There is a lot going on in this world right now and that could be weighing on your subconscious. In addition to everything else you mentioned. We have a lot more to worry about these days. I think our carefree summer days will come again, it just may take some time. Don’t lose hope. 🫶🏻
Thank you for this kind and thoughtful message - your support really means a lot. You're right, there's so much we carry in the background these days. I also believe our carefree days will return, in their own quiet way. Wishing you peace and ease in the meantime.
For me, summer is a mixed bag. It’s my favorite season, when my bones don’t hurt and I have a moment to breathe. But as a teacher it’s also the season that all of my routines and systems that hold my days together go out the window.
I also completely feel what you say about seeing others “making the most” of the days. Online I’m one of those people, I admit I add to my friends’ FOMO, but most days are exceedingly average. And I feel that same pressure to succeed and even find myself falling into the “glow up” side of the internet.
Your honesty means a lot, thank you! It’s comforting (and a little funny) to realize that even those who look like they’re thriving often feel just as messy on the inside. 😅 I totally relate to that feeling of having no structure and too much pressure all at once. Here’s to average days, being real, and finding peace in the in-between moments!
Oh I am a living testament to the lies of social media, for normal people not just influencers. My best friend was blindsided by my mental health crisis a few years ago (that landed me in her home like it was my parents basement) just because I went to the beach and took amazing trips to exotic places. It definitely made me rethink being so structured and curated with my Instagram feed! I fooled the one person who knew the ins and outs of my entire soul. It’s crazy!
It’s so true! Thank you for sharing that - it’s such a powerful reminder to stay honest with ourselves and those around us. I’m really glad you’re here and hope you’re doing okay now 💛
I have been using the summer to apply for jobs. What is supposed to be an enjoyable season is filled with frantic energy coupled with FOMO. I feel burnt out on what is supposed to be a season of rejuvenation.
Oh, I feel this so deeply. When everything’s “supposed to” feel light and relaxed, but it’s actually filled with deadlines and pressure — it’s so disorienting. Wishing you moments of calm between the chaos and a job that feels right when the time comes. You’re definitely not alone in feeling burnt out by it all!
I’ve had these exact thoughts. It can be a relentless comparison trap. I try to remember that I’m allowed to do (or not do) what feels right in any given moment, regardless of what others are doing and that it’s not a measure of my worth.
Your post has been on my mind this summer. I try to reclaim my memories of when I was a child when summer ment more to me then. It's hard to do this but we have to take to that inner child and push it to the outward and feel summer again as we did when we were a child.
I love the idea of reclaiming childhood summer magic, but it’s so hard to get there sometimes. Thank you for this reminder to feel summer again, not just survive it ☀️💛
I have been feeling exactly the same so you are not alone! I am in the middle of creating my third edition of my magazine and I feel like time is slipping away. But, it is very important that we have patience with ourselves day to day. It's ok to rest. You are not alone ! :)
Summer isn't quite what summer was. Sixty years ago, not all cars and very few trucks had air conditioning. They had vent windows, and sometimes vents from under the dash at crotch level. Windows were rolled down or up, vents opened or closed, and the moving air (well, the car moved, but it felt like the air was moving) cooled us off. Not all houses had AC, either. My grandparents home didn't. They had window units in two bedrooms, and fans in the rest of the house. They got up fairly early come summertime, and did the outdoors chores (gardening, mostly) in the morning, before it got too hot. Afternoons were spent indoors, mostly, with the fans, or on the screen porch. Evenings came and things cooled off, and the kids chased rising fireflies outside, then came in, got the obligatory baths, and it was off to bed. The kids did not get rooms with ACs to sleep in, either.
The point of this slightly rambling story is that when it got hot, it got hot, and we lived with the heat. We adapted. We drank a lot of ice water, especially as kids. (There was always one or sometimes two recycled prune juice bottles full of cold water in the fridge.) Adults got ice tea at lunch and in the afternoon, and even late mornings, especially if work in the garden or outdoors had been strenuous. Women got dewy, men perspired, horses sweated, and kids got "sticky and stinky." (Hence the obligatory baths before bed!)
