Slow Summer - Forrest Talking Therapies

It’s August and Summer is here! I’m reminded of being a child at the start of the school holidays, the weeks off stretching out ahead and that wonderful sense of freedom. Alas, as an adult it’s not quite the same but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the season and all that it has to offer.

There tends to be a focus on mental wellbeing during the Autumn and Winter, however taking care of ourselves should be a year round focus, with an awareness of how our needs change with the seasons.

Summer typically presents more opportunities for getting outdoors, being active and socialising. All of these activities can be really good for our mental wellbeing so I encourage you to include these in your plans, and at the same time I acknowledge that this can be a challenge if we are struggling with depression and/or anxiety.

There may be a feeling of stress associated with this time. Perhaps you have children to care for during the school holidays. Perhaps you have money worries and simply can’t afford to do the Summer activities which you’d like to. There may also be an element of ‘FOMO’ as we tell ourselves that we SHOULD be saying yes to everything, going here, going there, doing this, doing that. This kind of thinking can put us under pressure and leave us feeling bad about ourselves.

The ‘Slow Movement’ has developed in response to this cultural pressure and advocates a slower pace of life. It’s all about encouraging quality over quantity, taking an intentional approach towards activities and being mindful. During the Summer a lot of people down tools and during hotter weather it’s natural to notice a dip in your energy levels so this seems to me the perfect excuse to embrace a slow Summer so that we can meet the Autumn feeling re-energised.

The concept of Hygge shares some of the ideas of the ‘Slow Movement’. Whilst this is something we usually associate with the colder months, Meik Wiking, in his bestselling ‘The Little Book of Hygge’ talks about ‘Summer Hygge’. Meik puts it best when he writes “Summer is the smell of new mown grass, suntanned skin, sunscreen and saltwater. It is reading in the shadow of a tree, enjoying the long summer nights and standing around the BBQ with your friends.”

Whilst our day to day responsibilities are unlikely to disappear over the Summer this is an opportunity to experiment with ‘being’ rather than our usual ‘doing’ and ‘busy’ mode. Ask yourself what you really have to get done and what can wait a little while. Where can you make a little space in your life? How can you do things a little differently? What would bring you joy? How would you like to rest?

Here are some links to previous blogs to give yous some ideas for a Slow Summer …

Read …

In Praise of Slow by Carl Honore and Laura Brett

Things you can see only when you slow down by Haemin Sunim

The Little Book of Hygge – The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking

Listen …