Diaries and Planners for a Scorching Summer: 4 Ways to Beat Summer Fatigue with "Subtraction" Planning
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Summer's intense heat is when your diary shines.
4 "Subtractive Diary Methods" learned from Taisho (Greater Heat)
Don't push yourself on hot days. Just deciding what not to do can change your summer. We introduce Forte Diary's unique subtractive diary methods.
Are you overfilling your schedule on intensely hot days?
Summer's intense heat is the season to "subtract" with your diary.
The 24 Solar Terms "Taisho" teaches us how to wisely spend the summer.
July 23rd marks "Taisho" (Greater Heat) in the 24 Solar Terms. During this period, said to be the hottest of the year, temperatures consistently exceed 35 degrees Celsius, gradually draining both body and mind.
What often happens during this intense summer heat is that we try to cram in tasks, thinking "I have to do it even if it's hot." However, heat affects not only physical strength but also concentration and judgment. The intense summer heat is the season to "subtract" with your diary.
The 12th of the 24 Solar Terms. Meaning "the greatest heat," it is the period when the heat is most severe throughout the year. In 2026, it runs from July 23rd to August 6th. This period also overlaps with the summer Doyo (intercalary period), and the Day of the Ox during Doyo (July 26th in 2026) falls around this time. When the next solar term, Risshu (Beginning of Autumn) (August 7th), arrives, autumn officially begins on the calendar.
① Decide "what not to do" and do the rest in the morning
Write a "do not do list" the night before an intensely hot day
On hot days, it's said that physical strength and concentration are at 70-80% of normal levels. If you try to complete your usual tasks, you'll be exhausted both physically and mentally by evening.
In the memo section on the left side of your Weekly Planner, after listing your next day's schedule, first choose what you'll decide "not to do today." Only what remains is truly necessary for the day.
Focusing on the remaining tasks during the "cool morning hours" after subtracting others will surprisingly change your performance on intensely hot days.
Forte Diary's Weekly Planner is designed so you list "to-dos and not-to-dos" in the grid notebook on the left, then allocate them by time slot in the calendar on the right. This naturally creates a flow of "subtracting before arranging."
② Write summer fatigue prevention as a "plan" in your diary
Make health management a "plan" rather than a "to-do"
Preventing summer fatigue is much easier than dealing with it after it occurs. However, staying hydrated and ensuring enough sleep tend to be put off on busy days if you only "vaguely intend to do them."
Just by having the mindset that "health management is part of the plan," your chances of staying well through the latter half of summer significantly increase. If it's written on the calendar, you'll see it even on busy days.
③ Journal your shifting emotions due to the intense heat
Heat also affects mental well-being. Increased irritability, lack of motivation, and feeling like doing nothing are partly due to autonomic nervous system imbalances caused by high temperatures. Many people blame themselves for "being unable to do anything because of the heat."
However, it's because of the heat. Try journaling these emotions as they are on Forte Diary's Journal pages.
① How does your body feel today?
Tired, heavy, headachey—write honestly. Just acknowledging "I'm in this state because of the heat today" reduces self-loathing.
② Write one thing you accomplished today.
No matter how small. "Drank water regularly" or "Rested in a cool room" are valid accomplishments.
③ A word for your future self tomorrow.
"Don't push yourself," "It's supposed to be a little cooler tomorrow"—small words for your future self can change your mood the next morning.
Irritability and low mood on intensely hot days are due to changes in atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity affecting the autonomic nervous system. This phenomenon is called "weather-related illness," and it's not just your imagination. Journaling your emotions helps you objectively perceive "this is due to the heat."
④ From Taisho to Risshu - design the latter half by being aware of "the end of summer"
The next solar term after Taisho is "Risshu" (Beginning of Autumn) (August 7th). On the calendar, it marks the start of autumn. While it's hard to feel when you're in the midst of intense heat, writing down "things you want to do before summer ends" in your Monthly Planner during Taisho will help you have a summer without regrets.
Because you know the "milestone" of Taisho, you can operate within a short span of "from here to Risshu." The reason Forte Diary's Monthly Planner includes Taisho is so you can naturally incorporate such conscious divisions into your daily life.
The intense summer heat is a season for not pushing yourself. But by organizing "what not to do" and "what's important" with your diary, you'll find your own time amidst the hot days.
A diary where the 24 Solar Terms mark the changing seasons.
The words of Taisho and Risshu noted in the Monthly Planner
naturally help you organize how you spend your summer.
Just by turning the pages, you'll understand how to use it 📖
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