Feeling Out of Step This August? How to Find Your Own Summer Rhythm
For some people (me included ), August, and summer in general, can feel like a season designed for everyone else. Holidays, beach trips, barbecues, parties, and endless chatter about “plans” can make you feel out of step if your pace is quieter or slower. Some of us feel the pressure to join in, even when our minds and bodies are saying, “Please let me just do my own thing!”
So if staying home, resting, or doing anything else that feels more nourishing, then where you can, allow yourself to do that.
The Birthday Party That Left Its Mark
I remember a birthday party in my village when I was about eight or nine. It was a hot day, and I walked towards it hearing everyone shrieking and laughing, having water fights. I approached with dread. I didn’t want to go, didn’t know how to join in, and longed to be home with a book under a tree, but apparently, that wasn’t an acceptable option.
Trying to fit in, I think my discomfort was obvious. People seemed to wonder what was wrong, and I felt on a completely different wavelength, the ‘weird’ one. That feeling would often arise at big social gatherings, and still does, but for some reason, this one really stuck. I was probably overwhelmed by the heat and shouting, as well as all the usual ‘peopling’ requirements.
For much of my life, that sense of being different left me wondering if something was wrong with me. Only more recently have I realised: feeling out of step doesn’t mean you’re failing, it just means you’re uniquely wired and experience life differently.
Choosing your own rhythm is an act of self-awareness and care, not a flaw.
Why August, and Other “Fun” Times, Can Feel Overwhelming
For me, summer heat feels oppressive unless there’s water nearby to jump into. Holidays bring unfamiliar routines (see previous blog!), and family gatherings sometimes stir tension. As an HSP, I absorb all the unspoken resentments and unsaid things in the room.
From June onwards, I often find myself counting down to autumn, which feels calmer, gentler, and easier to manage.
Even if everyone else seems to be loving beach trips, barbecues, or festivals, and you’re the only one who isn’t, your experience is still valid. Social media can make it all look effortless, but many people are stressed, tired, or just going through the motions. Smiles are sometimes forced. The script is followed because it’s expected.
Not following the social script can create unease, but that unease is your mind and body signalling what you need. And it’s important to listen, so you don’t end up dysregulated or depleted.
Understanding You Haven’t Failed
If you’re not doing what everyone else seems to be doing this August, you haven’t been left behind. You’re living differently, maybe more slowly, quietly and intentionally. In a culture that glorifies busyness, this can attract curiosity, concern, or pity you never asked for.
But when you pause and ask yourself, “What do I actually want?” the answer is often simpler and quieter than society assumes: a book under a tree, a walk, time with a friend or two, cooking, or just being at home. Being outside the frame doesn’t mean you’re missing out. It can mean you’re paying attention to your own needs, keeping your nervous system steady, and honouring your rhythm.
Recognising this is the first step. Once you’ve accepted your own pace, you can start shaping August around what truly nourishes you.
Taking Back Your Summer Rhythm
August belongs to you. You get to decide what it means.
Early walks before the heat builds
Films with the curtains drawn
Tending plants or cooking something nourishing
Sitting quietly in the garden at dusk or dawn
Saying yes only to what replenishes you
Choosing differently isn’t weakness, it’s wisdom.
A Gentle Invitation
If you’ve felt invisible or off-kilter during August or summer, you are not alone. Many of us are quietly rewriting the story, living at our own pace, and ignoring the shoulds.
If this resonates, and you’d like support finding your rhythm, I offer one-to-one therapy for highly sensitive, introverted, and neurodivergent people, and for anyone who feels out of step with the rest of the world. Together, we can create space to discover your voice, your pace, and your way forward.
Get in touch here. I would love to hear from you.