 years later.
One Night in Idaho (Amazon Prime) — A heartbreaking account of the 2022 murder of four students at University of Idaho.
3. IRL socializing.
Apparently, people are hanging out again? Like, in person? Wild. But I’m here for it. After 8 hours of screen time, there’s nothing more healing than real conversation over food and drinks.
4. Heated eye massage.
My Amazon Prime Day rabbit hole led me to this: a heated eye mask massager. And let me tell you—it’s a revelation. Especially if you, like me, spend many hours a day squinting at your laptop and wondering why your face hurts.
5. A new way of moving.
I’ve added strength training back into my routine—not to be ripped, just to be able to lift my suitcase without whispering “dear God.” I still do The Class, yoga, and lots of walking, but I recently found Range—a wonderfully weird, yet effective blend of pilates, functional movement, and strength training for women. Get ready to do core work, squats, and bicep curls all while moving like an earthworm and taking breaks to sip hot tea. 10/10 recommend.
6. News and social media diet.
The news right now is downright soul-destroying and for that reason, I’ve had to scale back consumption. One of my favorite ways to engage with the news at this moment is
, written by the hilarious .As for social media? If you’re feeling the rot, you’re not alone. Even as a social media professional, I’m finding that less is more. As I tell my clients: don’t post to keep the algorithm warm. Post because you have an intentional reason. Otherwise? Log off and go touch grass.
What are you doing to stay sane this summer?
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thank you for the shout out, friend!!! ❤️