Slow Summer: Why I'm Giving Myself Permission to Pause

(aka, I'm taking a tea break)

Somewhere between May and July, life gathered speed.

The more I tried to keep on top of everything, the more I found myself powering through each day. Ticking off lists, answering messages, juggling work and family, yet somehow feeling as though I was achieving less and that summer was passing me by.

If that sounds familiar, you're probably not alone.

We often wait until we're completely running on empty before we give ourselves permission to slow down. I'm realising that's exactly where I found myself.

This year we've had both GCSEs and A-levels under our roof. As a parent, you can't sit the exams for your children (not that I could if I tried these days), but the emotional energy you pour into encouragement, moral support, snacks, pep talks and simply being there is enormous.

Then came the heatwaves, adding a hazy layer of overstimulation and exhaustion to an already full season.

July has been a balancing act of having all three children at home, full-on workdays, a weekend festival somewhere in the middle of it all, evening walks with my family, and caring for our elderly dog, who has been quite unwell.

It has been full. Wonderfully full.

So why am I feeling empty?

As the saying goes, you can't pour from an empty jug. If I'm going to have anything meaningful to give to my family, my team, my friends and my own health, I need to refill it first.

So this August, I'm pressing pause.

Not stopping completely, just easing into what I'm calling my Slow Summer.

If you know me, you'll know this doesn't come naturally. My ADHD brain races through life like Mario Kart on Rainbow Road. Slowing down is agonising for me.

I've made a list. Of course I have.

My Slow Summer plan

☕ Tea outdoors

Before opening my laptop, I'd like my first cup of tea outside. Watching leaves dance in the breeze, insects buzzing between flowers, birds overhead. It's a reminder that we're part of something living, not separate from it.

🍅 Eating with the season

Fresh ripe figs in a wooden bowl, celebrating seasonal fruit, slow living and nourishing food inspired by nature.

I'm heading to the market for juicy plums, sweetcorn, apricots and sun-warmed tomatoes. Summer has a generosity that winter simply can't imitate, and I want to savour it while it's here.

🌅 Chasing the edges of the day

Golden sunset over calm coastal waters with people swimming, capturing a peaceful slow summer evening and connection with nature.

Sunrise. Sunset. Moonrise.

Those quieter moments when the world softens. I'll happily soak up the early and late sunshine on bare arms and shoulders and enjoy simply being outside.

🌿 Barefoot moments

Bare feet on a quiet sandy beach beside the ocean, capturing a slow summer moment that encourages mindfulness, rest and connection with nature.

Walking barefoot always brings me back into my body. Out of my busy head. Into the present.

So on grass, stone, sand and in water, I'll be barefoot.

📚 Permission to read

Laura Neville sitting at home with a stack of wellbeing books, reflecting on slow living, rest and personal growth.

Reading has somehow become something I have to earn.

This summer, I'm giving myself permission to stop in the middle of the day and lose myself in a good book, simply because I love it.

Note to self: resting is not being lazy.

🌊 Time by the sea

Colourful sailing boats racing along the coast on a sunny summer day, celebrating time outdoors, slow living and connection with nature.

I have a few days by the coast coming up.

Sea swims restore me in ways I can't quite explain. I'll be appreciating every dip, while keeping one eye open for jellyfish. I met one in Sardinia last year that I still remember very well!

📱 Personal boundaries

August feels like permission to loosen the grip a little.

Not every message needs an immediate reply. Not every notification deserves my attention.

I'm becoming more intentional about where my energy goes.

🐦 Watching birds

Somewhere along the way, birds started bringing me enormous joy.

If you have a busy mind, try lying on a beach, in a meadow or under a tree and simply watching what flies past.

It's one of the gentlest forms of mindfulness I know.

Slowing down isn't always easy

Slowing down sounds simple, but it's actually the opposite.

I'm even having to resist the temptation to slow down perfectly.

It's making space to actually taste your tea, watch the leaves move, feel warm grass beneath your feet and remember that we're human beings, not human doings.

Summer has a way of reminding us that nature doesn't rush. Trees don't hurry. Flowers don't compete. The tide comes in and goes out in its own time.

Maybe we could borrow a little of that rhythm too.

So if you've also been sprinting through the first half of the year, perhaps this is your invitation.

Put the kettle on.

Take the tea break.

by Laura Neville