We enjoyed air conditioning when we could, of course. Movie theaters and bowling alleys were very popular for that reason, (among others) I'm convinced. But my grade schools had no AC. They had big windows, and those got opened when it got warm. If it got too hot, sometimes the school room had a large swiveling fan on a floor stand. Sometimes, not. Sometimes we just stuck to the paper.
These days, AC is everywhere. Basically all motor vehicles have AC. Every store, every public place, all air conditioned. Folks scurry between climate controlled spaces and their climate controlled cars, then into the next climate controlled space. A sun heated car in a parking lot is quickly cooled by the car's AC system.
Far from embracing summer, we flee from it. We hide indoors from the sun's warmth, and fail to celebrate the relative coolness of tree shaded paths and walkways, made kinesthetically poignant by the broiling sun. The boys of summer may play baseball in the sun, but more often that not, we watch them not from the bleachers, but from a couch in an air conditioned room.
That same room hides us away from the rumbling of approaching thunder storms, and that spicy rush from ozone and moisture and negative ions on the winds as the rain approaches.
Summer evenings were once bookended by the fireflies coming out, when at first they flew low, and you could catch them, and then as it got darker, when they flew too high to catch anymore. In the suburbs, it was usually time to go home when the street lights came on.
Point is, there's nothing wrong with you and your summer feelings. Except, that summer isn't summer any more. It's an inconvenient season when the moments between car and door into an air conditioned space are uncomfortably hot. So few of us live in the real world, and allow our bodies to adjust to, and reflect, the seasons. Longer days and shorter nights mean little when a glaring computer or "device" screen makes solar light inconvenient or even objectionable.
Those who fish a lot may object, but they tend to spend time in the sun and weather, to get up early, and often fish through the coming of the gloaming in the evening as well. And dog owners, especially dogs who take their owners for walks early and late, will no doubt raise objections, as will landscapers and tree trimmers and others who work outdoors. As they are certainly entitled to their reservations, which are fully pertinent to their lives. But the truth is that our society as a whole does not actually 'do' summer anymore. We have retreated to the cool depths of our comfortable caves, and rejected the ebb and flow of summer weather and its related phenomenon. Summer isn't what it was, because of what we've done to ourselves.
It is not surprising that human beings, who over many hundreds of thousands of years have adapted to seasonal variations, and celebrated the differences, may feel isolated and cut off from life in the neutral comfort of an air conditioned, climate controlled world. We've traded seasonal discomfort for neutral pleasure, at the cost of a nagging feeling that something isn't right.
Your sensitivities may be seeking to point that out to you.
There is much to recommend in making it a point to quite literally touch grass for a while on a daily basis. Next time you drive somewhere, turn off the AC in the car, and roll all the windows down and remember. These little things may help.
Wow! Thank you for this rich, evocative, and deeply contemplative essay. You've conjured up a whole world I could see, hear, and feel. I love the way you connect our modern disconnection from nature and the seasonal cycles with emotional baggage we often drag around during summer. That line about "trading seasonal discomfort for neutral pleasure" hit home.
And yes, I do touch grass daily! I actually do my yoga outside most mornings just so I can get some sun on my face, water my flowerbeds, and tend to my little patch of green. I even live in a house without AC, which is. brave, I guess? But you're right — something is lost when we don't adapt and instead retreat. It's been a painful season for many of us, both physically and emotionally. Perhaps it's time we went back — slowly, with awareness — to living with the seasons, instead of in spite of them.
Thank you again for such a lovely and contemplative reflection💛
We're in winter now here, but summer definitely had some pretty tough challenges. I realised I was always focused on getting to the next place, doing the next thing, never actually just where I was. Some really big lessons.
This resonates deeply. I totally relate to that feeling of constantly jumping to “what’s next” without ever settling into where I actually am. Doing the same things here. It’s a big lesson I’m still learning too.
