Have you been running your kids around for vacation and summer entertainment like a headless chicken? The habit of seeing ourselves as Busy and Important can be a hard one to break. Without multitasking, we're more likely to actually pay attention to our lives and our own needs. And as uncomfortable and foreign as that might feel at first, it's definitely a good thing that can lead to less daily stress and anxiety. Read on for ten ways to downshift and savor the last days of summer.

1. Eat a peach over the kitchen sink. Is there anything more quintessentially summer than a ripe, messy peach? Eat it over the sink or with a napkin and savor each juicy bite.

2. Take a nap. There's maybe nothing more relaxing in the world on hot afternoons.

3. Go media free. Kick the Friday night movie habit every now and then to head outside and watch the cinematic night sky.

4. Have a picnic. Packing up everything we need for a meal outside the home forces us to slow down and requires a certain amount of thoughtfulness (remember silverware!). Bring a Frisbee or a novel for after dessert.

5. Send postcards or notes to friends. You've been meaning to call an old friend or family member. How fun it is to get something other than a bill in the mail?

6. Save some summer for a cold and rainy day. Take the season's best produce and freeze it --- blueberries, peaches and watermelon puree.

7. Swing. Take in the yard, your family and life from a swing.

8. Watch a sunset. Or a sunrise. It's kind of amazing that this spectacular natural light show happens on a daily basis. Pull up a chair.

9. Make Sun Tea. On the hottest days, cool down with iced tea without heating up the kitchen. 

10. Daydream. Remember daydreaming? It's what happened when we didn't have Twitter and Facebook. We stared out a window and let our thoughts take us where they wanted. It led to great ideas and meandering rhapsodies. Spend some time dreaming about how you want your leisure to feel and what you want your summer days to look like.

(This article was adapted from 10 ways to slow down and savor the summer by Sarah McColl, Shine staff)