5 Practical Tips to Balance Your Business and Family Life This Summer

(Without the Guilt or Burnout)

Summer is a magical season with longer days, sunny skies, backyard moments, and a sweet invitation to slow down and soak it all in. But if you’re a woman running a business and a household, summer can also feel like a pressure cooker of decisions:

Should I take that client call or go to the beach with my kids?
How can I grow my business and enjoy summer without dropping a ball?
Is it even possible to do both well?

Let me reassure you, it is possible.
You can enjoy your summer and still stay connected to your business goals.
You can create space for popsicles, pool days, and profits.

It starts with a bit of intention, a few mindset shifts, and some simple strategies to create more ease, alignment, and flow.

Here are five practical tips to help you plan for a summer that feels spacious, soul-nourishing, and successful, at home and in your business.

1. Time Block Your Summer Like a CEO (and a Mom)

Time blocking isn’t just for high-pressure weeks, it’s a summer sanity-saver.

When the kids are home, camps are happening, and your schedule is shifting by the day, time blocking helps you create predictability in the chaos. It lets you protect space for your business without sacrificing time with your family.

Here’s how to make it work:

• Map out your ideal summer week with work time, play time, and family rhythms.
• Block business hours around nap time, early mornings, or camp drop-off.
• Schedule fun first: pool days, vacations, or long weekends and work around them.
• Use theme days (like CEO Mondays or Client Call Tuesdays) to stay focused without overloading yourself.

When your calendar reflects your life, not just your to-do list, you’ll feel more in control and less reactive.

2. Set Clear Summer Work Hours (and Actually Stick to Them)

One of the biggest energy leaks in summer is blurry boundaries.

You may find yourself always kind of working, checking emails at the park, mentally drafting proposals during family BBQs. That’s why it’s so important to set clear work hours that honor the season you’re in.

Decide what’s realistic for you this summer. Maybe it’s 3 mornings a week. Maybe you scale back your availability or pause certain services for July and August.

Then:

• Communicate those hours with your clients
• Add an auto-responder to your email
• Share expectations with your family

Summer is a great time to test what less can look like without sacrificing your impact or income. Boundaries are a beautiful gift to yourself and those around you.

3. Embrace Flexible Routines (Because Summer Doesn’t Stick to a Script)

Let’s be honest, summer and structure don’t always go hand-in-hand. There are late nights, spontaneous plans, and weather that can change your whole day.

That’s why I recommend leaning into flexible routines anchored in your values, not strict schedules.

Think of them like summer rhythms:

• A short morning mindset ritual before the house wakes up
• A weekly reset moment on Sunday evenings to check your priorities
• A family connection hour each evening (even if it’s just a walk or board game)

These rituals create grounding without rigidity. They give your nervous system something to rely on, even when the days look different.

4. Communicate Your Summer Plan with Your Support System

Your people want to support you; they just need to know how.

Take time at the start of summer to sit down with your partner, kids, co-parents, or anyone who helps you keep things moving. Share your goals, your calendar, and your vision for the season.

Ask:

• “What do we all need this summer to feel supported and connected?”
• “Where do I need more help or backup?”
• “What do we want to prioritize as a family?”

Also check in with your business support systems, like your VA, clients, or mastermind group. Let them know your summer availability and where they can lean in or take things off your plate.

When everyone’s in the loop, you don’t carry the mental load alone. Summer gets to feel lighter, more supported, and more collaborative.

5. Build Recovery and Transition Time into Your Summer Schedule

In the rush to do it all ( run the business, plan the family outings, pack the snacks) it’s easy to forget one essential ingredient: you need space too.

This summer, give yourself permission to build in recovery time. You are not a robot, and you deserve moments to pause, reflect, and replenish.

Here’s how:

• Create space between client calls and family time to transition and reset
• Take one full day off a week for rest, reflection, or play
• Start or end your day with a quiet walk, a journal session, or a few deep breaths

These moments aren’t extra, they’re essential. They help you stay regulated, present, and joyful.

And when you’re well-resourced, everyone around you benefits too.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to choose between growing your business and enjoying your life this summer.

You can design a summer that honors your values and your vision. A season that includes both profit and presence. A rhythm that works for you, not the other way around.

It starts by planning with intention, communicating your needs, and giving yourself permission to do things differently.

So go ahead, block off those vacation days, simplify your offers, and lean into a slower pace if that’s what your soul is craving.

Let your summer be filled with purpose and popsicles.

You’ve got this, and you don’t have to do it alone.

Want more information or help with your summer planning?

Download our summer planning workbook.

Balance is not something you find, it’s something you create.

Jana Kingsford

Let’s stay connected. I offer monthly tips to help you with productivity and self-leadership.

Want to learn more about how I can help? I offer a free 0-minute strategy session. Book HERE