Ever feel just as dreary as the rainy weather outside or caught the winter blues? What about summertime sadness? It’s relatively common to experience some shifts in mood with changing seasons or weather. And though colder, rainier days are intuitive to be correlated with a negative shift in mood and increased depression, it turns out that “summertime sadness” is more than just a nearly decade-old pop song.
For some of us, this sunny season brings an increase in mental health difficulties.
Shocking, right? Maybe not so much when we set aside our pool noodles and consider what comes along with summer aside from fun in the sun. For example, some people’s bodies have trouble tolerating higher temperatures and may experience increased fatigue. And from a functional standpoint, fluctuations in activity level in the summer might interrupt our sleeping and eating patterns, which can affect our mental and emotional health just as much as our physical health. Students and teachers are a prime example of this: after months of routine during the school year, summer is a seemingly endless free-for-all with traditionally much less structure.
Let’s face it: carefree can equal chaos. So what can we do?
Sometimes, the best way to find solutions is to examine the problem. Do any of the above scenarios sound like you? If you are having physical health difficulties such as fatigue or changes in sleep or appetite, you may benefit from a trip to your family doctor. In the mental and emotional domains, there’s variation in the ways that a summer shift could present itself. Some common ones are the restless, active version, the disinterested, isolated version, or a combination of the two. With any of those changes in mood, identifying what differences in activity level or routine have taken place along with summer can be helpful. Are there ways that you can create more consistency or similarities from before summer to your present lifestyle? If so, it may smooth your transition into summer.
Already tried to make lifestyle changes and still struggling to feel like yourself?
For some of us, change and transition are a consistent struggle – and seasonal changes are no exception. One thing that can help us regain control is grounding ourselves to the present moment. This can take different forms, but in essence, increasing our focus on body awareness and paying greater attention to sensory input is a simple yet effective way for us to reset. A common technique for this is called the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. With this technique, when you are feeling distressed, uncomfortable, or not quite yourself, you will pay attention to each of your different senses one by one. Ensuring that you tune into small details, take some time to point out 5 thing that you can see, 4 things that you can feel, 3 things that you can hear, 2 things that you can smell, and 1 thing that you can taste (gum, candy, or small snacks can be used for that last step). This technique can be used in an intentional location that is relaxing to you, or even in a public space when feeling distressed. It may feel strange at first, but over time it can be a great tool to use when you are not feeling like your best self.