Summer After the School Year: A Mental Health Reset for Students
You made it through another school year. Finals, deadlines, group projects, late-night breakdowns, maybe even burnout—check, check, and check.
Now it’s summer, and while everyone seems to be posting about vacations or internships, you might just feel… drained. Or stuck. Or unsure what you’re supposed to do with this time.
Here’s the truth: Summer doesn’t need to be “productive” to be valuable. If you’re a student or young adult, this is your chance to hit pause, reset your brain, and focus on your mental health.
Here’s how to make this summer a real break—one that helps you feel like you again.
1. Rest Without Guilt
First, yes—you're allowed to rest. No schedule. No deadlines. No 8 a.m. classes.
After months of nonstop mental load, your brain needs unstructured time. Rest isn’t laziness—it’s recovery. You’re not falling behind by taking care of yourself. In fact, this is what helps you show up stronger when it matters.
What rest looks like:
Sleeping in without an alarm
Binge-watching your comfort show
Sitting in a park doing absolutely nothing
Saying “no” to things you don’t have energy for
2. Rebuild Routines That Work for You
During the semester, your schedule is built around classes and obligations. Now, you get to design a routine that actually supports you—your energy, your interests, your well-being.
Try starting simple:
Wake up and go to sleep at similar times
Add in 10–15 minutes of movement each day
Make a “start the day” and “end the day” habit (like journaling or stretching)
This doesn’t have to be intense. Think of it as gently reminding your brain and body what calm feels like.
3. Reconnect With Yourself
School can pull you in a million directions, and it’s easy to lose touch with your sense of identity outside of grades or achievements.
Use the summer to ask yourself:
What do I actually enjoy doing (when no one’s grading me for it)?
What kind of people do I feel good around?
What do I want more of in my life next year?
Journal, make art, go on solo walks, or just spend time being a little bored. That’s often when you rediscover parts of yourself you’ve pushed aside.
4. Check In With Your Mental Health
If you’ve been running on stress, anxiety, or autopilot for months, now’s the time to check in honestly with yourself.
Ask:
Am I feeling more anxious or depressed than usual?
Am I avoiding things or isolating more than I want to?
Do I feel overwhelmed even when nothing’s happening?
If the answer is yes, talk to someone. A therapist, a support group, even a friend you trust. You don’t need to “wait until things get worse” to reach out.
5. Make Room for Joy and Play
You deserve to feel good without needing to “earn it.”
Take a day trip. Make music. Read a book for fun. Get ice cream with a friend. Laugh until your stomach hurts. These little things aren’t distractions—they’re healing.
Your mental health isn’t just about managing the hard stuff—it’s about letting in the good, too.
6. If You're Working or Doing an Internship…
If your summer includes a job or internship, be mindful of your bandwidth. Set boundaries where you can. Protect your evenings and weekends. Schedule in real breaks.
Even “busy” summers can be healing if you’re intentional about what you need.
Final Thoughts
Summer is a perfect time to reconnect, re-center, and care for yourself—not because you “should,” but because you deserve to.
This isn’t just downtime between semesters. It’s a chance to remember who you are outside of school, stress, and survival mode.
Whatever your summer looks like—slow, busy, uncertain, or anything in between—make mental health part of it. You’ve made it this far. Give yourself the space to breathe.