The monthly “Elevate Well-Being” blog series shares thoughts and reflections of Clemson Well-Being Council members and University faculty, staff and students. Our June 2026 blog is courtesy C.C. Bates, associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College of Education.
I have long romanticized summer as a season of rest. A time when campus is quieter, my inbox is more manageable and I finally have time to breathe. Since the end of the Spring semester, I have been anxiously waiting for the pace to change, but this year feels different. In fact, it seems the frenetic energy typically associated with the end of the academic year has simply followed me into June.
While my work is meaningful and rewarding, constantly operating at capacity comes with consequences. Over time, a relenting and hectic schedule takes a toll on us mentally, emotionally and physically. So, as I come to the realization that the traditional summer slowdown may no longer exist, I am prompted to rethink what rest and well-being really mean. This is especially important in today’s culture where being connected 24/7 has become normalized and productivity is often tied to worth.
The takeaway from this self-reflection is that I shouldn’t be waiting for a season to slow me down, nor should well-being be confined to a specific time of year. Instead, rest and well-being should be prioritized all 365 days. One way to achieve this is to create small opportunities to pause and decompress. Taking steps like breaking for lunch, walking around campus without checking phone notifications or protecting personal time without feeling guilt are important. Living in a constant state of busyness and exhaustion can compromise creativity, patience and effectiveness and these simple aforementioned actions can help restore energy, focus and balance.
The strategies at NCFDD serve as a free resource and also support rest and well-being. Clemson’s institutional license (thank you!) provides access to the website, which includes the Monday Motivator, a weekly newsletter that offers tips on topics like managing stress and over commitment. The website also has a core curriculum that includes short courses like Every Summer Needs a Plan. This course consists of a series of webinars, one of which focuses on mapping tasks and activities to the calendar with an emphasis on scheduling the rest and well-being breaks we all need.
As the summer season arrives, I encourage you to remember that rest and well-being should not be confined or postponed. Work never becomes less demanding and this is a reminder that we must create regular space to recharge. By building in moments to pause and reflect every day, I am better able to sustain the work I care deeply about without sacrificing my personal well-being. Summer may no longer offer the automatic reprieve it once did, but if we invest in ourselves year-round, we are able to show up more fully on a daily basis.
