Why Does Summer Feel Like So Much Pressure?

Every year I forget.

Spring arrives, the sun comes out, and I think, This is going to be my summer.

The summer where I magically become outdoorsy.

The summer where I wake up early to watch the sunrise with a coffee in hand instead of waking up at 8:30 wondering why my bedroom feels like the surface of the sun.

The summer where I travel, say yes to every invitation, have a beautiful tan, read books by the lake, host cute picnics, drink iced coffee that somehow never melts, and become the kind of person who says things like, "Let's make the most of the daylight."

Instead...

I spend the first heatwave wondering if I can survive by standing in front of my fan forever. The sweat has found new places to form and if my clothing touches my body my gag reflux joins the party.

Summer has somehow become the season with the highest expectations.

It's supposed to be fun.

It's supposed to be adventurous.

It's supposed to be full of memories you'll post in a photo dump with a caption like, "Best summer ever ☀️."

And if yours isn't?

It can feel like you're somehow doing summer wrong.

Social media certainly doesn't help.

Everyone seems to be on a boat.

Or in Europe.

Or hiking a mountain before breakfast.

Or attending weddings, concerts, beach parties, patio dinners, farmers' markets, camping trips, and spontaneous weekend getaways.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to work up the energy to go buy sunscreen.

There is also something about summer that feels... loud.

The sun is brighter.

The days are longer.

People stay out later.

There are festivals every weekend, barbecues every other day, birthdays, vacations, reunions, and somehow everyone wants to "catch up."

It's wonderful in theory.

It's also incredibly overwhelming.

As someone who already feels like life moves a little too fast, summer turns the speed up another notch.

Suddenly saying no feels harder because "it's summer!"

People only have so many weekends.

The weather is nice.

You should take advantage of it.

You should make memories.

You should go outside.

You should be grateful.

And before long, every invitation starts feeling less like an invitation and more like a test.

If you stay home, are you wasting the season?

If you don't travel, did summer even happen?

If you spend your Saturday doing laundry instead of paddleboarding, are you missing out on your life?

It's exhausting.

Sometimes I think we confuse having plans with having a good summer.

They're not the same thing.

Some of my favourite summer memories have been incredibly ordinary.

Walking for ice cream after dinner.

Reading outside for twenty minutes before it got too hot.

Watching the sunset from my balcony.

Buying peaches that somehow tasted better because it was July.

Laughing until my stomach hurt over absolutely nothing.

None of those moments were expensive.

None of them were planned months in advance.

None of them would probably go viral on Instagram.

But they were real.

I think somewhere along the way we've started treating summer like a deadline.

As though if we don't maximize every sunny day, we've failed.

But seasons aren't competitions.

You don't win summer by being the busiest.

You don't earn extra points for the number of road trips you take.

You don't have to justify spending an afternoon inside because your social battery is empty.

Rest is still allowed in July.

In fact, maybe it's needed even more.

Because while everyone talks about seasonal depression in winter, no one really talks about seasonal pressure in summer.

The pressure to be seen.

The pressure to be social.

The pressure to have stories to tell when September rolls around.

The pressure to look like you're having the time of your life.

Maybe your perfect summer isn't packed with plans.

Maybe it's slower than that.

Maybe it's reading one good book.

Maybe it's finally sitting on your patio after work.

Maybe it's saying no to the barbecue because your brain needs a quiet evening.

Maybe it's buying yourself an ice cream on a Tuesday simply because it's warm outside.

Maybe it's realizing you don't actually have to earn the sunshine.

Summer will happen whether you fill every weekend or not.

The sunsets will still be beautiful.

The evenings will still smell like sunscreen and fresh-cut grass.

The fireflies won't care if your passport stayed in a drawer this year.

So here's your reminder—from one overwhelmed perfectionist to another:

You don't have to make this the "best summer ever."

You just have to make it one that feels like yours.

Always Stay Warped and Twisted as Ever!

Eve