Seasonal affective disorders aren’t just for winter anymore!
By Lisa Milbrand
Key Points
- Feeling more anxious in summer is more common than it seems, since heat, schedule changes, money pressure, and social comparison can all make the season feel less carefree than expected.
- Lower the pressure by deciding what a good summer realistically looks like for you, making room for rest, and remembering you do not need nonstop plans to enjoy the season.
- Protect your mood by keeping basics like sleep, meals, movement, and downtime as steady as possible, and cut back on social media if it leaves you comparing your life to everyone else’s highlight reel.
Say the word “summer,” and your mind probably goes to sunny days, beach vacations, and easy, breezy living. But intriguingly, that isn’t always the reality, as summertime can breed way more stress than it seems like it should. Think FOMO when your Instagram feed is filled with bucket-list vacations, figuring out your own vacation budget, and dealing with the stress of juggling a new schedule or routine if you suddenly have kids home for the summer.
While most people think of seasonal affective disorder and other seasonal mental health issues, they tend to think of the dark days of winter—which is what makes feeling stressed or anxious during the balmy days of summer feel a bit out of place. “When anxiety shows up during a season that is culturally associated with happiness and freedom, people may interpret it as a sign that something is wrong,” says Meredith Hettler, LMFT, national director of the OCD and Anxiety Program at Newport Healthcare. “It can also feel harder to talk about stress or anxiety in the summer because everyone around you may seem happy and relaxed, which can make people feel more isolated or like they are the only ones struggling.”
It may help to know that you’re definitely not the only one feeling stressed right now (even if it feels like you are!). But understanding the underlying causes—and figuring out the perfect game plan to keep your stress and anxiety at bay—can help you enjoy the season even more.
Why Summer Anxiety Happens
There’s no one single answer to what’s behind your seasonal anxiety, but it’s likely due to a combination of different issues that can cause an increase in stress this summer.
Hotter temps can boost your stress levels
There is something to that whole idea of “hot and bothered,” because warm summer temperatures can actually increase the amount of cortisol your body produces and make you more irritable and stressed (and studies have even linked heat-related physical changes to increased need for mental health-related emergency care).
There’s a change in your routine
Any disruptions in your daily life can impact your mental health—and odds are, something about the summer is going to tweak your routine, whether it’s the longer, warmer days, or just some additional time off.
“Changes in sleep, daily structure, childcare or work responsibilities can leave people feeling less grounded and more vulnerable to anxiety,” Hettler says. “Seasonal transitions—even positive ones—can create stress as we adjust to changes in routine, expectations and social demands.”
You’re experiencing major FOMO
We all know that too much time scrolling through our friends’ social media feeds can lead to a little summertime sadness. After all, even if we do have some equally fun things going on, glimpsing someone’s Lake Como vacation or fancy park picnic could make us wistful for even more fun.
“Constant exposure to vacations, gatherings and highlight reels of other people’s lives on social media can create pressure to feel like you should be making the most of the season and having the time of your life all the time, even when those expectations aren’t realistic,” Hettler says.
How to Keep Your Cool This Summer
While there’s no magical elixir that’ll help you stave off stress this summer (if only!), there are some things you can do lifestyle-wise to help you avoid anxiety and make your summer a whole lot more enjoyable.
Put together some (realistic) summertime expectations
We’re not talking a big old bucket list, but a basic and realistic idea of what you’d like to get out of this summer—and make down time just as big a priority as those highlight-reel experiences. “Summer does not have to be filled with constant activity or picture-perfect experiences to be meaningful and enjoyable,” Hettler says. “Giving yourself permission to rest, say no or choose quieter plans can be just as important.”
Stick to your routine
While some changes to your schedule may be inevitable (like that ability to sleep in while you’re on vacation), trying to keep your daily schedule as consistent as possible can help stave off mental strife.
“Maintaining consistency with sleep, movement, meals and other self-care habits can make a significant difference,” Hettler says. “Even when schedules become more flexible, keeping some structure in place helps support emotional regulation and gives the day a sense of predictability.”
Keep FOMO at bay
We all know we should be spending less time scrolling on our phones. So give yourself a social media break so you can focus more on your own fun, and not constant comparisons to everyone else’s best-of reels.
See how you can flip the script when you start feeling stressed
We’re our own worst enemy—and it’s all too easy to launch ourselves on a downward spiral that has us feeling bad. The solution? “We can change our perspective and change our behaviors,” Hettler says. “Those two shifts can help change how we feel in any given situation.”
Tuning into what we’re feeling and why helps us get to the root cause behind that stress—and start feeling better all summer long.
Originally published on RealSimple.com.
