No, not the Lana Del Rey song.
I’m talking about that strange feeling when everyone around you seems excited for summer… and you’re just not.
It’s something I hear more often than you might think.
We spend so much of the year looking forward to longer days and warmer weather that it can feel confusing when summer finally arrives and we don’t suddenly feel happier. In fact, for some people, summer can actually feel harder.
Maybe life doesn’t slow down the way you expected. Maybe the kids are home and the routine that kept everything running has disappeared. Maybe everyone seems to be on holiday while you’re still working. Or maybe every scroll through social media leaves you wondering if you’re the only one who isn’t having the “perfect” summer.
The funny thing about expectations is that we often don’t notice them until we are not meeting them.
Somewhere along the way, many of us picked up the idea that summer is supposed to be the happiest season. It is meant to be full of backyard barbecues, beach days, road trips, patios, and making memories. While those things can be wonderful, they can also create a lot of pressure. Suddenly, a quiet weekend at home feels like you are wasting the sunshine, or an evening spent catching up on laundry feels like you are doing summer wrong.
No one really talks about that part.
The pressure to enjoy summer can be surprisingly heavy. We start comparing our ordinary days to everyone else’s highlight reel. It becomes easy to believe that everyone is out making unforgettable memories while we are simply trying to keep up with everyday life.
The weather changes. The calendar changes. Our emotions do not always get the memo.
Feeling low in the summer does not mean you are ungrateful. It does not mean you are doing something wrong. It simply means you are human. Life does not pause because the sun is out, and neither do stress, grief, anxiety, loneliness, or burnout.
If you are finding this summer a bit heavier than you expected, try asking yourself one simple question:
What do I need right now, rather than what do I think I should be doing?
The answer might surprise you.
Sometimes it is saying yes to plans with people who make you feel good. Other times it is saying no and spending the evening at home without feeling guilty. Maybe it is going for a walk, reading a book outside, calling a friend, or simply letting yourself have a slow day.
The goal does not have to be having the “best summer ever.” Maybe the goal is just having a summer that feels like yours.There does not have to be a dramatic reason for feeling low. You do not need to justify it because it is sunny outside.
So if your summer looks different from what you imagined, or different from everyone else’s, that is okay. There is no right way to do summer, just like there is no right way to feel.
Be kind to yourself. The sunshine is not going anywhere, and neither are the opportunities to enjoy it when you are ready.