Although summer tends to be seen as a season of joy and happiness, it can surprisingly contribute to increased anxiety.  Warm weather can contribute to health issues including lack of sleep and dehydration.  These can contiribute to the body feeling more stressed and thus more anxious.  Your mental well-being can be negatively impacted during the summer.

Longer days can cause us to stay up unreasonably late or much later than we are used to which puts our natural body clocks out of rhythm.  A solution can be getting sun earlier in the day as opposed to later and also helping our body regain its regular sleeping patterns with other methods.  Keeping ourselves on a consistent sleep schedule, enabling a relaxing bedtime routine and making sure we only get into our beds when we are sleepy are a few examples.

Another issue with summer is the physical symptoms our bodies exhibit, overheating can mimic a panic attack, which can cause an actual, greater panic attack and perpetuate anxiety.  Overheating symptoms include sweating, dizziness, and even fainting. Heat can make us uncomfortable physically and emotionally, thus creating a trigger for anxiety.

Hay fever could also be a trigger for summertime anxiety.  A high pollen count can negatively affect our moods.  Even though allergies could be considered a small issue physically (for some), they can cause a great deal of stress for others.

When it comes to our mental health, being aware that we are going through a difficult time or stressful situation is half the battle.  Don’t blow off feeling anxious, take it seriously and take steps to manage it.  If you can understand what your triggers are or know what keeps you relaxed it can help you make better decisions on how to manage your mood.

Social media is another trigger that can cause more stress or anxiety during the summer. For example, if many of our friends are posting pictures of their vacations or trips this can make us feel inadequate.  Set limits on social media time, or you can even block sites completely with special software.   Research has shown that social media has been tied to stress, anxiety and depression.

Freedom Within offers group sessions for anxiety on a regular basis, sign up for our newsletter to stay informed on when our next group session is happening.  If you would like to speak one on one with a counselor, contact us today!