Editor’s Note: Comfortable When the Heat Is On

As we head into summer, I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be comfortable when the heat is on—not just the rising temps, but the kind of internal heat that builds up as we hit the middle of the year.

This is the season where I usually start reviewing the goals I set at the beginning of the year.

I start reflecting on what’s been done, what hasn’t, and (if I’m being honest) how behind I feel.

I’m the type of person who packs a To-Do List fuller than it reasonably should be.

And every year around this time, I find myself asking: How can I get everything done… and still enjoy the summer I promised myself?

There’s this intensity that creeps in when you realize the year is halfway over.

A pressure to be further along. A little voice that says, “You should’ve done more by now.” That’s the heat I’m talking about. And ironically, it tends to turn up right when the weather calls us to slow down, have fun, travel, and rest.

So, how do we balance both?

How do you hold space for your dreams and your downtime without guilt? How do you stay accountable to your vision without letting the pressure consume you?

One thing that’s helped me on this journey—especially as I build Nubelease—is learning when to stop. Not quit. Just pause.

When I’m flustered, when I’m not finding the right words or the content isn’t coming together the way I want it to, I stop right where I am.

I might step away for a few minutes. Or I’ll leave it and come back the next day.

And you know what? It always feels better when I return. Less messy. Less overwhelming.

The heat—the urgency, the pressure, the mental fog—fades. Suddenly, the path forward looks clearer.

You can still reach your goals without rushing through them.

Of course, that pause sometimes means I don’t check everything off the list that day. But I usually end up using that time for something else productive—or even restful—and when I do circle back, I’m operating from a calmer, more creative place. That alone is worth the trade.

You’re allowed to slow down without falling behind.

So this summer, I’m inviting you to cool off.  Take the heat off your shoulders, your calendar, your creativity.

Give yourself permission to ease up when things feel too intense.

You’re not behind. You’re human. And you don’t have to earn your rest.

You control the pressure. Not the other way around.

Let’s move through this season with a little more grace—for our timelines, our projects, and ourselves.

Even when the heat is on, you can choose to stay cool.

xoHanya.