Mid-Year Stress: Simple Strategies That Restore Balance

Summer often carries a higher expectation to enjoy more relaxed days, spend more time outdoors, travel, and be more spontaneous. But for many of us, mid-year can feel hard to relax. Between shifting routines, more tightly-packed calendars, and the pressure to “make the most” of the longer and warmer days, it’s easy to feel stretched thin. If you’ve noticed yourself feeling more drained of energy this summer, you’re not alone. Stress has a way of sneaking into any kind of situation, even during seasons that are supposed to be more light and carefree.

The good news? With a little intention and some planning, you can actually create more time in your day to slow down and enjoy the moment without having to put those important tasks on the backburner.

Why Stress Builds Mid-Year

By the time summer rolls around, many of us have already spent half the year juggling responsibilities for work, home, and our personal lives. That alone can make mid-year feel like a natural pressure point. Add in shifting routines, new activities, and summer trips, and stress can pile up quickly. Most often, stress usually comes from the following sources:

• School breaks: Parents often find themselves scrambling to adjust schedules, arrange childcare, or keep kids entertained.

• Vacations: Despite good intentions for trying to relax, planning trips, budgeting, and managing logistics can throw some curve balls (i.e. flight delays, traffic, lost luggage)

• Work deadlines: For many industries, summer brings mid-year evaluations or project push points.

• Social commitments: Longer days often lead to more invitations and activities, which can leave little room for rest.

Research shows that it’s not just life events that wear us down—everyday stressors add up over time. The American Psychological Association highlights that ongoing stress can accumulate, causing additional risks to personal health. In fact, low cumulative stress can have just as much of an impact on health as one big stressful event. 

Halfway through the year, it’s all too common to feel the weight of months of ongoing stress layered on top of new seasonal demands. Over time, stress can cause significant effects throughout the body system.

The Effects of Stress on Whole-Body Health

Stress isn’t just something that can be felt within the mind—it can have a nasty ripple effect on the entire body. When stress becomes chronic, it can show up in ways we don’t always connect with right away. 

Stress can take a toll on nearly every dimension of well-being. If left unchecked, stress will not only affect your mental and physical health, but your environmental, occupational, financial, spiritual, intellectual, and social health- all of which can affect quality of life. 

Common symptoms of the effects of stress on well-being may include:

• Loss of focus or concentration

• Short term memory loss

• Fatigue or trouble sleeping

• Headaches

• Muscle tension

• High blood pressure

• Digestive issues

• Weakened immune system

• Heart disease

• Relationship problems

• Body aches and pains

• Rash/ hives

• Anxiety and/or depression

• Behavioral issues (i.e. smoking, use of alcohol, eating disorders)

In order to manage stress effectively, it’s important to incorporate rest and relaxation during your days. Whether you reserve time to strengthen muscles at the gym, meditate mid-afternoon, or write in a journal, setting aside time to be intentional with slowing down and focusing on self-care practices will help to reduce stress and preserve or improve your overall well-being.

Mid-year Strategies for Slowing Down Stress

When life speeds up, our first instinct is often to push harder and get more done. But here’s the thing: constantly running in high gear doesn’t actually make us more productive—it can lead to greater fatigue and burnout.

Research shows that rest and recovery aren’t just nice to do; they’re essential for both physical and mental health. Mindfulness practices, like meditation or even a few minutes of deep breathing, can lower blood pressure, improve sleep, and reduce anxiety. Similarly, people who take regular breaks are more engaged and less likely to burn out compared to those who power through without pausing.

The good news? Slowing down doesn’t have to mean modifying your entire schedule or taking an extended weekend break. It can be as simple as:

• Taking 10 minutes in the morning to sit down and sip your coffee without your phone.

• Stepping outside for a short walk between tasks.

• Taking a quick pause to breathe deeply before moving to the next thing on your to-do list.

Even micro-breaks like these can help regulate cortisol (the body’s main stress hormone) and give your mind a reset. Taking several 5- to 10-minute breaks throughout your day can make a measurable difference in stress levels.

Choosing to slow down is less about doing nothing and more about creating space for what matters most. When we make room for stillness, we return to our day with more clarity, energy, and patience.

Practical Strategies for Stress Relief

The idea of slowing down can sound wonderful, but actually making it happen in real life is where many of us get stuck. However, there IS a solution. By making small, intentional shifts in your schedule, you can make a big difference in how you feel each day. Here are some practical ways to keep stress in check not just during summer, but year-round:

• Schedule downtime like an appointment. We often block out time for meetings or errands, but not for rest. Treat relaxation as something that deserves space on your calendar. Research shows that planning downtime increases the chances you’ll actually follow through.

• Practice mindful breathing. You don’t need a full meditation session to reap the benefits of peace. Even a few slow, deep breaths can calm the nervous system. Mindful breathing helps lower heart rate and reduce stress hormone levels.

• Set boundaries around commitments. Summer can quickly fill up with invitations and obligations. It’s okay to say “no” or “not right now.” Protecting your energy helps you stay present for the things that matter most.

• Prioritize sleep. Stress and sleep are closely linked. In fact, people under stress are more likely to experience restless nights—which only fuels more stress the next day. Keeping a consistent bedtime routine and limiting screen time before bed can help improve rest.

• Move your body—everything counts! Exercise doesn’t have to be intense to reduce stress. A walk outside, stretching, or gentle yoga can lower cortisol and increase endorphins, which boosts the mood. 

The key to lowering stress is consistency. Small lifestyle practices, like those above, may not feel like much in the moment, but over time they build calm, perseverance, and increased energy.

Stress may be an unavoidable part of life, but how we respond to it makes all the difference. By intentionally slowing down and building small, doable habits into our days, we can protect our health and energy even during the busiest moments. You don’t have to have a perfect routine—it’s about incorporating consistent moments of calm that help you feel grounded and resilient. These simple mid-year stress strategies can help you reduce pressure, recharge, and move forward with more joy and balance in your daily life.

Hilary Stewart is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach and founder of Rediscover Wellness LLC. She is dedicated to supporting adults over 40 to thrive through active aging and sustainable wellness habits. Her blogs share research-backed wellness strategies with simple, actionable steps to help you rediscover what brings more energy, balance, and joy into everyday living.

👉 If this article inspired you, spread the word by Liking, Commenting, and Sharing! If you want more healthy living inspiration and strategies for midlife and beyond, be sure to subscribe to the Rediscover Wellness newsletter today.