Many people are glad when the cold and dark winter months are over. Spring brings renewal and color back into our lives as trees bud and bring forth new leaves, flowers bloom, and the grass turns green again. As we enter summer, most people feel better as the days grow longer and sunshine becomes more prevalent. Dennissen wrote in 2008, “Weather is widely believed to influence people’s mood. For example, the majority of people think they feel happier on days with a lot of sunshine as compared to dark and rainy days.”
One of the main ways summer helps with mental health is through sunshine. Because of warmer weather, many of us spend more time outdoors in the summer, plus the sun is out longer than in other seasons. The increased sun exposure boosts our vitamin D levels and can improve mood, leading to better mental health. Spending time in the sun also helps your body produce more melatonin (a sleep hormone) at night, allowing you to sleep better and feel better overall.
Most treatment plans for mental health promote being active and communicating with friends, family, and co-workers regularly. Summer provides more opportunities to do these things. However, summer also has students and their families out of routine. Students do not go to school each day, nor interact with their friends as freely during the summer. Parents need to adjust to having their children around more or finding providers to oversee their children while they work. Sleep patterns, medication compliance, and diet all may be impacted in the summer.
There are many ways to ensure you make the most of the longer days and brighter weather. Here are five tips for boosting your summer mental health:
- SPEND TIME OUTSIDE – We need to be cognizant to build in time to separate ourselves from electronics and spend some much-needed time outside. Outside time may include swimming, walking, mowing the lawn, playing sports, or even playing board games at a picnic table. Engaging in a game of solitaire while sitting alone could give you time to soak in some sun, listen to music, and enjoy nature.
- GET ACTIVE – Both inside and outside chores will help you get some exercise and provide a sense of accomplishment. Does the lawn need to be mowed, weeds need to be pulled, cars need to be washed, the vacuum need to be run, or the basement or garage need to be cleaned? Encourage others to join you as you paint the fence, clean areas, or prepare for a cookout. John Haywood’s book Proverbs was credited with saying, “Many hands make light work.” His idea was that many people working toward a common goal share the responsibility, allowing you to enjoy interacting with others while completing a task. Offer to help others with the same work at their house on another day to keep active and build relationships. Exercise is a needed part of life and at least 30 minutes, five times per week, is the recommendation from The Center for Disease Control. A half-hour goes by quickly when you pass the time with a friend or family member. If you don’t have family or friends nearby, go to the gym, walk around the block – take your dog for a walk, the dog will enjoy it and make you feel like you are not alone.
- REDEFINE YOUR EXPECTATIONS – Focus on some key events that are best done in the summer, but don’t overload the summer with a list of “to-dos” that become overwhelming and unattainable. Can a big task be broken into smaller, more manageable chunks spread over time that accomplish the same goal? Can an effort be made to visit different relatives at different times of the year, or over the next few years? Instead of trying to cram all the extended family into a large vacation house, would it be better for all involved to have a few smaller places each family can retreat to at night? It’s better to have a positive vacation that makes you look forward to the next time you can be together than overdo the expectation and regret getting together at all.
- CREATE A SUMMER ROUTINE – The routine of school may be over for the summer, but kids and families function better when they follow a routine and stick to it. If you have been around people who don’t get adequate sleep, you know how easily they can be frustrated. Regular mealtimes, compliance with medication, and set bedtimes will all lead to a happier, calmer family. Work with your teens to teach them how to plan and prepare a meal for the family. Let them be responsible for putting the menu together, planning the grocery list, cooking and cleaning up. It may give them a greater appreciation for all that’s involved as well as prepare them for adulthood. Please talk to your doctor before stopping any medications that have been prescribed for you or your children. Parents sometimes think their kids don’t need medications while they are not in school, but focusing and impulse control are important in many areas of life…not just in the classroom. Anti-depressants and anxiety medications may not seem necessary when a child seems happy over the summer months. Work with your doctor or nurse practitioner before stopping any medication.
- LOSE THE GUILT OF SAYING NO – You don’t have to attend every event, party, or family trip that others expect you to attend. Be mindful if your children need to catch up on sleep or chores, or spend some down time at home with their own family instead of consistently being away with friends or extended family. Make your home a place your kids want to be and a place where their friends are comfortable spending time, but don’t be afraid to send the friends home to come back another day or time.
While mental health is a year-long responsibility, the summer often provides a natural respite in many ways. It’s a great time to nurture your well-being by getting outside, being active and spending time with others, so you can enjoy every last ounce of sunshine.
Mike Shea, EdD, LCSW-C, is a licensed certified social worker and the owner of Life Counseling in Waynesboro, PA. Dr. Shea has more than 40 years of experience in the field of mental health, working with clients of all ages across a range of services. He formerly served as the Director of Outpatient Services for Brook Lane where he provided oversight and leadership to therapists at multiple locations.
