Internet search engines reflect our concerns in real time. During Christmas, many people search for solutions to their lives using keywords like recipes, gifts, and decorations. However, when summer arrives, the most frequent searches include terms like hydration, work-life balance, and packing. Below, I’ll talk about these popular summer search terms because I’ve discovered that the best solutions for work-life balance and hydration are related to packing.

When I mention hydration, I’m not referring to refreshing drinks like gazpacho or watermelon. I’m talking about the kind of hydration Pope Francis referred to when he invited us to drink from the well of prayer. With this spiritual water, everything flows more smoothly: work-life balance, time to rest, and time to care for your partner. It’s natural to ask yourself, “But when do I pray?” Now, precisely when it seems you have no time for anything, it’s crucial to find that time for prayer.

Let me explain with the example of a suitcase. This week I heard an organization expert say that a well-organized suitcase can hold much more. The same is true in our lives: the more organized they are, the more we can accomplish.

We can also include our spiritual hydration. Don’t fall into the temptation of thinking it’s a waste of time. You’re not going backward, you’re gaining momentum. If there’s ever a time when we need this spiritual hydration, it’s now: when children depend on us 24/7, when they get bored and fight more, when teenagers start going out and routines are disrupted.

By nourishing our souls with prayer, we not only have our intelligence, experience, and resources to organize our lives in the best possible way, but we also have divine help, a guide with infinite wisdom. This will help us find better balance and offer guidance we wouldn’t have considered on our own, allowing us to feel in control of our lives. Conversely, if we go through the summer without this spiritual nourishment, we’ll find ourselves constantly putting out unexpected fires.

The time you dedicate will always be rewarded, whether it’s 5, 7, or 10 minutes. My suggestion: how about half an hour? When? The sooner, the better: before the children wake up. I know getting up early isn’t the most appealing thing on vacation, but it’s always worth it. This practice will provide you with a unique spiritual nourishment that hydrates the soul.

Practice the countdown. This term, which I read in a home organization manual, suggests that if you need to be somewhere at a specific time, you should calculate the time needed to get ready and wake up in advance. If you want to be at the beach by noon, with the house and food ready, and feeling refreshed, calculate what time you need to get up.

It’s easy to waste half an hour on your phone. Those minutes slip away like grains of sand. It would be a great investment to dedicate that time to spiritual nourishment.

Facing heat waves always comes with the advice to use sun protection. We’re no exception. After hydrating body and soul, all that remains is to protect the skin of the whole family, ideally with SPF 50 cream, and to protect the souls of all our loved ones with the SPF 50 provided by each Hail Mary of the Holy Rosary.

With this hydration and protection, we’ll rest more and better despite having less time, and we’ll enjoy our summer vacation more consciously. And in the suitcase of your life, thanks to spiritual hydration, by the end of summer you’ll find room for many good intentions.