Summer Survival Guide: Coping Strategies for the 6-Week Holidays

Ruth Smith • July 30, 2025

Whether you’re juggling childcare or just feeling the shift in pace, the school holidays can throw everything off. Between unpredictable weather, broken routines and the pressure to “make it special,” it’s easy to feel frazzled.



Here’s a real-life guide, from one human to another, to help you stay calm, grounded and maybe even enjoy a bit of it!

1. Make a Flexible Summer List (Kids or Not)

 One of the best things I did when my two were younger was make a simple summer list. We split it into:


  • Free outdoor fun: beach walks, picnics, park games, nature trails.


  • Free indoor fun: crafts, movie marathons, board games, baking, screen time (let’s be honest – the messy fun lives here).


  • Low-cost stuff: soft play, swimming, even raising butterflies from caterpillars one year!


  • Big treats (within budget): a cinema trip, a day at Flamingo Land, and yes, they loved a day at the Metro Centre.


We stuck it on the fridge, not as a to-do list, just ideas for those “what do we do now?” moments. We never ticked it all off. In fact, we kept adding to it. It became a tradition.


Now that mine are older, I still make a list: wild swims I want to do, places to visit, walks to try… and yes, the Metro Centre still features!

2. Working From Home... When the Kids Think You’re Off

 Working from home can get extra stressful when your kids see you at your laptop and assume you’re free to hang out. Try:


  • Gentle boundaries: “I’m working until 11, then we’ll play Uno.” Timers or visual charts help.


  • Quiet-time baskets: Sticker books, audiobooks, puzzles — anything they can do without you.


  • Play to your strengths: Can you shift your work earlier or later in the day to fit your energy?



  • Drop the guilt: Toast for lunch? Extra screens? That’s OK. It’s survival, not perfection.

3. Going Away With Kids? Don’t Expect a Holiday

 Family holidays are a mix of magic and mayhem. Keep your sanity by:


  • Lowering expectations: Forget the perfect Insta moments.


  • Planning one main thing a day, not ten.


  • Packing boredom busters: mini toys, card games, sticker books.



  • Tag-teaming if you’re with a partner: one takes the kids, one gets a breather.

4. It’s OK to Do... Absolutely Nothing

 f the weather’s rubbish or everyone’s wiped out, that’s fine.


  • Make a film nest with blankets and snacks.


  • Bake something.



  • Just be. You’re still making memories, even on the “nothing” days.

5. No Kids? It Still Affects You

Maybe you don’t have kids, or like me, your teenagers are too cool to be seen with you (unless you’re paying).


Summer can still throw you off, work cover, event overload or just feeling out of sync.

Try this:


  • Make space for your own fun, summer joy isn’t just for families.


  • Use the lighter nights to reset, walks, journaling, reading outside.


  • Try something new: a cold dip (hello, cold water therapy!), a vision board workshop, or a new creative outlet.


  • Protect your peace, boundaries are for everyone.

6. NEW: Free Guided Meditation – Just for You

 When your head’s all over the place, sometimes the best thing you can do is pause and breathe.


I’ve recorded a short guided meditation to help you reset. Just a few minutes of calm to get you through the day (or help you drift off at night).


Want it? Just sign up for my wellbeing newsletter here: https://tinyurl.com/The-FEEL-AMAZING-Therapist


 You’ll get:


✅ A downloadable/streamable meditation


✅ A calm voice (mine!) to guide you


✅ Occasional gentle emails full of tips, events & feel-amazing vibes

Final Thought

 You don’t need a perfect plan. Or perfect weather. Or perfect anything.


You just need:


✨ A few quiet minutes


✨ A bit of fun


✨ A reminder that you’re doing your best


And if you forget that?


I’ll remind you:
 You are amazing.


With calm, care & cold water,


Ruth x

The Feel AMAZING Therapist

Is September the New January?

August 28, 2025
You know that old saying, “New Year, New Me”? Honestly, I’ve never been a fan. I don’t think we need to wait until January to make a change — we can hit reset at any point of the year. But there’s something about September. Whether you have children or not, the back-to-school feeling is in the air. Summer winds down, autumn edges in, and suddenly there’s a shift — almost like nature is saying, “right, let’s get back to it.” When I became self-employed, I noticed how quiet summer could be. Everyone’s away, routines are out of sync, and life feels a little on pause. Then September arrives, and it’s like everything switches back on again. Networking events fill the diary, workshops pick back up, schools are back, the roads are busier — and there’s this buzz of fresh energy. And the best part? Unlike January, there’s no pressure. We’re not weighed down with resolutions, new gym memberships, or leftover chocolates we’re pretending not to eat. September feels gentler. More intentional. A natural reset button. This year, instead of piling on more to-dos, I’m focusing on a different kind of list — my Stop Doing List .

COLD WATER THERAPY

By Ruth Smith • August 13, 2024
Hello! Truthfully, I’m not too sure where to start since this is my first ‘proper’ blog post, but someone I know suggested that I start writing to document my cold-water therapy workshops journey as this is something I’m creating at the moment. To be totally authentic, English and word-finding aren’t a strong point of mine, so I will be using a little bit of magic to help me out with some parts. First a little bit about me, my name is Ruth Smith, and I am ‘The Feel Amazing Therapist’ a life coach and therapist based in Marske, my passion is changing people’s lives and ensuring they feel amazing by clearing the s**t from the past and providing tools to move forward. Although I do have a counselling qualification, I am very different from a counsellor, a client will never leave my office in a state of upset, they leave knowing they are amazing with tasks to do to help achieve their goal.