While summer brings the warm weather and sun-filled days that we have been awaiting, the carefree season also comes with high expectations. We are invited to unwind and let go of our worries, yet there is a tremendous amount of pressure to relax and make the most of the summer months. For many folks, summer can be more stressful than it is exciting or relaxing.

The pressure we feel to relax and live up to society’s expectations about what a productive and fun summer looks like can create a different kind of stress that undermines the very feeling many of us are hoping to achieve. These implicit expectations can become overwhelming, hindering us from experiencing authentic happiness and genuine relaxation. This pressure surrounding the summer months can also hold us back from truly enjoying the beauty of the season.

When we define what it means to unwind and enjoy summer on our own terms, we create the spaciousness to rediscover and reconnect with ourselves and with the things and people that matter most.

Here are three ideas to help you approach the summer season with gentleness and intention.

Let go of comparisons

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