The Summer tends to be a season where office performance slips. By focusing on a few simple things, your performance will continue to exceed expectations.

School is out and suddenly your kids look and sound like Spongebob and Patrick.Gone are the sharp students that were bringing home A’s. Welcome to Summer Brain Drain! Studies show that kids fail to retain up to 1/3 of the material that they learned during the school year over the summer.

We don’t measure the adult brain drain loss during the summer, but we should.With the hot weather, you notice low workforce energy, a slower work pace, and a general decreased interest in working. Many companies blame this lackadaisical attitude on vacations, but you can take a proactive approach to combat Brain Drain.

You need to make sure you stay focused and continue to be a high producer.Some random tips to achieve this are:

1. Stay hydrated. Lack of proper hydration during the hot weather months lead to brain fog, fatigue, and decreased motivation.

2. Dress appropriately. Even in the summer, your office may be cool. Make sure you dress for the right internal temperature- and for your company’s culture. You may have really cute sandals, but if your company forbids open toed shoes, you need to follow their rules.

3. Focus on your backlog. The slower pace should be a great time to clean out your backlog of emails, mail, projects, etc. You want to be up to date when September rolls around.

4. Get ahead. If you have been in your position for a while, you know what lies ahead in Q4. Start getting prepared. Contact internal and external customers, make your to do lists- anything that will give you the jump.

5. Take your vacation. As I mentioned, paid time off is both for you and your employer. Recharge your batteries to be ready for the sprint to the holidays.

By following these tips, you will be able to keep up your pace, stay motivated, and focus on your end of the year goals. This should help your annual review, bonuses, and overall performance all grow.