As Alice Cooper so eloquently croons, “School’s out for summer!”

The heat is here, days are long, and while every year the disappointing reality still shocks me that grown-ups don’t automatically get ten weeks of summer vay-cay too, we get the vibe vicariously. Carefree is in the air.

Holidays are coming and no matter how busy we are, it feels time to party, let our hair down, enjoy what’s on offer and have a little fun. My trouble is, with any new beginning, inspiration or project, sometimes I end up blowing it — right out of the gate. Starting in earnest I can then fizzle because I have forgotten that all-important factor: to pace myself.

How ‘mature’ and boring does it sound saying, ‘remember to pace your fun’?

Is there really a danger from ‘too much of a good thing’?

The truth is, I’ve already started to notice the side effects of summer: of burning the candle, taking up every spontaneous offer, indulging in treats and letting ‘chores’ slide. I don’t regret a minute of it, but I can also feel the payback creeping in.

There is a price. It hits us at varying rates based on things like age and stamina, but those late nights accumulate, those treats start to feel like threats and if we don’t factor-in any recovery, we can end up wiped-out, washed up, sick and sorry for ourselves, crashing and burning before the season’s even truly begun!

I’ve spun that cycle in the past. Full on, fall off, back on again and round like that. It’s happened with good ideas, diets, relationships, fun … The problem is, it’s not sustainable long-term because eventually the downs start to outweigh the benefits.

I’m not saying ‘don’t party’. I’m asking, ‘can we party smarter?’

Three tips for pacing ourselves, and not just for the summer season:

1. Rest before you get tired. Rather than waiting for our bodies to decide for us, by conking out, factor-in adequate recovery time between hard sessions. Often easier said than done, I realise, but literally book-in ‘down time’ or restorative activities. Making these ‘quiet’ plans with a friend make them easier to stick to.

Set a phone timer for what you consider a reasonable stop-time. When it goes off, on occasion you may choose to blow right through it, but it’s a good reminder and helps us keep slightly better track of time.

2. Eat well and rehydrate. If we look after and support our body as much as possible with good nutrition, it will better cope when we are putting it through its paces. Look for Catherine Burns’ updates on the best ways to restore and replenish our systems. Simple strategies include drinking a glass of water alongside every alcoholic beverage and eating a balanced, healthful meal/snack before heading out.

3. Prioritise. Keep in mind the big picture of what you want out of the summer … or the project/idea/relationship etc. ‘Fun’ will be part of it but probably also longevity. Can we trust that there’ll be more fun in days to come? If so, pacing ourselves is best way to get it.

Wishing you an awesome, safe and happy summer!

Julia Pitt is a trained Success Coach and certified NLP practitioner on the team at Benedict Associates. For further information contact Julia on (441)705-7488, www.juliapittcoaching.com.