For those of us living in climates where winters are cold and the days grow darker, summertime often brings drastic contrast. Especially if you’re living in or around the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia you know we can get the whole spectrum of seasonal weather patterns. Moving into summer, many of us may think of sunshine, warmth and vacations. Or maybe of freedom from schoolwork or mundane routine! But for others of us summer is a season of change, uprooting, lack of structure or direction and in turn, a season of imbalance. This is just as normal.
You may be familiar with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a disorder that is actually described as a type or specifier of depression in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5.) While this disorder does not apply to an isolated season or only one time of year, we often associate this seasonal pattern with “the winter blues.” There are some significant correlations between those cold, darker months and lower moods, but we can see these warmer months bring seasonal mood changes as well.
Some research suggests that similar to the lack of sunshine and specific vitamins during the winter months, an excess of time in the sun can disrupt our mood regulation in other unique ways during the summer months. We often see lower energy, dysregulated sleep schedules, and varying levels of low mood as some symptoms of SAD in the winter months. In the summer we may see a similar dysregulated sleep schedule and in turn change in eating habits, irritation, heightened anxiety, varying levels of low mood, and more.
Apart from the effects from sleep routine and sun exposure, the personal daily routine and habit differences between summer and winter can also be where we start to feel a seasonal shift in regulation. We can go from the structure of kids’ school and sport schedules, homework and assignment routines, consistent workflow, busy business hours, predictable people and conversations to suddenly a disorganized “free for all.” For some, summer offers so much free time that filling this time becomes overwhelming, even lonely.
Without shaming yourself for having a difficult time finding familiar regulation through this type of seasonal change, it can be curious to look at ways to navigate summertime sadness. At whatever level it occurs for you, if it does, there may be some tools to help summertime feel more manageable. Whether you’d prefer to be snuggled under a blanket with a warm cup of tea or basking in the sunshine with waves crashing in the distance, we all deserve to make the most of each season of life.
Always keeping in mind the unique experience of one's emotional world, we’d encourage you to test out some of the ways us counselors at Redbud navigate summertime sadness when it arises. Perhaps some of these approaches will resonate with you! Many of these ideas have similar themes of intention setting, one of my favorite ways to ground myself and connect to the present moment regardless of season.
Set an intention of trying one new thing per week
Fit in one activity for your physical health (movement), emotional health (journaling or listening to music) and intellectual health (reading a book, listening to a podcast, researching a fun new topic) per day or week!
Get outside as much as possible! To add some variety, you could focus on a different one of your 5 senses each time you go outside. Ex: Sense of smell -- what scents stick out to me as a walk through the park? OR what do different wildflowers smell like?
Schedule one social event per week. Ex: a coffee date, joining a running group, trying out a new yoga class, etc.
Similarly, make intentional time for connection with others throughout the week (pets included.)
Maintain a sleep routine throughout the summer
Find times to "unplug" throughout the week
Include and plan specific things on your calendar to look forward to at a frequency that feels fitting (weekly, monthly, etc.)
If you find yourself with more curiosities about your own experience or summertime sadness in general, please reach out to us through our contact page!
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