You are definitely not alone. We have wished for summers as warm as this, but I’m utterly exhausted and can’t seem to keep up with the pace of my two young girls despite sleeping, eating and exercising well. I’m bone tired and love the fact nothing whatsoever is planned for the next few days. Summer is a lot, especially when it feels like everyone else is living ‘their best life’ whatever that is…
I can’t imagine the pace of summer with little ones to care for on top of everything else. Thank you for being real about it. I hope these quiet days ahead bring some deep rest and nothingness 🧡
I tell myself it would be more concerning if I did NOT have an increase of troubling days right now. Fatigue, we know, is at times, an overwhelm response... and there is a mindbendingly enormous amount of events that are troubling & overwhelming. So, you are not alone...far from it.
Fatigue as a response to overwhelm makes so much sense, especially now, with everything going on in the world. Thank you for the reminder that the struggle isn’t weakness — it’s a sign we’re still human and feeling 💛
"You don't have to be productive all the time. If things that once brought you joy (like summer) don’t anymore, that could be your body and mind telling you to go easy on yourself, both mentally and physically. I’ve had to overcome the guilt of staying indoors while the sun is shining. But summer will come around again, and it will be more enjoyable if you take the time now to give yourself what you need."
Yes, yes, yes — exactly. I keep reminding myself of that: my rhythms, my rules. It’s not always easy to tune out the noise, but I’m trying. Thanks for echoing this truth back to me.
That’s so interesting — and oddly reassuring! Maybe there’s more going on than just too much screen time and expectations. 😅 Thank you for this perspective and for the kind reminder that I’m not the only one feeling low-energy when everything says I shouldn’t be. What kind of energies you mean? That sounds intriguing.
There is a lot going on in this world right now and that could be weighing on your subconscious. In addition to everything else you mentioned. We have a lot more to worry about these days. I think our carefree summer days will come again, it just may take some time. Don’t lose hope. 🫶🏻
Thank you for this kind and thoughtful message - your support really means a lot. You're right, there's so much we carry in the background these days. I also believe our carefree days will return, in their own quiet way. Wishing you peace and ease in the meantime.
And you as well. 🫶🏻
For me, summer is a mixed bag. It’s my favorite season, when my bones don’t hurt and I have a moment to breathe. But as a teacher it’s also the season that all of my routines and systems that hold my days together go out the window.
I also completely feel what you say about seeing others “making the most” of the days. Online I’m one of those people, I admit I add to my friends’ FOMO, but most days are exceedingly average. And I feel that same pressure to succeed and even find myself falling into the “glow up” side of the internet.
You absolutely are NOT alone in this. 💞
Your honesty means a lot, thank you! It’s comforting (and a little funny) to realize that even those who look like they’re thriving often feel just as messy on the inside. 😅 I totally relate to that feeling of having no structure and too much pressure all at once. Here’s to average days, being real, and finding peace in the in-between moments!
Oh I am a living testament to the lies of social media, for normal people not just influencers. My best friend was blindsided by my mental health crisis a few years ago (that landed me in her home like it was my parents basement) just because I went to the beach and took amazing trips to exotic places. It definitely made me rethink being so structured and curated with my Instagram feed! I fooled the one person who knew the ins and outs of my entire soul. It’s crazy!
It’s so true! Thank you for sharing that - it’s such a powerful reminder to stay honest with ourselves and those around us. I’m really glad you’re here and hope you’re doing okay now 💛
I have been using the summer to apply for jobs. What is supposed to be an enjoyable season is filled with frantic energy coupled with FOMO. I feel burnt out on what is supposed to be a season of rejuvenation.
Oh, I feel this so deeply. When everything’s “supposed to” feel light and relaxed, but it’s actually filled with deadlines and pressure — it’s so disorienting. Wishing you moments of calm between the chaos and a job that feels right when the time comes. You’re definitely not alone in feeling burnt out by it all!
Thank you!
I’ve had these exact thoughts. It can be a relentless comparison trap. I try to remember that I’m allowed to do (or not do) what feels right in any given moment, regardless of what others are doing and that it’s not a measure of my worth.
Oh the comparison trap. I haven't thought about it in this way! Thanks for the reminder💛
You’re definitely not alone. Thank you for putting my feelings into words!!
