
If you’ve noticed that you are affected by the constant heat, rainy days, or post summer vacation mood drop then you may be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder or the summer blues.
You may be familiar with conversations about Seasonal Affective Disorder or winter blues, but did you know that people can also suffer from the summer blues as well? May people living in colder climates can suffer mood and behavior changes during the winter months due to shorter days and lack of sunlight, being stuck indoors due the cold, and the feeling that the dreary days won’t end. Depending on where you live those same type of symptoms can plague people during the summer months as well, but often for different reasons.
"Summer blues" can describe a temporary shift in mood and energy, often less intense and shorter-lived than Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The summer blues tend to be more situational such as that bummed out feeling when rain cancels your pool day, but you perk right back up when the sun returns. SAD, on the other hand, is a more pervasive and recurrent seasonal pattern, often affecting those who are typically mentally healthy throughout the rest of the year and often results in significant changes in mood or functioning. If you experience SAD, you may need to see a professional to address underlying issues.
Here are some feelings and behaviors to watch out for that could be contributing to summer blues or SAD as well as different was to feel better:
Summer Mood Changes: Look out for mood changes such as feeling down, depressed, sad, hopeless, pessimistic, difficulty focusing or thinking clearly, agitation, anxiety, irritability, feeling trapped, helplessness or feeling stuck, apathy, or feeling antsy more often.
Coping Check: Check in with yourself throughout summer to determine if you are experiencing these symptoms. Summer may be a time when you need to see a therapist or medical doctor to process why you are experiencing these issues.
The blues may be related to an underlying mental health or medical condition, a reaction to past trauma or a loss that happened during summer months, a Vitamin D deficiency due to lack of time outdoors, or a signal that you need to change your circumstances such as increasing self-care time.
Summer Behavior Changes: Be on the lookout for behavior changes such as snapping at others, withdrawal, avoidance, complaining more, overspending to feel better, drinking or eating excessively, spending a lot of time in the dark indoors, and increased violence.
Pay attention to people telling you that you “seem different” during this time of year. If others notice your behavior changes, then something else may be going on that needs to be addressed.
If you notice weight gain, lack of self-care, more hangovers, less money due to spending, people avoiding you due to your changing mood, or you are getting into more fights, your behavior may reflect summer blues.
Coping Check: If you have vacation, take your vacation. If you are given time off, then you deserve to enjoy it. Having something to look forward to can help improve mood.
Ask others for help such listening to what you are going through or ask them what they do to manage seasonal blues.
Increase your self-care during this time. Give yourself permission to do nothing, or push yourself to do more based on what you are experiencing. Exercise can help increase energy and movement for those feeling weighed down.
Avoid living in darkness and allow sunlight into your home. Too little light can make us feel worse and can increase melatonin which makes us feel tired.
The Heat Has Got You Down: You may feel more angry, sad, stuck, or depressed by the constant stifling heat. For people living in hot climates, they can experience summer blues because they may feel trapped or stuck because they are avoiding going outside in the hot sun, are annoyed by the stickiness of humidity, feel more agitated by feeling hot, or may have to avoid going outside due to a medical condition.
Coping Check: Take small outdoor breaks. Just a little bit of sunlight can go a long way. Wear cool clothing, carry a fan with you, buy a cooling cloth to use when outside, take short walks in the cooler morning or evening, and remind yourself that this heat will eventually improve.
Take advantage of community pools, sprinklers, splash pads, cooling blankets, or swimming in lakes or the ocean. Use that hot body feeling to get in those cold showers as there is evidence that cold water can help with our immune system, pain, and inflammation as well as help us cool down. Enduring icy water can also bring a great sense of accomplishment.
Rain Rain Go Away: Some areas experience more rain during summer months. Transitioning from a stretch of sunny days to frequent dark and rainy ones can require some adjustment. There's a hilarious Florida tourism commercial where beachgoers are basking in the sun until a lone, minuscule cloud suddenly casts a shadow. The sunbathers yell out, “Oh, come on,” in annoyed tones. The little cloud passes, and the people are happy again. When there is an expectation of sun and nice weather, the disappointment of rainy days can affect mood. When I first moved to Florida, I remember this same phenomenon happening when I went to Walgreens and people were complaining about the rainy day. Coming from overcast skies in Illinois, I was surprised that people would be bothered by a rainy day when they lived in a state known for having the sunniest days, but when it’s something you are used to on a regular basis the weather change can feel off putting.
During rain, people may avoid going outside and therefore feel more trapped. Rainy days can contribute to stress due to difficulty planning time out or difficulty convincing your young child or dog that rain is happening in the front yard as well as the back yard and you do not have the ability to make it stop. My greyhound still doesn’t understand this concept despite the many meteorological videos we have shared with him.
