{"id":2719,"date":"2026-07-07T17:28:36","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T17:28:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/?p=2719"},"modified":"2026-07-30T17:44:59","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T17:44:59","slug":"the-present-of-being-present","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themagnoliacompany.com\/blog\/the-present-of-being-present\/","title":{"rendered":"The Present of Being Present"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On Staycations, Mindfulness, and Summertime Rest<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Dog Days of Summer Are Upon Us<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

And boy howdy, are they the doldrums. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here in Florida, it\u2019s hot.  Like, biblically hot.  Inside, outside, everywhere feels like a sauna.  It rains once or twice a day, so it\u2019s permanently sticky to boot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also mosquito season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a UV index potent enough to scare the sunblock and the sweat right off your skin, it\u2019s easy to burn out on the summertime experience.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By this point in July, most vacations have come and gone.  They now live in your camera roll.  Your day to day life is back to normal, work and all.  A season that is typically associated with fun, travel, excitement, and a lot of high energy suddenly grinds to a halt \u2013 and with it, your sanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also past the year\u2019s hump day, and the craziness of your fall and winter calendar is already starting to stare you down.  If you think too long about it, you can already feel the exhaustion.   Where has the year gone?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sun<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Pause.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Feeling the anxiety creep in already? (Uninvited, you might add.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Same here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just because your summer vacation is now a memory doesn\u2019t mean that you don\u2019t deserve to enjoy the rest of your summer or to savor moments of rest in your summer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is the opinion of this author that there are, in fact, no better days to rest and recover than the dog days of summer.  Much like the coldest days of winter, the extremeness of the weather almost demands that you rest.  Take the opportunity to restore yourself \u2013 there is no better time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\u201cBut I\u2019m Not On Vacation!\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Vacation does not have a monopoly on rest.  Ever catch yourself saying \u201cI need a vacation from my vacation!\u201d when you return from holiday?  Sometimes, vacations are more like jam-packed adventures than good ol\u2019 R&R. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what does rest look like outside of vacation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Staycations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Simply put, a staycation is a vacation you take at home.  People love these for a few reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n