Summer Isn’t a Break for Everyone: The Hidden Weight of Productivity Culture
As summer is in full force with its longer days and less structured schedules, we’re often encouraged to "Relax. Slow down. Take a vacation." For many, these words sound like an invitation to unwind. But for others, particularly those with trauma histories or high-achieving tendencies shaped for survival, summer doesn’t always feel like much of a break–it can feel depressing. For some, it can activate internal pressure and reveal just how challenging it is to step away from productivity.
In our culture, self-worth is often equated with output. Many of us have internalized the belief that rest needs to be earned, and that if we’re not working, achieving, or improving ourselves, we’re falling behind. Summer, with its decrease in formal structure, can amplify this discomfort; without the regular pace of work or caregiving routines to anchor the day, some may feel untethered, depressed, and anxious. We may experience feelings of guilt for resting, anxiety about slowing down, or even emotionally flooded by the calm that stillness brings.
For individuals with trauma histories, this reaction is not uncommon. When chronic stress or emotional survival shaped an individual’s early years, being “on” all the time often felt essential. Achievement became a strategy for safety, perfectionism a way to stay in control. For this reason, the unstructured nature of summer may not feel freeing at all, it may feel completely unsettling.
Social media can also contribute to the weight of these feelings. We often witness highlights of other people’s vacations, bodies, accomplishments, or productivity; even their rest can be viewed as performative. For someone struggling to keep up or just trying to hold things together, the pressure to make the most of summer can feel suffocating.
Here’s what we can do about this:
Give yourself permission to feel what you feel. If summer brings more anxiety and depression than joy, that isn’t a personal failure. It’s an opportunity to get curious (not critical) about what your nervous system needs. Sometimes that’s structure. Sometimes its boundaries. Sometimes it’s simply noticing that the push to keep doing may actually be a reflection of old survival strategies rather than current needs.
Consider redefining what balance looks like for you. Instead of an all-or-nothing mentality (either productive or lazy) what if you gave yourself space to experiment with shorter or “micro” moments of presence? A 10-minute walk without your phone. A lunch eaten away from your desk. A few deep breaths between meetings. Rest doesn’t have to mean checking out entirely; it can mean tuning in and reconnecting.
This is a season that can invite reflection. What are you working toward, and at what cost? What parts of your identity are bound to being busy or accomplished? Who might you be without the constant “doing?”
Summer doesn’t have to be a full stop; it can be a gentle shift, a time to listen more closely to the rhythms of your body and the truth of your experience. This in itself can be a step towards healing.
If this season has brought up unexpected heaviness, or if you're feeling pulled between rest and pressure, you're not alone. Therapy can offer a supportive space to explore these patterns and create more flexibility in how you relate to yourself.
Written by: Deahdra Bowier