Ditch the To-Do. Try a To-Be

Happy August from the stunning Italian Riviera!

Thanks to my parents’ living arrangement and my son’s water polo camp, I’m lucky to spend another summer in Italy. Each year we explore a new region—and this time, it’s the beautiful Riviera coastline.

Yep, it’s that time of year again, when everyone slows down and vacation mode kicks in. It’s time to put on your shorts, flip flops and sun glasses and spend some time outside. Whether it’s the beach, the mountains, a festival or exploring new places - whatever makes your heart sing.

This is your time to: 

✨ RElax from everyday stress 

✨ REset your pace 

✨ REcharge your energy 

✨ REconnect with yourself (and maybe with others too)

But how do we do that?

We shift gears - from a “To-Do” mode to a “To-Be” mode.

That means letting go of tasks and expectations for a bit, and tuning in to being.

Just being.

For me, that looks like:

Being present with my family

Being one with nature

Taking deep breaths and soaking up the sun

Being aware of what I’m feeling—physically, mentally, emotionally

What does “BEING” look like for you?

If “just being” isn’t your thing (I get it!), choose something that feels both enjoyable and recharging. It could be reading, dancing, hiking, camping, painting, swimming, even just listening to your favorite playlist - as long as it nourishes you.

And if you’re not able to take a vacation right now, I see you. Life doesn’t always line up with the summer calendar. But that doesn’t mean you can’t create little windows of rest and renewal in your day.

A quiet cup of coffee in the morning, a walk around the block without your phone, a few deep breaths between meetings, or simply pausing to notice the colors in the sky - these tiny mindfulness breaks can go a long way.

You don’t need a plane ticket to give your nervous system a break.

A few minutes of presence, a gentle reset, or a moment of self-compassion each day — that’s recovery, too.

Because here’s the thing:

Stress isn’t always the problem. As Dr. Tal Ben Shahar says, the real problem is a lack of recovery.

In a culture that runs on caffeine and checklists, we glorify being busy. Downtime is too often dismissed as “wasted time.” But in reality, rest is where the magic happens. It’s how we restore, reset, and even grow from stress.

The ability to recover is what separates those who thrive from those who burn out.

So this August, give yourself full permission to pause.

Invest in yourself by allowing yourself to rest.

Even if that means doing absolutely nothing.

You deserve it.