Hot Girl Bummer

THE PRESSURE OF SUMMER IS RUINING THE SEASON Written by Mason Braasch, Lifestyle Editor Graphic by Jessica Tenenbaum

Every single year as the end of the semester approaches, I visualize and romanticize what my summer will look like.

I always expect to have the type of summer that you see in coming-of-age movies and rom-com montages: lots of days at the beach, late nights spent with friends, travel and spontaneous adventures that lead to lifelong memories. Yet every single time, I am hit with the reality that summer is not the movie montage I imagine it to be.

While I still have fun on sunny days, my time is so often consumed by jobs, internships and catching up on sleep.

When your days are filled with work rather than play, you begin to realize there is just too much pressure on summer to be the best season of the year. Between unfinished bucket lists and the constant stream of photos on social media detailing everyone’s Hot

Girl Summer, the feeling that you are wasting or ruining your vacation is hard to overcome. Summer FOMO, the fear of missing out on summer sun, is a real and valid feeling, but it doesn’t have to ruin your season of sun.

There is no secret to the perfect summer. Your time can be fun and memorable no matter how you spend your days — after all, it’s just another season in the many that make up life.

Whether you’re working 40 hours a week, tanning on the beach, traveling the world or mixing in a little bit of everything, it’s important to remember that there is no obligation for the season to look a certain way.

Letting go of the pressure to make your summer picture-perfect is the first step to making it great. While free of the stress and feeling like you are wasting your time stuck inside working, you’ll be able to appreciate the time that you have to experience fun summer activities.

Other habits, such as practicing gratitude by finding one fun thing that brings you joy every day, can help you to feel like you are making the most of the season. Whether it’s a fun workout, grabbing a coffee in the morning and walking to the lake or shopping with friends, having new, fun experiences as part of your daily routine will take away the feeling that you are wasting the limited vacation days. Another way to avoid summer disappointment is to make a bucket list that is realistic — or skip it altogether. Creating a list of extravagant and timeconsuming activities can be exciting at the beginning of summer, but they ultimately set you up for failure. By creating a list of 5 to 10 attainable items like a beach day, coffee date or picnic will leave you feeling accomplished rather than disgruntled at the end of the season.

Finally, remember that even though you shouldn’t feel pressured to make your summer all about fun, it is okay to log out of your email for the day and feel the sun while it lasts. Summer shouldn’t leave you feeling overworked and disappointed; instead, it should have you feeling sun-kissed, refreshed and ready to take on the exciting new experiences of the next season. Whether or not you finished your bucket list the past summer, take a moment to reflect on the positive experiences you had. Every aspect of your time is valid, even the boring, stressful and demanding parts. Summer is just a season, and this fall is another opportunity to make memories and test the waters by trying new things. ■