How to have a hot girl summer while staying true to yourself.

You have spent all year working on yourself and doing the work, however come Summer do you find that your boundaries and self-care routine slip out of the window? You are not alone.

This month’s guest writer on Rise and Vibe is Jordan Sapir. There is no end to her talents, Jordan is an athlete, coach and the founder of Über Moms, a non-profit that encourages mothers to live an active and healthy lifestyle. An enthusiastic spinning coach, creative, entrepreneur and a maternal advocate living in Munich, while raising a dynamic duo who keep her on her feet; she is pursuing a Kona slot before she reaches the top-tier age group.

Between ascending mountains on bike and aspiring to create an emotionally intelligent household, she is creating a path for her daughters to someday follow. Until then she writes about her journey as a mother and looks to change the narrative for young Black women in arts and sports and believes that every day there’s a new way to become the better version of yourself.

Here Jordan talks about her own personal experience following her burnout and her top 6 tips on living a Hot Girl Summer while continuing to work on yourself.

So you think you want a hot girl summer?

As an athlete, mother and resilience coach, I thrive on consistency. Staying consistent takes discipline, but it also takes a plan. As summer hits pop the charts and Pantone releases the summer colour, while OPI follows suit– it’s your cue to come up with a plan of action to counteract all the “Summertime Fun” messaging. That’s where I come in.

Every great plan starts with a blueprint. You wouldn’t build a house without walls would you?

I`ve had a life-changing year. After Covid, I realised that I had a severe case of Burnout and was stuck in the hamster wheel of People Pleasing and a lack of setting boundaries. On top of being a mother of 2, non-profit founder and an athlete, I live abroad with literally no tribe or way to outsource most of my roles. I have just encountered an epic proportion of cutting back and opting out. I’ve learned how to say no and that it is in fact a complete sentence. It definitely hasn’t been an easy feat, but let’s face it, easy to do during the winter. But what does that mean for people like me in the coming months? People who have spent the winter hibernating and putting the work in.

Am I doomed to a lacklustre eventless summer? No! It means I have to set boundaries if I want to continue with my personal growth through what is the Prime social event season.

I thought sharing my Hot Girl Summer plans could help you to envision your own and be the best version of yourself while chasing the sun.

Advertisement plastered banners calling you to try new drinks, fly new places and buy new summer trends are endless during the summer months. If you are anything like me and spent the last few years putting in the work, don’t let those marketing tricks derail your growth.

How do you have a Hot Girl Summer and continue to work on yourself?

Here are 6 tips to living your best life while not conforming to social norms

Don’t let that friend’s wedding, girls trip or GNO’s break the bank or your values.

Tip #1 - Stay within budget:

It will most definitely be a broke girl winter if you let holiday spending get out of control. It’s easy to try to keep up with friends who may have a more extendable budget and bottomless pockets, but if you’d like to keep your pockets full, as I suggest you should, don’t let your budget get away from you. A hot girl budget means an emergency fund for, well, emergencies and a clear idea of what you can splurge on and where you need to save. Hot girl summer does not mean that you spend beyond your means.

Here my favourite go to Hot Bosses to follow on social media that have great tips for budgeting and saving this summer.

The Broke Black Girl @Dasha The Financial Activist and Brandyn Family- Marriage- Finances @positivelyb and The Financial Diet provide great resources.

Tip #2 - Self care is the best care:

Self care aka, fulfilling your needs before others, is even more important if you plan on spending more time outdoors and hanging with friends. It is okay if you need to wind down after being overstimulated. For me that looks like a run alone, time to read and write, listen to music or simply relax with family. I’m going to schedule time for myself and set alarms to do things just for me or alone with the kids. It may be as simple as spending time in that outdoor space you worked so hard designing or joining a book club, to stay accountable and reach your yearly book goal.

Whatever it is, it is time for you to do specific things that bring you joy. Whether you spend it alone or with friends, make sure it is helping you relieve stress and recenter.

