August has a particular talent: it can make us believe the whole world has moved to the seaside. Open a social network and you will find perfect sunsets, drinks on the beach and smiles that seem straight out of an advertising campaign.

For a few weeks, the stream of images suggests that nobody is working, nobody has problems and everyone is enjoying the best summer of their life. Then we close the app and return to days that are far more varied.

Some people keep working. Others stay in the city to care for a relative. Some choose not to travel, while others cannot afford to. Some are building a new professional project or looking for balance after a difficult period. These experiences are as much a part of summer as holidays, even if they appear less often in photographs.

Working in communication, I know how a selection of images can shape perception. On social media we share fragments: what we see is a choice of moments, rather than the complete account of a life. Forgetting this makes comparisons unfair, especially to ourselves.

Some summers are made of small pleasures: dinner with friends, a book finally opened, a walk as the heat eases or a long-awaited phone call. Moments that rarely attract thousands of reactions, but can leave us with something lasting.

I like to think of August as an opportunity to give time a little more attention. Even without going away, we can take a break, listen to our thoughts and choose what truly deserves space.

If our summer does not resemble the one on the screen, it is not a summer gone wrong. Peace of mind does not need a location tag, and it does not always ask to be photographed.