I want to talk about the unspoken side of running a business in the summer: the guilt.

You look outside and see a beautiful day, or you see your family enjoying their summer break, and a part of you wants to join in. But the high-achieving, entrepreneurial voice in your head starts shouting: “You should be launching that offer. You should be writing content. If you stop working, you’re going to fall behind.”

This creates a terrible trap. You end up sitting at your desk, too distracted to actually get meaningful work done, but too guilty to actually enjoy taking a break. You are stuck in the messy middle, draining your battery without moving your business forward.

Here is the perspective shift you need right now: Productivity looks different in different seasons.

Nature does not bloom all year long. It has periods of intense growth, periods of harvesting, and periods of resting. Your business operates the exact same way. Pushing your way through a summer slump while holding onto spring expectations is a fast track to burnout.

Hack #19: Work at a Different Time of Day

One of the greatest gifts of being a solopreneur is that you own the clock. If the traditional 9-to-5 window feels impossible right now because of summer energy dips or schedule disruptions, try the energy pivot. Shifting your work to an early morning block before the house wakes up, or a quiet evening hour when the air cools down, can completely change your productivity game.

Working for two focused hours when your brain is actually invited to the party is infinitely better than sitting at your desk for six hours pretending to work during a midday slump.

Hack #21: Plan a Strategic Work Hour

When time feels scarce or scattered over the summer, do not try to tackle your entire master to-do list at once. Instead, plan one strategic work hour. Before you open your laptop, decide on exactly one or two high-impact tasks that will actually move the needle in your business.

Set a timer for 60 minutes and commit only to those items. By narrowing your scope, you protect your brain from decision fatigue and build a quick, satisfying win that beats the summer inertia.

Hack #39: Willing vs. Wanting

When you are feeling unmotivated or bogged down by summer guilt, it helps to check in with the difference between being willing versus wanting. Let’s be real: you might not want to sit down and update your business bookkeeping on a beautiful July afternoon.

But if you ask yourself, “Am I willing to do this for 20 minutes so that I can enjoy my weekend completely stress-free?” the answer is usually yes. Shifting from waiting for the “perfect mood” (wanting) to a conscious choice (willing) aligns you with your bigger goals without the emotional battle.

Rest is Productive Regulation

Your ADHD brain uses an immense amount of energy to focus, organize, and execute tasks. When you are constantly fighting the lack of a routine and the added sensory input of the summer months, your brain burns through fuel even faster.

Rest is not a reward for doing good work; rest is productive regulation.

When you allow yourself to slow down without the accompanying guilt, you are actually recharging the executive function tanks you need to run your business. Taking a morning off to go to the beach or choosing to work fewer hours in July isn’t failing your business. It is conserving your energy so that when Q3 hits, you are ready to soar.

The EFT Tool: Tapping for Productivity Guilt

If you are struggling to give yourself permission to slow down, let’s use a quick tapping sequence to release the grip of that guilt.

The Tapping Points: top of head, eyebrow, side of eye, under eye, under nose, under mouth, collarbone and under arm.

The Script: Tap gently through the points and say these words out loud:

“Even though I feel this heavy guilt for doing less… and I’m terrified of falling behind… I choose to honor this season. Rest is safe for me. I can slow down without falling behind, and I choose to trust my rhythm.”

Let’s Navigate This Season Together

You do not have to figure out the summer shuffle all by yourself. Your brain is brilliant, and with the right flexible tools, you can enjoy the sun and still keep your business beautifully alive.

The Monday Power Hour: Every Monday at 11am PT, I host a free Power Hour where we work on our businesses side by side with other women who genuinely get it. Join us here.

Find Your Best Support: Not sure if you need 1:1 coaching, a small group, or just a gentle nudge in the right direction? Let’s talk it through. Schedule your Clarity Call here.

You are doing so much better than you think you are. Which tapping script or summer hack are you going to try first today?