Summer Scaries for High Achievers: Why Slowing Down Feels So Unsettling (and What to Do About It)

For many people, summer means rest, fun, travel, and more “me time.” But for high performers—especially those recovering from burnout—summer can stir up something else entirely.

Anxiety. Restlessness. A strange discomfort in the stillness.
And an ever-present question buzzing in the background:
Shouldn’t I be doing more?

You’re not alone if the idea of slowing down feels disorienting. For those who’ve spent years living in overdrive, summer doesn’t always feel like ease—it feels like losing control. And you may also feel guilty about it.

When Unstructured Time Feels Unsafe

If your nervous system has been conditioned to run on urgency, structure, and high output, summer can feel like someone just pulled the scaffolding out from under you. Without deadlines, packed calendars, or external validation, you might start to feel:

• Aimless or agitated

• Behind, even if you’re not sure what you’re “supposed” to be doing

• Guilty for resting

• Like you need to create a new project or goal… immediately

This isn’t laziness or lack of discipline. It’s nervous system discomfort with stillness. And it’s totally normal for those recovering from hustle culture and chronic stress.

Summer Isn’t a Productivity Problem—It’s a Regulation Challenge

What you’re experiencing is not a time management issue—it’s a nervous system recalibration. When you’ve spent years relying on performance to feel worthy, unstructured time can feel threatening. Your system might be scanning for something to fix, improve, or produce just to stay regulated.

But this season can also be an opportunity. Not to do more. But to finally learn how to be—without earning your rest or proving your worth.

5 Somatic Practices to Help You Settle Into Summer

If you’re struggling with the “summer scaries,” here are some nervous-system-friendly ways to ease into the slower pace:

1. Start your day with orienting
   Before reaching for your phone, look around your space. Let your eyes settle on colors, textures, or light. Remind your body that you’re safe—and there’s no emergency.

2. Practice “enoughness” in micro-moments
   After completing a task, pause and name it out loud: That was enough for now. Teach your nervous system that you don’t need to do more to be okay.

3. Notice your urge to fill the space
   When you get the itch to start something new, pause. Ask yourself: Is this coming from desire or from discomfort with slowing down?

4. Anchor into your body
   Use grounding tools like feeling your feet on the floor, placing a hand on your heart, or stretching slowly. Regulation often starts with physical sensation.

5. Replace “to-do” lists with “to-feel” lists
   What do you want to feel more of this summer—peace, connection, lightness? Let your choices come from those cues instead of external productivity pressures.

Let This Summer Be a Nervous System Rebuild

If the slower pace of summer feels jarring, it might be because you’ve never had the chance to experience rest as safe, supportive, or sustainable.

That’s not your fault. It’s conditioning. But you don’t have to stay stuck there.

This summer, give yourself permission to slow down—without spiraling.
Somatic therapy can help you learn how to rest without guilt, rebuild your baseline, and create a relationship with time that doesn’t rely on urgency. Let’s talk about how to make rest feel safe again.