jan 20th 2026: please note this is an old post and does not reflect my current writing style or approach, new posts coming soon!
Summer is around the corner and social media is filled with ideas about getting snatched, glowing up, and becoming some ultimate version of yourself. But summer doesn’t have to be about these things. Instead, I’m choosing a gentler way to summer that doesn’t feel like a race to perfection. I’m choosing a summer that feels like me.
‘a summer that feels like you’ core ideas
- Releasing the pressure to transform (or be ‘ready’) just because it’s summer
- Allow space for growth, rest, healing, or whatever, with balance
- Recognize that summer doesn’t need to be aesthetic or adventurous to be meaningful
- Create a season that honors your values, time, energy, and reality
let go of the pressure to transform
The second summer starts to come around content about transformations, bikini bodies, and snatched in 2 weeks become the norm. And we’ve all tried it, let’s be honest. It took me awhile to separate summer from transformation and peak bodily fitness. We can enjoy summer in the body we have now too! And if your goal really is to glow up or get snatched then do it! But you don’t have to do it just because it’s summer. I encourage you to really discover why you want this. Is it coming from a place of pressure, restriction, or care? It’s fun to follow the trends and programs, but it’s also okay to stay you. Either way summer doesn’t require a transformation or a glow up.
What do you feel like you have to do for summer to be enjoyable?
hold space for learning, rest, and balance
Now, let’s say this summer you genuinely want to glow up, or change something about yourself. Keep those goals and work hard! But remember, progress isn’t linear and summer isn’t a deadline. You don’t have to be glowing, healed, or hot by June 1st. Let that journey continue through summer, after summer, or however long! Allow yourself space to grow during your journey, to rest, and learn as you go. Summer doesn’t need perfection for it to be a good one.
deglamorizing summer
We’ve all seen those movies, TikToks, and Instagram reels where summer is the most glamorous season. People are traveling on yachts with their girl group, baecations on the beach, and the most delicious food you’ve ever seen. But, not everyone’s summer is like that. I’ve never been on a yacht during summer. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a great or meaningful summer. We’ve heard it before, comparison is the theif of joy. But this more than comparison, this is about the general expectation that summer has to be an extravagant, adventerous, aesthetic season in order to be good. Summer can look all types of ways. A meaningful summer to be looks like existing in peace, going to work, and maybe seeing some friends on the weekend. It’s not glamorous but still meaningful and realistic for me.
curating a season that fits you
- This is the core of “a summer that feels like you” is focusing on creating a summer that honors your reality, vision, time, and energy
- meaning not stretching yourself thin trying to do too much, or following some diet because of how popular “getting a summer body” is
- This is about tuning into yourself and reflecting on what an honest summer looks like for you (and this will probably change every year) but it’s choosing to create a summer, not try and fit into some premade summer mold
reflection questions
- do i want the questions to only be about the last main idea?
- downloadable “pinterest pin” with the questions
- the purpose of the reflection questions is to curate a summer that feels like them (so last point?)
- 3R approach? I mean I feel like the questions for each points can build upon each other