It helps so much to hear that I’m not alone in needing to slow down, even in the brightest season. Thank you! 💛
Your post has been on my mind this summer. I try to reclaim my memories of when I was a child when summer ment more to me then. It's hard to do this but we have to take to that inner child and push it to the outward and feel summer again as we did when we were a child.
I love the idea of reclaiming childhood summer magic, but it’s so hard to get there sometimes. Thank you for this reminder to feel summer again, not just survive it ☀️💛
I have been feeling exactly the same so you are not alone! I am in the middle of creating my third edition of my magazine and I feel like time is slipping away. But, it is very important that we have patience with ourselves day to day. It's ok to rest. You are not alone ! :)
a magazine? wow! you’re so right: patience with ourselves is everything! wishing you gentle days and moments to simply be 🌿
Summer isn't quite what summer was. Sixty years ago, not all cars and very few trucks had air conditioning. They had vent windows, and sometimes vents from under the dash at crotch level. Windows were rolled down or up, vents opened or closed, and the moving air (well, the car moved, but it felt like the air was moving) cooled us off. Not all houses had AC, either. My grandparents home didn't. They had window units in two bedrooms, and fans in the rest of the house. They got up fairly early come summertime, and did the outdoors chores (gardening, mostly) in the morning, before it got too hot. Afternoons were spent indoors, mostly, with the fans, or on the screen porch. Evenings came and things cooled off, and the kids chased rising fireflies outside, then came in, got the obligatory baths, and it was off to bed. The kids did not get rooms with ACs to sleep in, either.
The point of this slightly rambling story is that when it got hot, it got hot, and we lived with the heat. We adapted. We drank a lot of ice water, especially as kids. (There was always one or sometimes two recycled prune juice bottles full of cold water in the fridge.) Adults got ice tea at lunch and in the afternoon, and even late mornings, especially if work in the garden or outdoors had been strenuous. Women got dewy, men perspired, horses sweated, and kids got "sticky and stinky." (Hence the obligatory baths before bed!)
We enjoyed air conditioning when we could, of course. Movie theaters and bowling alleys were very popular for that reason, (among others) I'm convinced. But my grade schools had no AC. They had big windows, and those got opened when it got warm. If it got too hot, sometimes the school room had a large swiveling fan on a floor stand. Sometimes, not. Sometimes we just stuck to the paper.
These days, AC is everywhere. Basically all motor vehicles have AC. Every store, every public place, all air conditioned. Folks scurry between climate controlled spaces and their climate controlled cars, then into the next climate controlled space. A sun heated car in a parking lot is quickly cooled by the car's AC system.
Far from embracing summer, we flee from it. We hide indoors from the sun's warmth, and fail to celebrate the relative coolness of tree shaded paths and walkways, made kinesthetically poignant by the broiling sun. The boys of summer may play baseball in the sun, but more often that not, we watch them not from the bleachers, but from a couch in an air conditioned room.
That same room hides us away from the rumbling of approaching thunder storms, and that spicy rush from ozone and moisture and negative ions on the winds as the rain approaches.
Summer evenings were once bookended by the fireflies coming out, when at first they flew low, and you could catch them, and then as it got darker, when they flew too high to catch anymore. In the suburbs, it was usually time to go home when the street lights came on.
Point is, there's nothing wrong with you and your summer feelings. Except, that summer isn't summer any more. It's an inconvenient season when the moments between car and door into an air conditioned space are uncomfortably hot. So few of us live in the real world, and allow our bodies to adjust to, and reflect, the seasons. Longer days and shorter nights mean little when a glaring computer or "device" screen makes solar light inconvenient or even objectionable.
Those who fish a lot may object, but they tend to spend time in the sun and weather, to get up early, and often fish through the coming of the gloaming in the evening as well. And dog owners, especially dogs who take their owners for walks early and late, will no doubt raise objections, as will landscapers and tree trimmers and others who work outdoors. As they are certainly entitled to their reservations, which are fully pertinent to their lives. But the truth is that our society as a whole does not actually 'do' summer anymore. We have retreated to the cool depths of our comfortable caves, and rejected the ebb and flow of summer weather and its related phenomenon. Summer isn't what it was, because of what we've done to ourselves.
