Have you heard about the term “summer anxiety”? What does it really mean? Are there effective ways to properly manage or beat this? If you want to know the answers to these questions, continue reading below and learn from the best Ballarat naturopath near me.
A lot of us look forward to the summer that comes at the end of the year. Especially a summer that comes after a long period of cold, raining days like this year. Summer is full of sunshine and most of us see it as the perfect time to socialise and have fun! It’s a great time for:
- spending more time out in nature,
- being more social,
- topping up your vitamin D, and
- exercising more.
However, not everyone does. Sometimes, the many social gatherings, changes in routine, vacations, and the physical responses your body has to heat can end up being not so much fun. You may find that you – or your child – find that summer is a time that increases anxiety or depression, especially if that’s something that already challenges you.
Signs & Symptoms
While a lot of people have a great time over summer, if you have summer anxiety, you may instead be experiencing:
- A feeling of being on edge or moodier than normal,
- An increased feeling of sadness or depression,
- Physical sensations such as jitteriness, muscle tension, and a racing heart,
- An increase in the frequency of panic attacks,
- A harder time falling asleep or staying asleep,
- A sensation of dread rather than anticipation when you get ready to go away on vacation, and
- An increase in obsessive or worrying thoughts.
If you feel like this might be you, please know you are not alone. Anxiety and depression are often worse in the summer.
What Makes It Worse?
There are four main reasons why summer tends to worsen anxiety:
- Change of schedule and routine
- Not enough structure
- Pressure to have fun and socialise
- Disrupted sleep-wake cycle – potentially because too much sunlight throws off the circadian rhythm
Beating Summer Anxiety with The Best Ballarat Naturopath
While it might be nice to think that we get a happy-summer personality, reality tells us that we are the same people all year long. Even though we can think summer is a carefree time, it isn’t. The key to having a fantastic summer is to make sure that you plan what you do around who you are.
If you need a little help figuring out what that looks like for you, try seeing one of the best Ballarat naturopaths near me. You can also check these articles about general health issues for more reference.
