How to enjoy the summer without a holiday?

When the summer months are spent working, looking at the calendar can be frustrating and stressful. But stress doesn't have to be a curse word - in the right doses, it's part of our normal daily lives.

– Stress helps us to function and get things done, so we need it in appropriate doses at work too. The fact that we can see short-term stress as a driving force also helps us with stress. More generally, the challenge is more about the lack of balance between stress and recovery, which is important to address in advance, says Aino Kohtala, psychologist and psychotherapist at Terveystalo.

However, even if you don't have a holiday this summer, the summer is not ruined. Annamari Heikkilä, an occupational health psychologist at Terveystalo, points out that there are many good things about working in the summer.

– In fact, summer is a great time to be at work! Especially in office work, there are fewer emails and you can concentrate on your work in peace. Working at your own pace, without a constantly blinking phone and scurrying emails, brings a touch of luxury to everyday life. Concentration can be made easier when you can work at your own pace without interruptions.

– It's worth taking advantage of the slower pace. Summer, when certain tasks are being performed, can be a good time to build in some boundaries and routines for work and recovery from the day's work, making everyday life easier when the pace gets hectic, adds Kohtala.

Making recovery part of everyday life

Especially in hybrid work, where a lot of work is also done from home, it's worth building a transition between work and leisure time and consciously disengaging from work. After a day at work, you can head outdoors and take a short walk as a rite of passage from work to home - even if the starting and finishing points are at the same address. So it's important to build recovery into your daily routine, and not something you only have time for on holidays or weekends.

– Think about the ways and means of recovery that are easy for you to incorporate into your normal rhythm and are likely to be easier to maintain. The important thing is to find a range of recovery methods that suits you and that you can use flexibly in different situations, says Kohtala.

Whenever possible, you should organise time off during the work holidays. A morning swim before work or an afternoon coffee at the marketplace can bring a touch of holiday cheer into the midst of everyday life. If possible, a shorter working day will free up more time to enjoy summer activities.

Especially if there is no holiday at all in the summer, it's worth taking care of your recovery during the working day too. Take enough breaks and extend your lunch break if work allows. It can be easier to enjoy everyday life in summer than in mid-winter. It's worth making the most of it, because everyday life is the spice of life.

Don't skip the holidays altogether 

Recovery should be taken care of all year round, not just during holidays. Nevertheless, it's good to take a holiday from time to time, as it's proven to help you get away from work and recover. However, a longer holiday need not be in the summer: many people like to take a break during the darker months of winter.

– It's a good idea to make sure you don't work for too long at a time. Slacking off is good for your creativity, learning and problem-solving skills, and you shouldn't skip holidays altogether. Mini-breaks are also worthwhile - for example, extended weekends throughout the year help you recover better," says Heikkilä.