the pressures of a hot summer

it's okay not to (always) feel like your best self

It might feel hard to believe if you’re currently in the UK, but the summer season has started.

Despite the rain and gloomy forecast on our island this weekend, there are festivals, holidays and nights out all packed into the calendar for the next few months. It’s a busy time for most of us – especially if you’re a Gen Zer – and the social pressures to be at our best can start to creep in this time of year.

How often do we hear our friends say they’re getting ‘summer ready’ at the gym? We spend the winter months picking outfits and styles in anticipation for the sunny season, daydreaming about a cocktail on a beach or a gig in a packed-out field. Sometimes it can feel like the rest of the year is one big wind up for the summer. We’ve all got to look our best, be active, and make the most of it.

Thanks to influencer culture and the unyielding capitalist need to consume, we’ve never been so pressured to self-improve and splash our cash. As we’ve mentioned a few times recently, Gen Z are the gym generation, spending money on memberships and expensive clothing in order to be the healthiest version of themselves.

This is, by and large, a good thing. The UK has a fairly alarming obesity problem that’s costing the NHS millions every year, and the more of us that are active and looking after ourselves the easier things will be for those that need unavoidable care. There’s nothing wrong with going to the gym, indulging in a run, and being physically fit.

When do things become too much, though?

Gen Z are big spenders, often leading to arguments from older journalists that they’re simply bad with money. One big motivator for emptying our wallets is targeted social media advertisements that push us to be a certain way and conform to a particular aesthetic. There is more social expectations than ever on how we look, what we wear, and the ways in which we present ourselves. You never know when you’ll be in someone’s Instagram post, after all.

All this emphasis on exercise and style can make the summer seem like a constant showroom. You must be happy and fill your calendar with social events, smiling in the sun and being your best self. That means more money spent, less time to think, and ultimately a more exhausting experience.

All this reaching for perfection is tiring.

Things weren’t always this way. Before social media it was far easier to simply go somewhere and not tell the world about it. We were less fussed about our personal brand and more engaged with things on an authentic level. Not to sound all boomery, but there was a greater sense that we’d experience moments and events for ourselves, rather than others.

So, this year, I want to do my best to bat away the pressures of summer. It’s okay to bed rot every now and then, to feel unappealing or sad, to keep yourself inside rather than out in the sun. We’re complicated and should spend time alone when we need to. It’s important to remember that not everyone will have the best sunny season of their lives, and that the moments we see online from our friends were shared for a reason.

I’d recommend buying a disposable or polaroid camera and taking photos to share later with friends in real life, rather than on your phone. This helps to keep you in the moment and takes your mind off social media, which is almost always a good thing. Try journaling, reading, anything that can ease the temptation to compare and contrast your world with everyone else’s via Instagram or TikTok.

Summer may promise good times, but it’s still as up and down as the rest of the year. And that’s okay!

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Until next time,