Summer performance syndrome: stop the pressure to have a perfect summer

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For folks in Canada, summer isn't just a season... it's practically an event. After long months of shovelling, scraping windshields and putting on three layers to fetch the mail, summer feels like a reward.

And when it finally hits, with its warmth and endless days, a kind of pressure builds up: the pressure to have a perfect summer. Because it won't last. Because you have to make the most of it. Because if you don't, you'll regret it.

The result? We jam our calendars full of things to do, we say yes to absolutely everything, we try to tick all the boxes for the perfect summer (anything to avoid feeling guilty for just wanting to stay home and do nothing, even on a sunny day). But in the rush to do everything, we sometimes forget to simply be.

While autumn can leave us with the blues, summer can leave us with summer performance syndrome. Let’s talk about it!
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What is summer performance syndrome?

Don't worry, this ‘syndrome’ is not a real diagnosis, nor is it a recognised medical term. It simply refers to this pressure, this feeling that you have to make the most of summer. Which means, among other things:

• Going out whenever the weather's nice
• Being in a good mood… all the time
• Organising memorable activities for the kids
• Visiting new places and trying new things
• Seeing family and friends as much as possible, tired or not
• Playing sport outside
• Saying YES, whatever the activity
• Renovating a part of the house
• Making a “success” of your holidays by doing as much as possible
• And coming back to work in September with a nice tan and lots of stories to tell (because, as we know, as soon as we get back from holiday, it’s "What did you do? Where did you go?”)
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Signs that you may be overdoing it

Summer performance syndrome (aka the pressure to have a perfect summer) doesn't strike like a sunburn; it creeps up slowly. You think you're doing the right thing: enjoying yourself, going out, saying yes, filling your schedule with fun activities. And then, without really realising it, you start to feel it : tension, fatigue, that little voice inside asking if you're doing enough.

Recognise yourself? You’re not alone…

• You find it hard to say no to invitations, even when you're tired or just need some peace and quiet
• You plan your days off like a work schedule
• You feel guilty when you don't “do anything”
• You look at other people's stories and social media posts and wonder if you're doing enough
• You end your holidays more tired than when you started them
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Letting go, guilt-free

Fortunately, this isn't a trap we have to fall into. There's no rule that says we have to enjoy summer in any particular way. Here are a few ways to make our summers a little sweeter and avoid the anxiety and pressure to do more/too much:

• Lower expectations: Your summer doesn't have to be epic. It has to be good for you.
• Make room for improvisation: Allow yourself days without a plan. Sometimes planning nothing is exactly what you need.
• Disconnect a little: Social networks embellish reality. Your summer doesn't have to be Instagrammable nor validated by “likes”.
• Listen to yourself: Don't feel like going out today? That's not laziness. It's listening.
• Choose quality over quantity: A relaxing evening with the family can sometimes be worth a thousand planned activities.
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You have the right to say no. You have the right to take your time. Your life, your summer, your choice!

Need a helping hand or a sympathetic ear to talk about stress, anxiety or other issues? With the Bonjour-santé membership, members have unlimited access by chat or e-consults to our team of nurses who are there to listen, advise and refer.

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