The Summer Paradox: More Rest or More Work?

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” – Anne Lamott

This article explores the paradox of summer, highlighting how expectations of rest often lead to stress and burnout. It encourages embracing a personalized approach to summer, balancing productivity and leisure without guilt. Ultimately, it advocates slowing down, being present, and finding peace in the natural rhythm of life, reminding us that true productivity lies in embracing our authentic, unwound selves.

It’s that time of year again. The sun shines brighter, ceiling fan lazily revolves overhead and people start planning vacations with hashtags ready to go. The season screams ‘rest’ but your calendar says otherwise. What should be restful becomes a strange combination of fatigue and anticipation. What is rest, actually? Is it lack of work or presence of peace? 

More than 70% of students and young working professionals say they feel "more stressed" over summer compared to work months, a 2023 survey reported. Shocking? Not really!

Summer is supposed to be a breather to rest and recharge but in reality, for most of us, it becomes a pressure cooker. Internships to go after, entrance exams to study for, projects to chase, family vacations to join and amidst all that the endless guilt of not working hard enough. Comparison culture on social media only makes it worse. While you're lying in your bed and someone posts about their latest summer internship or business venture, you start wondering “Am I wasting time?"

We look for calm but get trapped in chaos. We wish to unwind but spend most of the time running against the invisible clock. Psychologically, this paradox is created by cognitive dissonance, i.e., the mental unease felt when expectations of relaxation conflict with the experience of overwork. In addition, the transition from scheduled routines to unscheduled time can be unsettling. The lack of professional commitments leaves a space that many try to fill. People often struggle with unoccupied time due to productivity anxiety, i.e., a feeling that we must always be doing something meaningful. This can manifest as burnout masked under ambition wherein people push themselves through tasks and goals, fearing regret or falling behind.

“There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither.” – Alan Cohen

This duality leads to mental fatigue. You’re stuck between either doing too much or not doing anything at all and neither feels quite right. The mind stays wired and the body tired. Not only this, high temperatures may cause irritability, low energy and sleep disturbances. FOMO and performance anxiety gradually accumulate and by the time break is over, you may feel the need for another just to recover from the first one. Some even experience post-summer blues as they find themselves struggling to resume routines that now feel foreign.

Summer doesn't need to be either hustle or rest. It can be both. Work on a project because you want to, not because you think you should. Read out of interest, not obligation. Nap guilt-free. Disconnect for a bit. Return to old hobbies. Productivity means something different to everyone. To some, it may be completing a course. To others, it may be healing or just getting enough sleep. 

Whether you're sunbathing on a beach or buried under a stack of books, don't let guilt crash your summer. There is no one-size-fits-all summer. It’s okay if some days you’re crushing goals and other days you’re just crushing mangoes. Let your days be mango-stained and unapologetically human. You don't owe anyone an explanation for how you spend it. The only "right" way to spend summer is the one that feels true to you. The time you love wasting is not wasted time. Not every second has to be streamlined. Some just have to be lived. Perhaps, that’s the real productivity: learning to be at peace with the pause. Slow down. Breathe.