When most people think of summer, they imagine relaxing on sandy beaches and gleaming, sunshine-filled days that leave them with the perfect tan.

It's not a coincidence that so many people share this picture-perfect idea of summer. Films like Mamma Mia! and High School Musical have led us to regard summer as a mystical period where life-changing events take place, all against the backdrop of perfect weather.

Social media has only worsened the issue. As soon as warm weather creeps up on us, apps like Instagram and TikTok are flooded with posts of people lounging on golden beaches and sipping jewel-toned drinks on floaties in the sea.

For many, this idealistic image can result in pressure to have the 'perfect summer'. This leads to the sun producing more stress than sunbathing and makes the warmer months a period of anxiety instead of fun.

How Can We Tackle the Pressure to Have a Perfect Summer?

Get Off Social Media

It's been said so many times that this piece of advice sounds like a broken record. Unfortunately, this does not make it any less valid.

Avoiding social media will help you stop comparing your days with those of others. This will make you more appreciative of what actually does happen in your life. If the prospect of entirely ridding yourself of social media is too daunting, then start small. Even just reducing your social media screen time will make a difference.

While celebrities and influencers may post photos of themselves sunbathing on different islands every week, it's important to remember that such a lifestyle is not normal. Most people spend their summer days doing the same ordinary activities they do for the rest of the year. Reducing your social media time will help you gain a more realistic idea of how people actually spend their summer and may reduce some of the anxieties that accompany the season's arrival.

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Lower Your Expectations

Harsh but necessary. Lowering your expectations of what summer should entail will help you better value what does actually come your way.

Don't approach summer with the idea that your entire life will be transformed by its end. It's important to remember that the idea of summer as a life-changing period is advertised in films and television shows to entertain viewers. Shockingly enough, most people don't spend their summer days dancing and singing across beautiful Greek islands (looking at you, Sophie in Mamma Mia!). Understanding that such depictions aren't realistic will help reduce the pressure to have a perfect summer.

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Start Small

Of course, this is not to say you should approach summer thinking it'll be entirely devoid of fun. For many, simply spending time in the warmth is enough to make it enjoyable. However, if you're looking to enhance it even further, you might find it worthwhile to create a summer bucket list.

Fill your list with realistic activities that you can do when you're in need of some fun. These can be small – eating your favorite ice cream or going for a bicycle ride in the sun – or big, like having a bonfire or a beach day with your friends.

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It's important to remember that this summer is not the only one that'll ever take place – there are plenty more coming your way in the future. Therefore, there's no need to feel stressed if you don't accomplish everything that you're hoping to do.

Even having a handful of truly fun days is enough to make your summer worthwhile. Adopting such a mindset will help you fall in love with summer itself, instead of simply the idea of summer that's spread by social media and television.