If your tried-and-true work-from-home routines have melted like a popsicle in the sun, you’re not alone.
Summer brings longer days, shifting schedules, and that mid-year feeling of needing a reset. You might be juggling vacations, kids at home, later nights — or just feeling a little fried after a full first half of the year.
But instead of trying to catch up by powering through or sprinting ahead, what if you simply reset?
What if — like putting on a new pair of sunglasses to deal with the harsh glare of summer sunshine — you used a new lens to look at how you manage your day during this season?
I invite you to consider using the lens of practical productivity — not hustle or perfection, but rather grounded intention — to gently shift your routine and reclaim some calm.
Here’s how to use practical productivity to reset your summer WFH routine so you can stay focused, flexible, and fired up — without burning out.
Start with Self-Awareness (Not a To-Do List)
Before you plan your perfect schedule or re-download that productivity app, pause and ask yourself these questions:
- What’s currently working in my routine?
- What feels off or chaotic?
- What do I need more of right now — focus, rest, structure, energy?
This isn’t about judging what hasn’t worked — it’s about getting honest about what’s no longer serving you in this season.
Think of it like cleaning your sunglasses. The lens might be fine underneath, but the dust and fingerprints are blurring your vision. You’re not broken — your view is just cluttered.
Use the “Keep, Tweak, Ditch” Method
Now that you’ve taken a beat to reflect, it’s time to make some simple, low-stress decisions.
Grab a notebook and list out the main elements of your current weekly routine — work blocks, meetings, workouts, admin tasks, breaks, etc.
Then put each of them into one of these 3 categories (I like to use 3 colors of highlighters):
- Keep — What’s still serving you? Keep it as-is.
- Tweak — What’s almost working, but needs an adjustment (timing, duration, frequency)?
- Ditch — What’s draining, distracting, or no longer aligned?
This is practical productivity in action: you’re working with your life, not against it.
Create a Summer-Friendly Weekly Framework
Once you’ve sorted your routine, it’s time to rebuild — with flexibility in mind.
Here’s a sample framework to get your creative juices flowing:
- Mornings: Focus work (before it gets too hot or noisy)
- Midday: Movement, rest, or creative tasks
- Afternoons: Meetings, admin, lighter lifts
- Evenings: Optional work catch-up or personal time
Don’t forget to build in buffers — and leave room for spontaneity. Summer’s not about rigid structure; it’s about rhythm.
Take a minute and consider this: What does “cool and calm” look like in my week?
Hold that vision in your mind, and build from there.
Revisit Your Priorities (Because You Can’t Do It All)
If Q1 and Q2 were about big goals, launches, or growth, maybe Q3 is about refinement. Relationships. Rest.
July is the perfect time to ask:
- What still feels meaningful?
- What can wait until fall?
- Where am I forcing productivity that doesn’t fit?
This is where practical productivity becomes powerful — it’s not about doing more. It’s about doing what matters most, in a way that works for you.
Make Invisible Work Visible
Here’s a summer mindset shift: If it takes energy, it counts.
You may be doing all kinds of unpaid, untracked, uncelebrated work — caregiving, mental load, summer logistics, emotional labor, etc. And off of that impacts your capacity.
Start acknowledging it. List it. Name it. Factor it in when you’re planning your week.
Because if you’re not accounting for invisible work, your expectations will always be unrealistic.
Bonus Tool: Use the Tenacious WFH Productivity Planner Page
To make this reset even easier, Tenacious WFH Insiders and VIPs can grab this month’s Mini Power Tool — the Tenacious WFH Productivity Planner Page — from your private Mini Power Tools Dropbox folder.
It’s a printable and customizable one-page tool to help you:
- Set daily intentions
- Track what’s working
- Adjust based on energy and time
- Make your invisible work visible
- Stay focused without the overwhelm
Think of it as a practical productivity lens — your go-to tool for staying cool and in control, even when life heats up.
Reset Now, Reap the Benefits All Summer
You don’t need a full overhaul. You just need a simple reset — grounded in truth, designed with care.
Use this week to check in with yourself, adjust your rhythms, and choose what matters.
Because when you work from home, productivity isn’t about rigid routines or crushing to-do lists. It’s about clarity. Confidence. And staying cool when the pressure is on.
You’ve got this.
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✨ Want The Tenacious WFH Productivity Planner Page?
It’s this month’s Mini Power Tool — free for Tenacious WFH Insiders and VIPs. You’ll find it in your private Dropbox folder, ready to print or copy into your digital planner.
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