Staying Productive During the Dog Days of Summer

POSTED BY: Arleen, FILED AS: Business Planning, ON: Sunday, August 16th, 2015

The dog days of summer are here. It can be hard to stay productive during this season while co-workers and employees go on vacation, summer hours go into effect or maybe even your business slows down a bit. In this post we will look at ways to stay productive during the dog days of summer.

What are the dog days of summer, anyway?

What thoughts come to mind when you hear the phrase “the dog days of summer”? Warm weather, sunny beaches, pool side barbecues or family road trips? Or maybe you think of it in more of a literal sense like dogs lying around in the heat or playing around like this fun video from America’s Funniest Home Videos (AVF).

Sidney Hall [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Sidney Hall [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

While the term may mean many of those things to us today, I think you would be surprised to learn about its origin. It comes from the Greek belief about the star Sirius also known as the dog star in the Canis Major and Lepus constellation. Take a look at the image above. The Greeks believed that Canis Major was like a dog chasing a hare named Lepus. The dog star Sirius is at the tip of the dog’s nose. The dog days of summer occur when Sirius lines up with the Sun. These days are believed to be the hottest days of the year. However, we know now that this couldn’t be true. While the months of July and August are usually the hottest the hottest days can vary from year to year depending on where you live. We also know that a star could never warm up the Earth as much as our Sun already does. However the term “dog days of summer” has stuck and taken on a whole new meaning.

How to Stay Productive During the Dog Days of Summer

One way to stay productive during the hottest days of summer is to be thankful. Show appreciation to your stakeholders. Stakeholders being those very important clients or customers who keep your business running or employees and vendors that always help you pull a job together. Marketing products can be one way to show that you are grateful. They will build your brand while showing appreciation. Being grateful and finding ways with giveaways to give thanks will keep you motivated to stay productive on even the hottest of days.

We have also found that combining interest can be a great way to maintain productivity. All of those things that you love to do during the dog days of summer can be done all while doing business at the same time. For example, what a better way to gain interest from new clients than to have a company picnic. Create an opportunity to interact with clients in a setting that they will never forget. Don’t forget to use custom drinkware and giveaways to enhance that memorable connection.

Create todo lists. When the beach is calling it’s hard to be focused and productive. Creating to do lists will help you stay on track. Be clear on what needs to be done and when you will have them done by. Make sure to schedule an appropriate amount of time for each tasks. Break your daily goals down into pieces so that you don’t feel overwhelmed.

Maximize your marketing efforts during the dog days of summer and keep your business goals on track by using giveways to show that you are grateful, creating opportunities to connect with clients in fun settings such as company barbecues and working off of to do lists to stay productive.

Staying productive during the dog days of summer can be difficult. What do you do to beat the heat during the dog days of summer? How do you stay productive during summer hours? What fun ways can you interact with clients during the summer?

 

34 thoughts on “Staying Productive During the Dog Days of Summer”

  1. I think making the ‘ToDo’ list is probably the most helpful way to accomplish things in the summer time. I also think it’s important to realize that there are certain days when the weather affects you to the point where you can’t ‘do’. This should be built into every todo list so that guilt or feelings of ‘need to catch up’ don’t come into play.
    Lenie recently posted…Comment on Everyday Herbs: Recipes and Remedies by LenieMy Profile

  2. I use to do lists all year! Interesting history of the term, though. Funny how things like that stick and morph into modern thinking. I remember going to my dad’s company picnic every year and they were always in August! I don’t recall them using any branded products, but I love that idea! For sure, I think the dog days are getting shorter as schools all seem to start much earlier these days.
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  3. It’s a pretty close tie: dog days of summer, spring fever.

    To do lists absolutely are #1 for me to get past my procrastination.

    I also find more exercise gets me focused on work. Maybe because it’s such a work out!

    But really the older I get, the more I just go with the flow and usually find something that gets my butt in gear.

    Thanks Arleen.
    Patricia Weber recently posted…Introvert cartoons, a quiz, narcissism, blogging: Blog Roundup 18 #Introvert InspirerMy Profile

  4. I’ve been thinking of doing a giveaway so that is a great suggestion for me. Oh, and I love, love, love that AFV doggie video.

    I will say that summer is helping me be productive today. Usually, I wouldn’t be by my computer on a Sunday afternoon. However, it is so hot outside today that I don’t even feel like I can move. So I’m home working. However, if it were 10 degrees cooler, I would be at the beach.
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  5. Really interesting about the origin of the “dog days” term. Where I live in the Islands September is actually the hottest month, and to make it even more challenging the trades normally come to a screeching halt so it’s like living in a sauna. But heat aside, August is always a very busy month for me because I’m preparing for the busy fall months and this month I’m in the process of finishing a new book and online course. I’d be lost without my lists!
    Marquita Herald recently posted…Is Worry Creating Needless Drama in Your Life?My Profile

  7. To do lists are always important. I like your suggestions to incorporate summer activities into your summer work – company picnics, barbecue client appreciation days, etc. I also think it might be wise to make sure the to do list includes the highest priority items with time left for you to enjoy parts of the summer as well. It may be easier to focus on productive work knowing you will also have some summer down time.
    Donna Janke recently posted…Unique Garden SolutionsMy Profile

  8. Good suggestions on how to stay productive during summer, Arleen.

    Personally write to list all year round and find they work for me.

    Sweden is most likely the worst country in the world when it comes to the dog days of summer. Business is almost closed down from late June to mid August. In most countries it’s just August. Took me time to get used to the long period of time when Sweden is more or less closed for business. The best way for me to handle it is to accept that that’s the way it is and not get stressed.
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  9. Great tips! My kids just started back to school, so now I’m back to being productive again! But even though my productivity takes a serious nose dive during the summer, I try to stay in touch with my social media followers, so they don’t completely forget me. That’s something I can do easily on my phone in between trips, games, and kids activities.
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  10. I think my idea of what the dog days of summer are had changed as I’ve gotten older. As a kid I just thought of those days at the end of summer, when all the fun was right before school started again. As an adult that term has no positive connotation left for me. Now I just think of it as those blistering hot days at end of summer, filled with drought and wildfires. Hard to keep active once you are outside of the AC. UGH I’m ready for winter.
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  11. Well, we’re certainly experiencing the dog days of summer in NY. It’s been very hot and humid. I try to stay inside as much as possible for the air conditioning. I’m usually out doing errands or going to the symphony, etc. You know there is nothing wrong with just staying home and enjoying reading with the A/C on!
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  14. Many schools now start-up again in early to mid-August, and that’s a hard adjustment for all involved. There is a sort of deliciousness to the lazy feel of the Dog Days of Summer, but to-do lists can be a huge motivator. I tend to want to go yard work in the morning in the summer which then pushes my daily workload back into the evening.
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  16. As for me, it is the summer I have to get things done, especially outside. Our wingers come early, are hard, and stay late. If I do not get something done by Oct 1, it is not done that year.
    I do have an issue with heat, so basically to accomplish things outside; I have to sacrifice other items. During the summer I hardly work out, this is because my energy level goes down so much.
    Thanks for sharing all these wonderful tips.
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