I kept hearing that the cool thing to do this summer was embrace a 90s summer. And as a 90s kid, I was fully on board.

I mean, what could be better? Slow mornings. Letting kids run free without rigid routines and schedules. Dinners al fresco. Long afternoons at the pool. Staying outside until the sun went down. All the simple things that somehow made life feel a little less rushed.

But I started to wonder if it wasn’t really about recreating the 90s at all. Maybe what we needed was the permission to slow down.

When Busyness Starts Creeping Back In

Like clockwork every year around this time, there’s a noticeable shift.

School supplies pack the shelves. Calendars start filling up. Talk about getting back into the swing of things," drums up as if busyness has been waiting patiently around the corner for us to return.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing inherently wrong with routines. The help create stability and allow us to care for the people and things we’ve been entrusted with. But somewhere along the way, many of us have started believing that a full calendar automatically equals a meaningful life.

Why Slowing Down Matters for Our Mental Health

As a therapist, I’ve noticed that what people often miss isn’t summer itself, but how they felt during it. More present. More connected. More willing to linger in conversations and make room for spontaneity. Less hurried. Less overwhelmed. More free.

When life slows down, our nervous system notices. We breathe a little deeper. We become more aware of ourselves, the people around us, and what’s happening in the present instead of constantly thinking about what’s next.

Bringing the Best of Summer Into a New Season

But the reality is, summer doesn’t last forever. Before long, school will be back in session, calendars will fill up, and we’ll find ourselves stepping back into the rhythms and responsibilities of everyday life. And honestly, that’s not a bad thing.

But maybe the invitation isn’t to escape the busyness of post-summer. Maybe it’s to approach it differently - to carry the posture of summer with us and hold onto the parts of it that helped us feel most like ourselves.

How to Carry a Slower Pace Into Everyday Life

So what does it look like to carry that slower pace with us?

Leave room for margin: We don’t have to fill every open space on the calendar. Protecting a little blank space gives us room to breathe, connect, and be present for the moments we couldn’t have planned. And believe it or not, our kids love it!
Practice small, unhurried moments: Maybe it’s your morning coffee before checking your phone, an evening walk, or sitting outside for ten minutes after dinner. Small moments of slowness remind our nervous systems that we don’t have to rush through every part of the day.
Choose presence over productivity: Summer often reminds us there is more to life than what we accomplish. Try noticing the moments that are already happening instead of rushing toward the next thing. Put your phone down during dinner. Look out the window on your drive. Let a conversation last a little longer. Being present is often less about having more time and more about paying attention to the time we already have.

The Invitation to Slow Down Doesn’t End With Summer

Maybe the question isn’t, How do I hold onto summer? Maybe it’s What helped me feel most like myself this summer, and how can I carry that into this next season?

Because maybe slowness was never really about summer at all. Maybe it was about giving ourselves permission to breathe, be present, and enjoy the moments already in front of us.

Here at Atlanta Wellness Collective, we want to help. For support, contact us or schedule an appointment online.

This blog post was written by Mary London Goshert.

This blog is not intended to substitute professional therapeutic advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about your health concerns and before starting or stopping therapies. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct professional advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

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