Summer Holidays: How Some People Experience Time Off

Most people have in mind the summer holidays as something ideal, a pause from all obligations accompanied by a sense of tranquility near the sea or on an isolated island. Indeed, summer and holidays, in general, are very important for resting, having fun, and recharging our batteries, as one could say. This break gives the body the opportunity to regenerate and the person to deal with themselves. Apart from time off, people can now have the opportunity to explore new things and find themselves wandering in the streets of another country. So, apart from relaxation, holidays are ideal for recovery as well as new discoveries. All of these treasures will prove to be valuable once people return to their daily habits. But what happens when this pause causes us grief, and what is it that makes it so unpleasant?
The summer break, especially when it is quite extensive, causes a big change in the routine, something that, on the one hand, we all expect to get rid of. In reality, along with the routine, our sense of security is now lost. A stable, predictable program, however dull it may seem many times, at the same time offers us the security that is often replaced by stress when something changes. The lack of the familiar triggers a grieving process that can be more or less perceived. If we think about it on the basis of the stages of mourning, at first, it is possible to manifest denial, that is, to deny that any change will somehow affect it. Usually, however, this is an unconscious attempt to block the emotional reaction in order to avoid the stress of processing the change. Then anger can be aroused with the emptiness of the holiday. Then the individual can go into trading, starting to haggle ways and solutions to somehow fill that space. Continuing, the person may pass into the stage of depression by experiencing sadness, uncertainty, and loneliness.
In fact, scientists have already found a name for this condition since it seems to bother a lot of people, and some of them have turned to professionals for help. A small percentage of the population experiences seasonal depression (SAD-Seasonal Affective Disorder), as they call it, during the summer months. Actually, people who have this disorder experience the same feeling for the same period every year without any apparent cause. However, when the person reconciles with it, they will pass to the stage of acceptance where they will realize that they can finally do it on their own, without the supportive framework of the routine.
In the same way, we may experience various such feelings when we “interrupt” anything we do for a holiday. Notably, this general belief that on vacation, “everyone should have a good time” may be something that creates extra pressure for someone who does not feel that way and finds it difficult to enjoy their empty time. In addition, the promotion of summer on social media as an ideal period of carelessness pushes pressure on many people. Carelessness is another factor in increasing expectations and disappointment, respectively. When there is a common understanding that some have fun while others find it challenging to have a good time, things should be reapproached.
To be honest, this is not the only time during the year that some people find it hard to follow the general trend. The same scenario repeats itself during the Christmas holidays that in western civilization are supposed to be a big deal. Apart from the interruption of the routine, the constant comparison of one’s misery contrary to others’ happiness can be overwhelming.
So, all this leads us to realize that summer (like any season) represents something quite different for everyone. Let’s stay away from comparing with the lives of others or some ideal stereotype about this time of the year. The emptiness of the summer holidays can indeed provide rest and joy, but this does not mean that it is not at the same time a small loss that can mobilize different internal dynamics and more feelings of anxiety.

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