A Slow Summer Challenge
your invitation to a more grounded, grace-filled summer
If you’re anything like me, summer can so easily slip into a whirlwind of activities, logistics, and trying to “make the most of it”—until it doesn’t feel restful at all.
So, what if we approached this season not as something to survive or optimize, but as an invitation to slow down and return to what matters most to us?
Inspired by our summer book club read, Rhythms of Renewal by Rebekah Lyons, this Slow Summer Challenge is your gentle guide to a more grounded, grace-filled season. The practices below are taken from each chapter of the book and are rooted in one of the four rhythms: rest, restore, connect, and create. You don’t have to do them all. Choose one or two each week, and notice what feels restorative for you this season.
If you’d like to gamify this a bit more, when you complete the whole list, treat yourself to something that helps you slow down (maybe a coffee, journal, or new book?) or a few extra hours in the middle of the summer rush to slow down and be.
Let’s live slower this summer together ☀️
Your Slow Summer Checklist
Take Inventory - reflect and journal to determine your priorities
Tech Detox - delete social media for ___ days
Get Quiet - carve out at least 15 minutes for silence
Examine and Confess - bring your pain and hurt to God, a trusted friend, or a therapist
Count Sheep - practice good sleep hygiene
Morning Routine - start with a few minutes in gratitude and prayer
Sabbath - set aside one day (or just a few hours) to rest as a family
Play - do something fun and frivolous
Eat Smart - fill up on summer fruits and veggies
Root Your Identity - make an identity statement from the Bible your daily affirmation
Take a Walk - (pretty simple!)
Go on an Adventure - take a trip to somewhere new
Break a Sweat - try a new exercise, or start a new routine
Push Yourself - do something outside your comfort zone
Initiate Friendship - reach out to someone new, or invite someone you know into a deeper relationship
Lead with Vulnerability - open up to someone you trust
Hospitality - open up your home to friends or family
Bear Each Other’s Burdens - connect with someone in a season of need, pray for them, and/or actively help them
Give a Hug - initiate friendly physical touch
Connect with Your Spouse - go on a date night or have a date night in
Apologize First - practice forgiveness and repair
Dream Again - spend time finding what brings you joy and purpose, and let it guide your future
Recover Your Passion - clear the distractions to revive what lights you up
Work With Your Hands - paint, crochet, bake, garden, etc!
Learn Something New - enroll in a class, or try a new hobby
Make a Memory - use your imagination to do something that makes a lasting impression
Take Care of Something - take on responsibility for something that brings you joy: a new plant, a pet, or making a weekly date with a friend
Say Yes - take a risk
You can print this out (using the link above), tape it to your fridge, or tuck it into your book as a reminder that slow doesn’t mean stagnant—it means you’re living right where you’re meant to be.
And join the Substack below chat to let me know what you try!
