Many of us breathe a sigh of relief when the days get longer and the temperature gets warmer. After staying inside more during the winter, we might be excited to get outdoors, make more plans or take advantage of the weather and go away. However, for some people who experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the arrival of summer isn’t exciting. In fact, they may experience low moods, anxiety and depression as a result of the change in season.
What is SAD?
Usually, SAD is associated with the winter months, but, 10% of those who experience it are affected during the summer. While it’s normal for the weather to impact our mood to a degree (for instance, feeling more optimistic on a sunny day) living with SAD means that the seasons have a significant impact on your emotions and energy levels. This can take its toll on your mental health and interfere with your everyday life.
Symptoms of SAD
What causes SAD?
The cause of SAD can differ from person to person, but it could be triggered by:
Sleep problems
In the summer, we get more hours of daylight, and because our bodies associate daylight with being awake, this can make it harder to fall asleep, which throws off our sleep cycle. The warmer weather can also make us less comfortable and more restless, which can stop us from drifting off.
Sleep restores our body and mind. When we don’t get enough sleep, we have a lack of energy, which can affect things like our work performance or our social life. We might also feel more irritable, worried and easily upset by things. A persistent lack of sleep can lead to anxiety and depression.
Warmer weather
Sweating, heart palpitations, shallow breathing - on a warm day, we might experience these symptoms due to the temperature, but mistake them for anxiety. This can lead to us panicking about feeling anxious, which triggers our anxiety, creating a vicious cycle. Understanding and recognising this connection between feeling anxious and the heat can help us to feel less anxious.
Social anxiety
From BBQs to picnics and watching football, our summer calendar can fill up pretty quickly. For people who experience social anxiety, this can make the warmer months feel daunting. Social anxiety is an extreme fear of social situations, where a person may feel overly worried before, during and after social events. We’ve written about social anxiety here.
Body image problems
When it’s warm, we tend to wear less clothing; we might swap our jeans for shorts, or jumpers for t-shirts. While this can help us to cool down, people with body image issues may feel uncomfortable about showing more of their body than they’re used to. They might worry that other people are judging them for how they look and feel unable to enjoy themselves because of this. We’ve written about how to boost your self-esteem here.
Change of routine
In the summer, our usual routine may change. We might be going on holiday or taking time off work or our studies. When we have less activities in our schedule and our mind isn’t occupied with things like our to-do list, this can create opportunities for us to worry and engage with anxious thoughts.
On the other hand, our schedule may become busier than ever. Some people struggle to say no to plans due to a fear of missing out (FOMO), which can be exacerbated by watching what others are doing on social media. Overstretching ourselves can lead to burnout, stress and anxiety, so it’s important to set boundaries.
Managing SAD
Improve your sleep
In order to get a better night’s sleep, good sleep hygiene is important. It can help to:
We’ve written more about sleep and mental health here.
Cool down
It may seem obvious, but in the warm weather, it’s so important to drink plenty of water. Drinking water can not only help you to cool down, it can also ease anxiety symptoms. Remember, drinking alcohol can make you dehydrated and so can certain medications.
Add structure to your day
Even if you’re on holiday and your routine is more casual, it can benefit your mood to have some structure to your day. Things like moving your body in the morning, eating three balanced meals a day and reading before bed can go a long way. If you need to distract yourself from anxious thoughts, try doing something proactive, like going for a run or calling a friend.
Seek professional help
If you’re experiencing feelings of anxiety, depression as a result of SAD, it’s important to speak to your GP or a mental health professional. They will be able to help you understand what’s happening and let you know what treatment is available to you. This might include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which addresses negative thought and behavioural patterns.
ieso offers typed CBT for a range of mental health issues, with video call sessions in some areas. Our service is confidential, remote and flexible, with evening appointments available. Find out more about what we do.
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