Summer Schedule Stress: Why More Free Time Creates More Anxiety
More time = more stress? (Here's why)
Hi friends,
"Summer's supposed to be relaxing, right?"
I hear this from exhausted women every June. School's out, schedules are "flexible," and yet somehow you're more overwhelmed than during the academic year.
Welcome to the summer schedule scramble.
The 3 lies we tell ourselves about summer
Lie #1: "We have more time now" Reality: You have different time. Unstructured time that requires constant decision-making.
Lie #2: "Things will naturally slow down" Reality: Nature abhors a vacuum. Empty calendar spaces fill with requests, activities, and other people's priorities.
Lie #3: "The kids will entertain themselves" Reality: Boredom becomes your emergency to solve, 47 times per day.
Why your brain struggles with summer
Decision fatigue hits harder: During school, most choices are made for you. Summer hands you a blank calendar and says "figure it out."
Invisible labor multiplies: Research camps, coordinate schedules, plan meals for people home all day, manage everyone's entertainment.
Boundaries become negotiable: Flexible schedules make everything feel optional but urgent.
The result? You're doing more emotional and logistical labor while being told you should be "relaxing."
The hidden cost of boundary-less summers
Without clear limits, summer becomes:
Constant availability (because you "should" be flexible)
Guilt-driven decisions (avoiding disappointment)
Energy depletion (managing everyone else's experience)
September exhaustion (needing a vacation from vacation)
Sound familiar?
📊 POLL: YOUR SUMMER BOUNDARY CHALLENGE
💬 In the comments: What's one boundary you wish you could set but haven't yet?
This week, we're diving into practical boundary strategies—the actual scripts and systems that protect your energy during the season meant to restore it.
Because boundaries aren't about being rigid.
They're about being intentional.
Talk to you soon,
Mary
