The Fastest Way to Press "Pause" on Summer
An easy and relaxing way to turn an ordinary moment into a memory
Ever have a “damn, it’s mid-August already” moment?
One minute you’re slipping on your favorite sandals and buying watermelon by the truckload, and the next you’re scrolling ad after ad for wool cardigans while staring down the back-to-school aisles at Target.
Somehow the weeks have evaporated. And if you’re like most people I talk to, it’s not because you’ve been lounging on a hammock all summer. It’s because life’s been full. Work stuff, kid logistics, a handful of BBQs, maybe a getaway trip somewhere, but mostly… busy.
The thing is, when we’re crazybusy, our brains tend to go into autopilot. We’re constantly moving to the next task on the mental checklist we didn’t even realize we were keeping.
Answer that email, check.
Cook dinner, check.
Pick someone up from practice, check…
… and in the process, we stop really registering what’s happening around us. We forget to notice the moments worth noticing.
Mid-August is the perfect time to zoom out
Right now, summer is in that bitter/sweet spot. The days are still long. The sun still gives us those pastel pink and purple skies as it sinks below the horizon. It’s warm enough to eat outside.
But there’s also this faint hum of transition – school supply drives, colleagues talking about fall plans, that glorious sunset appearing a little earlier than it did a few weeks ago…
The march of time is an irreversible shift. Sound dramatic? Maybe. True? Absolutely.
And if you don’t hit pause now, you risk looking up in late September wondering where summer went.
The case for a quick breathwork break
This isn’t about becoming a Zen master, as incredible an endeavor that is. Our ambitions here are slightly less lofty:
It’s about giving yourself a chance to reset your nervous system, as well as actually remember the good parts of your summer.
Even just 2-3 minutes of intentional breathing can:
Lower your heart rate and blood pressure (at least briefly)
Shift your nervous system from fight-or-flight (stress) mode into “rest and digest” (calm)
Help you interrupt a negative thought pattern or habit
Make everyday moments feel richer and more satisfying by anchoring your attention
Try this: The 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Breath
This is a well-known grounding technique, with a little conscious breathing added in.
Inhale slowly while you find 5 things you can see right now – let your eyes notice the colors and shapes and really take them in.
Exhale slowly while you notice 4 things you can feel – the chair under you, a breeze on your skin, your feet in your shoes.
Inhale slowly and tune in to 3 things you can hear – cicadas, distant music, footsteps outside.
Exhale slowly and find 2 things you can smell – cut grass, sunscreen, your coffee…
Inhale slowly one more time and think of 1 thing you can taste – even if it’s just neutral air – in this exact moment.
Exhale slowly and fully, letting your shoulders drop and your whole body soften.
Like flossing and changing your underwear, do it (at least) daily
If you like that and want this to stick, pick one “anchor moment” each day this week to complete this quick ritual.
Morning wake-up, before you touch your phone.
Washing dishes after dinner.
Right before a meeting starts.
Sitting on your porch or balcony at sunset.
Treat it like you’re collecting snapshots of August – not just photos, but little sensory souvenirs you can look back on.
Reality: life doesn’t slow down on its own
If you want to feel present, you have to create the pause. It’s proactive.
And those pauses aren’t just nice in the moment—they shape how you remember your life later. Our brains remember events more richly when we pause to truly notice sensory details and emotions involved.
When fall comes (and it’s coming), do you want to just remember “Summer 2025 was busy”? Or would you rather remember how the air smelled like hibiscus that one Wednesday night… or how your kid’s laugh echoed across the yard during a sprinkler run… or how the late-afternoon sun lit up the kitchen in shade on shade of gold?
All because you took 60 seconds to zoom out, breathe in, and notice.
Last Gasp
Want more quick, practical ways to breathe better, feel calmer, and make moments like this stick? Sign up for my weekly Full Exhale newsletter — you’ll get fresh breathwork tips, science-backed wellness nuggets, and little reminders to hit pause exactly when you need them most.
“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” — Henry James
Love this work. Thank you for giving me something I can use to get and stay present. Lacking that these days!