Rain can also stop people from engaging in their favorite fun or relaxing activities such as golfing, travelling, water sports/activities, running, sunbathing, and so on.
Coping Check: Reframe, Reframe, Reframe. During that same experience in Walgreens, the cashier noted to those complaining that she was happy for the rainy day because it gave her car a free wash. I was impressed by her ability to reframe. Reframe the rainy day such as your grass getting a free water, rain helps those gorgeous flowers bloom, rain helps clean out allergens, or that the rain is a perfect excuse for a cozy, lazy, or do-nothing kind of day.
You may have to find other ways to get sunlight to get that sunny feeling. This might include a sun lamp, sitting near a window that lets sunlight in, or using visualization to remind your brain of sunny fun days. Consider a vacation to a warm and sunny place.
Allow yourself to play in the rain. When it’s hot outside, rain doesn’t tend to feel cold and doesn’t chill to the bone like fall or winter months. Go for a walk in the rain, sing in the rain, play with others or your kids in the rain, or just allow the rainwater to wash your worries away.
Please Take A Day Off Sun!: For those that live in less sunny states, it may be a surprise that there can be times that people get depressed by too much sun. In places where there is high UV, it can be dangerous to spend too much time outside. It can also feel unsettling to be inside and see a beautiful sunny day and not be able to go out and enjoy it. I still personally struggle with this concept after living in the Chicagoland area where there are often long winters and short springs. When summer came, I tried to soak in as much time outside as possible because I knew that winter would be arriving sooner than later. When I moved to a sunnier warmer climate, my mind kept having the urge to get outside. I still have to actively remind myself that I don’t have to go outside and that there is plenty more sun to come.
Coping Check: Use sunny days as cozy days. If you’re the type to use a rainy day as an excuse for a lazy day, try using super sunny, too hot days, to be lazy too. Try using visualization to cool you down by thinking of rainy dark day. Close your blinds or sit in a dark room to simulate a darker day or to block out the sun.
YouTube has great rainy day ambiance videos that feature rainy day cafes, rain in the mountains, rain in a forest, and rain just about anywhere, which can create a dark day feeling. There are even YouTubers whose sole channel is doing activities in the rain such as camping in the rain.
Take a vacation to a cooler or less sunny place. Remind yourself you don’t need to be productive or be outside all the time and give yourself permission to be inside and do indoor things. Summer can also be a perfect time for a dark movie theater or restaurant.
Vacation or End of Summer Blues: Summer is an active time for vacationing due to the nice weather, kids being off, and for some, slower business. Some people, however, feel down or depressed after coming back from vacation. Post-vacation blues can stem from the sudden drop in feel-good chemicals like dopamine, which are released in abundance during enjoyable activities. Your body is essentially adjusting back to its baseline levels. A sense of despair can creep in when faced with the long wait until your next vacation, or if you return to circumstances that don't feel fulfilling.
Social media can lead to sadness due to comparison with others. We might find ourselves envying others' seemingly more exciting vacations and wishing we were in their shoes (or on their beaches!) Comparing your beach body to others can lead to feelings of self-consciousness and even avoidance of activities that involve wearing less clothing or swimsuits.
For those that live in cooler climates, the end of summer can signal that inevitable slide to cooler days and possibly long winters. Summer's end can mean bidding farewell to beloved social gatherings like barbecues and community events, as well as outdoor activities like water parks, hiking, or pool days.
Family time may also be impacted by the end of summer. There is the running joke that parents can’t wait for their kids to return to school. Some parents, however, become sad at the end of the summer vacation because they enjoyed the quality time off with their kids. There may also be the dread of trying to figure out how to entertain kids indoors if you live in cold climates.
Coping Check: Plan your next vacation or time off as soon as you get back to regular life. Having another one to look forward to can help people feel less depressed about the last one ending. Planning fun activities, even if small, for after vacation can also help.
Take a vacation in your mind. Whether visualizing, reading, or watching a You Tube video about a place you’d like to vacation, your brain can get tricked into feeling like you are there, which can lessen the despair of having nowhere to go.
Research has shown that reminiscing about vacations can release those happy chemicals. Go back through your photos, talk to your family and friends about your vacation, or journaling about your vacation can help you feel connected to your experience and bring back some of those happy feelings.
As you can see, there are numerous reasons why people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder and/or Summer Blues. If you recognize these feelings or behaviors in yourself, there are proactive steps you can take to prepare for and manage them when they arise which can lead to greater summer happiness.
Remember, the sun will come out tomorrow, and let the rain wash your worries away.
Stay tuned for my next blog on dealing with summer stress.