10 Ways to Stay Productive This Summer

This article was written by our writing leader Elisabeth. Get to know our Summer 2018 Leaders here!

Summer is a time associated with freedom – specifically for teenagers who have school most of the year. For a minimum of 2 months, we don’t have to worry about getting up early to go to school. We can just sit back and do nothing all day. Doesn’t that sound nice?

It is… until it isn’t.

After about 2 or 3 weeks of ‘freedom’ comes boredom. We’ve spent time with our friends, on our phones, eating junk food, and watching movies. Now what? Usually, we just resort to more junk food and more screen time. This isn’t healthy or productive at all.

Leading a productive lifestyle is important to many adults, but not as many adolescents. That’s because the internet and television programs feed into our boredom.

So here’s 10 ways for teens to stay productive this summer:

Volunteering

This may seem a little tedious, but it’s perfect for anyone who has space in their heart to help others. Contact your local animal shelter, thrift store, hospital, or food drive. Surely, they’d love the assistance

Internships

If you’re 18 or older and a more goal-oriented person, this is perfect for you! You’ll get to experience what it’s like to work in your dream job and see if you’d be interested in pursuing it as a career. Professionals will give you tips and tricks, and they may even lead you in the right direction (and introduce you to people who can give you awesome opportunities). You know what they say; it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Research internships in your area in your preferred career. You’d be surprised how many there are!

Get a summer job

This is definitely more time-consuming than any of the above options, but you can earn some money! Check out your local grocery store, thrift shop, clubhouse, or fast food place. Don’t forget babysitting and dog walking! You can earn some serious cash!

Create YouTube videos

Summer is a great time to start making YouTube videos because more time is available. If you love watching people like Joey Graceffa, Lilly Sign, Liza Koshy, Dan & Phil, or Markiplier then this is your chance to be just as successful as them! Sign up for Google Adsense and start making videos. Soon, you’ll be able to make money and gain a following simply from creating content. And you can do it right at home! How fun does that sound?

Write for an online publication or two

I know this is what I’ll be busy with this summer. I’m a writer for more than one magazine and it gets stressful sometimes, but it keeps you occupied and works your brain. I’m a big believer that brain games actually improve your intelligence, and to me, writing is an equivalent to those games. This is a good way to keep your busy and to stay productive while in the comfort of your own home or quiet library.

Summer camps

This one is sort of a no-brainer, but it’s important to include. There is a large number of summer camps no matter where you are, and a variety of them as well. There’s probably a music camp right down the street and a nature camp the next town over. This will most likely cost you money, but it’s worth it because you’ll get to do what you love, have fun, AND stay active. There’s nothing like a good summer camp, even if it’s only for two weeks. At the end is when you’d do something else on this list.

Take an online Driver’s Ed. course

This only applies if you’re 15 or older (for most states and countries). Get ahead of your peers and take a driver’s education course during the summer. You’ll learn how to drive and the rules of the road. Some places even reduce the cost of taking your driving test because of the course. Plus, you’ll be the coolest cat in your peer group when school starts up again!

Travel

Where have you wanted to go for the longest time? Paris, France? Buenos Aires, Argentina? Minnesota, United States? Now’s your chance to go wherever you’ve wanted to for the longest time. Traveling does cost money, but it’s well worth it in the end. There’s no doubt that you’ll be walking around, just exploring. This will give you a lot of exercise! Also, you’ll get back home with SO many pictures and memories. Traveling is just so much fun – so take advantage of it while you have the time.

Take up a new hobby

Don’t just sit around all day on your phone! You can learn knitting, dancing, basketball, ukulele, or even start reading! There’s a lot of things to try out, so don’t waste this chance. You can be doing so much more than eating junk food and watching TV all day. If you’re tired of doing the same thing all the time, then try out something new! Now’s the time to attempt it all.

Make lists

Now that we all have things to do, we should keep up this hustle by making to-do lists and making sure that everything gets done. Nothing compares to the feeling of crossing off something that’s been on our list for a while. Once everything is finished, you can either relax or hustle some more. It’s up to you, but being productive will benefit you more in the long run. Although, I can’t deny the fact that relaxation is pretty rewarding.

Summer is for relaxing, but it’s also for productivity. Now you have the opportunity to do things you haven’t been able to do all year, so take advantage of it! Although, there’s one thing to remember: don’t slack off. Maintain productivity. Be healthy. Stay active.

Have an amazing summer!

How do you make your summers worthwhile? Comment below.

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Feature Image Credit: Jason Blackeye via Unsplash