It is not surprising that human beings, who over many hundreds of thousands of years have adapted to seasonal variations, and celebrated the differences, may feel isolated and cut off from life in the neutral comfort of an air conditioned, climate controlled world. We've traded seasonal discomfort for neutral pleasure, at the cost of a nagging feeling that something isn't right.
Your sensitivities may be seeking to point that out to you.
There is much to recommend in making it a point to quite literally touch grass for a while on a daily basis. Next time you drive somewhere, turn off the AC in the car, and roll all the windows down and remember. These little things may help.
Wow! Thank you for this rich, evocative, and deeply contemplative essay. You've conjured up a whole world I could see, hear, and feel. I love the way you connect our modern disconnection from nature and the seasonal cycles with emotional baggage we often drag around during summer. That line about "trading seasonal discomfort for neutral pleasure" hit home.
And yes, I do touch grass daily! I actually do my yoga outside most mornings just so I can get some sun on my face, water my flowerbeds, and tend to my little patch of green. I even live in a house without AC, which is. brave, I guess? But you're right — something is lost when we don't adapt and instead retreat. It's been a painful season for many of us, both physically and emotionally. Perhaps it's time we went back — slowly, with awareness — to living with the seasons, instead of in spite of them.
Thank you again for such a lovely and contemplative reflection💛
We're in winter now here, but summer definitely had some pretty tough challenges. I realised I was always focused on getting to the next place, doing the next thing, never actually just where I was. Some really big lessons.
This resonates deeply. I totally relate to that feeling of constantly jumping to “what’s next” without ever settling into where I actually am. Doing the same things here. It’s a big lesson I’m still learning too.
You are definitely not alone. We have wished for summers as warm as this, but I’m utterly exhausted and can’t seem to keep up with the pace of my two young girls despite sleeping, eating and exercising well. I’m bone tired and love the fact nothing whatsoever is planned for the next few days. Summer is a lot, especially when it feels like everyone else is living ‘their best life’ whatever that is…
I can’t imagine the pace of summer with little ones to care for on top of everything else. Thank you for being real about it. I hope these quiet days ahead bring some deep rest and nothingness 🧡
I tell myself it would be more concerning if I did NOT have an increase of troubling days right now. Fatigue, we know, is at times, an overwhelm response... and there is a mindbendingly enormous amount of events that are troubling & overwhelming. So, you are not alone...far from it.
Fatigue as a response to overwhelm makes so much sense, especially now, with everything going on in the world. Thank you for the reminder that the struggle isn’t weakness — it’s a sign we’re still human and feeling 💛
"You don't have to be productive all the time. If things that once brought you joy (like summer) don’t anymore, that could be your body and mind telling you to go easy on yourself, both mentally and physically. I’ve had to overcome the guilt of staying indoors while the sun is shining. But summer will come around again, and it will be more enjoyable if you take the time now to give yourself what you need."
This is such a kind and wise reminder — thank you. 💛
I think I am starting to hear those quiet signals from my body and mind, but I still need to learn how to trust them without guilt.
To rest — when I want to and how I want to...
I think that's the key right there... It's your life, so you get to decide what feels right and when.
Yes, yes, yes — exactly. I keep reminding myself of that: my rhythms, my rules. It’s not always easy to tune out the noise, but I’m trying. Thanks for echoing this truth back to me.
I have felt the least energized around summer for several years now. You're not alone!
Cosmic energies are stronger in summer, so this might play a role too.
That’s so interesting — and oddly reassuring! Maybe there’s more going on than just too much screen time and expectations. 😅 Thank you for this perspective and for the kind reminder that I’m not the only one feeling low-energy when everything says I shouldn’t be. What kind of energies you mean? That sounds intriguing.
The sun, mainly. I came across a video on YouTube that was explaining how the sun influences us throughout the year.
It’s wild how something so life-giving can also be so draining at times. I’d love to watch that video if you remember the name!
Unfortunately, I don't. I think it was over a year ago.