Summer is upon us!
For those of us in Chicago, Summer is a long-awaited season. Lakefront walks, volleyball games, street art festivals, and farmers markets are just a handful of the classic “Summertime Chi” events and activities to round out these warm months. Yet, with this wonderful weather can arrive a sense of pressure – to constantly be outdoors, active, and busy. Maybe it’s hard to balance all these competing social opportunities and you feel FOMO. Or maybe you notice a lull in your schedule, and it feels uncomfortable. Summer is often full of possibility – and maybe you might find yourself with extra time and bandwidth to reflect and recalibrate.
Summer can in fact be an ideal time to slow down, consider, and work through life’s stressors in a supportive therapeutic setting. Many people experience unique emotional challenges and recurring themes during this season. In this blog, we’ll explore some of the most common summer-related stressors and how this time of year can serve as an opportunity to begin, or return to, therapy.
Many of us count down the days till Summer. So, why am I feeling sad?
You may have heard of the winter blues. But did you know there is a Summer-onset form of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)? We may feel a bit more revved up, agitated, or anxious; our sleep might be off as well. Some of these feelings may be due to changes in sunlight exposure: now that the days are so much longer, and we have increased sunlight, our bodies are undergoing a change in our sleep-wake cycle. This disrupted sleep can in turn affect our mood. With this transition in mind, therapy can help us identify and modify our behaviors and emotions to support better sleep hygiene and improve our mental wellbeing.
I also feel anxious. What is that all about?
These longer days, rising temperatures, and routine shifts can also impact our levels of anxiety. In fact, heat alone can increase sweating, heart rate, and other physical sensations that can closely mimic anxiety. It can also simply increase our awareness of our bodies. If we are already sensitive to our body’s cues, we may interpret these sensations as dangerous. Summer is branded to us as a time of year to feel relaxed and social. Think about all of the commercials we see, whether it’s for an ice-cold Coca Cola at the beach, Heinz ketchup at a backyard barbeque, or a hotel chain offering a great Summer stay. When our internal experience doesn’t match that expectation, it can intensify that distress. Therapy can be a place to face these sensations, and build confidence that our bodies are safe, sometimes through a process called interoceptive exposure.
Navigating Body Image in Summer:
The warm weather also brings with it a change in fashion and trends. However, as there are more opportunities to shed layers, wear a swimsuit, or reach for a new Summer outfit, self-critical thoughts can start to creep in. We might find ourselves comparing our bodies to others on social media or feeling tempted to skip a vacation or social gathering because of discomfort or shame around our appearance. These thoughts can be powerful and limit us from fully engaging in our lives. Therapy can be a place to explore the origination of these beliefs, and offer more approaches rooted in body respect.
Exploring Financial and Vacation Stressors:
Summer spending might be higher than our typical spending. Further, we might be concerned that we don’t have enough money, time, or energy to enjoy the season. Therapy is a place to explore or even challenge these scarcity mindsets, find community outlets for support, and address social pressures and FOMO. In this way, you can align your seasonal spending with your personal values. Developing skills for navigating financial anxiety or shame can help reduce the isolation that can often be linked to this type of stress.
One arena of life where financial, and more broad-level, stress can emerge is related to vacations. Vacations can be amazing for our physical and mental health! And they might not always feel “relaxing.” They can also carry with them high expectations, potentially challenging relationship dynamics, and strain. Therapy can help provide tools to manage expectations, set boundaries, and address travel-related anxiety.
Navigating Transitions:
Summer is also often a season of transition. Maybe you’re preparing to go to college for the first time. Maybe you’re in between semesters, or noticing a lull in your job. Maybe you’re about to graduate, and move to a new city. Maybe you’re deciding whether to renew a lease, or move to a new home. These are just some of the physical transitions that Summer can encompass. They bring with them disrupted routines, adjustment periods, and sometimes, larger life questions. Therapy can be a place to plan for these kinds of transitions, a dedicated space to adjust to a newfound independence, process a shift in identity, and navigate uncertainty and re-entry. It can also be a space to cultivate a flexible routine and set goals with compassion and grace.
Why is Summer a Good Time to Start Therapy as a College Student?
Summer can be a meaningful time to start or return to therapy. In addition to a more accommodating schedule, you may have less academic stress, which can grant a greater mental space to focus on personal growth and reflection, and a heightened physical energy, which might mean a greater emotional capacity for therapy too. Summertime also allows for more appointment availability – especially in the daytime. And looking ahead, therapy can also be a helpful place to prepare for the Fall – proactive, rather than reactive – for the changes in weather, schedules, and priorities that the next quarter and seasons invite.
Embracing The Summer as a Starting Point:
As the Summer months bring both moments for pause and for possibilities, therapy can be an additional piece to build into your schedule, whether for the first time, or for a return. The nature of Summer encourages expansion, whether it is externally through our physical environments, or internally through our mental health journeys. Therapy can align with the Summer’s inherent energy of transformation. If you’re looking for additional support for the season ahead, reach out to Connections Health to learn more about our personalized therapy services for college students, group offerings, and seasonal wellness programming.
As always, we welcome your thoughts and insights. Have any feedback on this topic, or an idea for a blog, workshop, or program? We’d love to hear from you!
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