As the days grow longer, summer has a way of making my to-do list feel less urgent. While spring brings a season of growth and renewal, summer calls for a more intentional approach to productivity and a work routine that accounts for vacation days, slower response times, and the desire to enjoy the season.
The pull of a sunny afternoon or that summer vacation you’ve been counting down the days until is real, and so is the pressure to hit deadlines, stay on top of your inbox, and avoid returning from time off to an overwhelming pile of work. The key is to find a rhythm that lets you be productive enough to finish what you need to do while taking the time off you’ve earned.
I spoke with Laura Vanderkam, time management expert and author of several time management and productivity books, including her newest release, Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance, to learn how to mix up workday routines for a more enjoyable and balanced, yet productive summer.
Laura Vanderkam
Laura Vanderkam is the author of the new Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance. She is also the author of Tranquility by Tuesday and I Know How She Does It. She is the host of the Before Breakfast podcast and the co-host, with Sarah Hart-Unger, of Best of Both Worlds. Her Substack newsletter, Vanderhacks, shares a new tip each weekday on how to feel less busy while getting more done.
1. Shift your schedule earlier
“Many of us wake up earlier in summer… [so] if you’re going to be up at the crack of dawn anyway, use the opportunity to start your day,” Vanderkam said. For example, if you work remotely and have control over your schedule, you might be able to exercise first thing in the morning (before it gets too hot), and then start and end your workday earlier.
If you don’t have control over your schedule or don’t work remotely, but you have a good relationship with your manager, consider discussing slight schedule modifications during your next one-on-one meeting. Perhaps you can start work an hour earlier to end an hour earlier, or maybe you can cut back on in-office days so you can create a work-from-home summer routine that works well for you.
If you aren’t granted this type of flexibility, don’t worry. There are still plenty of things you can check off your list early in the morning that will help you move through your day more efficiently in the summer. Here are some things you can easily tackle before the rest of the office logs on for the day:
- Outline meetings
- Schedule emails
- Organize your task list
- Brain dump to-dos
- Create or review meeting agendas
- Add status updates to current open projects
READ: “Microshifting” Can Help You Achieve More Flexibility—Here’s What It Means
2. Make your breaks more intentional
Summer is the perfect time to lean into replacing poor break habits with intentional ones, so you can come back to your work feeling refreshed and conquer your to-do list. This will ensure you can leave the office on time, fully disconnect, and enjoy the non-working hours you’re craving. Here are a few examples of ways you can spend your breaks more intentionally:
If you currently spend your breaks reading news headlines or scrolling through social media feeds, Vanderkam recommends “reading those great beach reads everyone is talking about” instead. Not only will this truly give your brain a much-needed rest, but summer books can transport you on a mini-vacation, even if it’s only for a half-hour. Not interested in beach reads? No problem. Picking up a non-work-related book in any genre can help you disconnect.
READ: The Most Anticipated New Books of Summer 2026
If you’re someone who usually works through lunch or eats at your desk, Vanderkam recommends taking a little adventure on your lunch break. “Go try that cool food truck with colleagues or browse the farmer’s market near your office,” she said. This will prevent you from feeling like you have to wait for the weekend to enjoy summer activities. Plus, it’ll give you something to look forward to while you’re tackling your to-dos in the morning.
And if you typically spend your breaks checking email or crossing off personal admin tasks, consider using that time to get outside instead. Vanderkam suggests taking a short walk, sitting in a nearby park, or grabbing an iced coffee and enjoying it outdoors. A change of scenery can help reset your focus, boost your mood, and make the workday feel less repetitive—all while allowing you to soak up a little more of the season.
READ: 28 Ways to Romanticize Your Life This Summer
3. Optimize your Friday afternoons
Summer Fridays are one of the greatest things ever to be established. Full stop. Not only do they allow us to enjoy more of the season, but longer weekends often help us return to our work on Monday mornings feeling energized and refreshed for the week ahead. If you’re lucky enough to have them, take full advantage of the time away from your desk. Block your calendar and add a note to your email signature regarding your summer availability. Mine reads: “The days are longer in the summer, and so are my response times. Get outside!”
If you don’t have Summer Fridays, Vanderkam offered some easy, practical tips anyone can implement to stay productive on Fridays without dreading the end of the week.
- If you manage a team: Don’t schedule meetings after 1:00 or 2:00 pm. Instead, reserve the afternoons for you and your team members to wrap up or work on something they’re passionate about before they log off.
- If you work from home: Sit outside for the last hour of the day, implement a soft-on afternoon, or take a walking meeting.
- If you work in the office until 5 p.m.: Spend the second half of the day on productive but lower-pressure tasks, such as:
- Organizing your desktop and files
- Following up on loose ends from the week
- Submitting expense reports or administrative tasks
- Scheduling appointments or blocking time on your calendar for next week
- Brainstorming ideas for future projects
- Reflecting on wins and accomplishments from the week
4. Make upskilling feel like summer camp
Remember how exciting it was to wrap up the school year with summer camp on the horizon? Maybe we can’t completely stop working over the summer (although we sure can dream). However, Vanderkam says we can make work-related learning fun by building “Personal Curriculums” and treating each week like a themed week at camp. This can help break up the monotony of summer workweeks, keep you engaged, boost motivation, and optimize your productivity.
To do this, ask yourself: What would I like to learn or explore this summer? From there, create a list of summer curiosities. For example, if learning how to use a tool like Notion has been on your mind, schedule a “Camp Notion” week. Dedicate a specific block of time each day throughout the week to finally learn the platform and browse all of the latest features. Doing something like this can help you improve your workday organization and streamline processes.
Whatever you choose, Vanderkam advises choosing where to focus and adding a theme for each week (or every other week if your schedule is busy). By the end of the summer, you’ll be surprised at how much more you were able to accomplish simply by romanticizing it. Maybe you’ll master a new skill to add to your resume, make more industry contacts, or even become qualified for your next promotion.
Here are some other great ideas you can add to your summer workweeks:
- Learn Loom and spend your extra time during the week creating videos that your colleagues can reference when you’re on vacation or unavailable to help them.
- Dedicate one week to learning automation tools so you can optimize your workflows.
- Schedule an industry deep-dive week where you read the latest research, learn new trends, and share your new knowledge with your team.
- Plan a show-and-tell week where each person on your team shares about one thing they excel at or are passionate about.
5. Plan your to-do list in advance
Thinking ahead is always a good idea, but especially in the summer. Knowing what you need to get done (and by when) can help you be more realistic about how much you can achieve and what’s most important during shorter work weeks. For example, if you know you will only have three working days before going OOO, you can better prioritize your to-dos, complete your most important tasks, and delegate or move the rest, without feeling rushed on your way out of the office.
Not to mention, having time off on the horizon and planning for it gives you something to look forward to, which can help you stay focused during unmotivated moments. The goal is to fully enjoy your time off so you can reset and have fun, then come back to your to-do list refreshed and ready to work.
Summer doesn’t last forever. Your work routine can and should ebb and flow with the seasons. So, don’t stop chipping away at your to-dos and projects, but don’t forget to enjoy the season while it lasts, either. Planning ahead and adjusting your work routine accordingly can ensure you do just that.
Alyssa Towns, Contributing Career & Finance Writer
Alyssa Towns is a Denver-based writer and communications professional whose writing and expertise have appeared in Business Insider, Clockwise, G2, The Knot, Passion Planner, Thrive Global, and more. In addition to being a freelance writer, Alyssa has a background in internal communications and change management and is passionate about helping humans thrive in the workplace.
