Recently, it has been rainy and thunder storming in Cincinnati, and it has been lovely. Despite the humidity that often comes after a summer thunderstorm, the break from the heat, and the expectations, is welcomed.
Today on PsychCentral.com, there was an article about “beating” summertime Seasonal Affective Disorder. We usually only hear about SAD in regards to winter time, long nights, cold temperatures, lack of sunlight, but it seems the reverse of SAD is also a thing. The article states, the “intense light of summer may be just as disruptive as winter’s short days and long nights.” Is anyone else relieved to hear this?
It can be odd to tell people you experience “depressive-like” symptoms in the summertime. But for some people the lack of clothing, bathing suits, vacation, and just the general expectation of having a “fun” summer can be overwhelming enough to close the blinds and hide under your all seasons down comforter. In the article on Psych Central, you can find a few tips for beating the summers SAD’s, but here is my own list:
- Pay the money for a real grown-up bathing suit. No matter your body type, no one is comfortable in a bathing suit. I feel confident saying that. Just gaze around the beach or the pool and notice all the tugging and flipping and adjusting that women have to do in those things. This is why it makes sense to buy a bathing suit that you feel comfortable in. Downside, you probably won’t find this bathing suit at Target or Forever 21, or from an Instagram ad. It’s time to move on. Find a higher end store that you can try on several different styles to find the one you feel the best in. Putting on a bathing suit doesn’t have to be torture.
2.Vacation time. For many people in many different professions, vacation time is not a relaxing time. It is just a reminder that they will have more work to do once they come back to the office. This is why so many people don’t even take all the vacation time they are allotted. If it makes you feel better, break up your vacation time by taking one, two or three days here or there rather than an entire week off. This way, you can recharge without feeling overwhelmed or guilty. But when you do take that week off, remember, the world still turns and people still get work done even when you aren’t there.
3. Expectations. There are a lot of expectations in the summertime to make the best of the warm weather and nice days. Just delete this expectation right off the bat. Do the best with what you have where you are.
Happy Summer 🙂
Citations:
PsychCentral, “Bummer in the Summer: How to Deal with Summertime Seasonal Affective Disorder” by Tracy Shawn, https://psychcentral.com/blog/bummer-in-the-summer-how-to-deal-with-summertime-seasonal-affective-disorder/
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