Tip #3 - EveryBODY is a Summer body:

You didn’t put all that work into having your summer body to miss workouts and over indulge. I definitely think all bodies are summer bodies, which is different for everyone, but that doesn’t mean that I am in disagreement that it takes hard work to get summer strong. Maybe you worked hard to reach fitness goals, maybe you didn’t. That's also okay, put on the bathing suit, go for the bikini and enjoy your body just the way that it was intended.

I like being strong and feeling healthy and not hungover, so my version of hot girl summer includes balanced meals and Fauxtails. The older I have become, the more I realise the effects of alcohol and lack of sleep have on my mental health. When I overindulge in any of the above, I find that it takes a lot of work to get back on track. It’s of the utmost importance for me to not miss workouts, hydrate and sleep. I make a living sweating, so slacking isn’t an option.

A good way to counteract the summer cocktail fun fallacy, is an early brunch, workout dates or an Italian style aperitivo. You can still have a stylish cocktail– sans alcohol and have fun. The drink trend this summer is a Dirty Shirley. How about we help Shirley wake up refreshed to Clean and Jerk the day after.

I had another realisation during lockdown–it’s a lot easier to form a good habit then it is to quit a bad one. If you’re meeting friends every night for dinners and drinks, it’s going to be tough come Autumn to cook at home and cut out booze.

My best tip is to meet friends and family for active dates, a hike here and there, run, bike and swim to help stay in line with your goals.

Tip #4 - Staycation:

How about staying local, saving all while exploring your city and the surrounding area.

This summer, I’ll be having a few Staycations. There is always a push to travel to faraway places and get away from home. How about creating a space of value which you would like to retreat to, instead of escaping from.

I love that I’m able to live abroad. It is truly a blessing. That also means that having a busy family life means I often lose sight of the fact that I live in a foreign city. The mundane gets in the way of local exploration. This summer, I’ll be visiting local museums and finding gems right here in my own city, which for me means it's more accessible and cost-efficient. Also, sadly living in Germany, it means it won’t be covered in snow.

Tip #5 - Digital Detox:

Some of my most memorable times in my life have been alone and not captured on film. I’m actually pretty grateful that camera phones didn’t exist during my haydays! Woozers!

Here’s the scoop. Your entire life doesn’t have to be documented on social media. There are a few different ways to handle this. You can be brave and delete apps from your phone for holidays or you can take a trick that I learned during quarantine, which is the good ole “photo dump”. Take the

picture, cherish the moment, but wait to post and share it. You’ll still be able to have the proud moment to show friends and family where you’ve been and what you’re doing, without taking away from the moment. You can even plan a fun photoshoot to make stylish virtual postcards. “Wish you were here”, is the new hashtag.

Tip #6 - FOMO:

High season is underway and what can feel like missing out is often guised as unfulfillment with your own progress.

Instead of following holiday hotties, I’ll be muting, blocking and deleting any pages on social media that don’t bring me joy. Don’t worry, you can catch up with trends. Delete, Block and Unfollow pages that make you feel less than.

Follow and engage with pages that make you laugh, learn, inspire activism or just bring something new and fun to the table. The entertaining woman you met in the bathroom cue at Pacha, 3 years back, doesn’t qualify. In fact, do some virtual house cleaning–out with the old, in with the new.

I will be continuing to set boundaries, putting myself first, limiting access to my daily activities and building a life which involves putting my own personal growth and fulfilment first.

After all, Megan the Stallion sent out a Bat Signal for women when she dropped her hit single, “Hot Girl Summer”, “You just have to be the life of the party. You have to be kind, you have to be confident,” she explained. And you have to support other women.”

Sounds hot to me!

For more tips on staying active, following your dreams, being a social activist and pursuing a life outside of the box, follow me @uber_mom_munich, checkout Über Moms Event Page on our website, or join one of my invigorating and inspiring Blackbike Classes. Check out the schedule here.