{"id":801867,"date":"2026-08-04T00:10:19","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T00:10:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/801867\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T00:10:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T00:10:19","slug":"seasonal-affective-disorder-affects-people-in-summer-too-heres-how-to-manage-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/801867\/","title":{"rendered":"Seasonal affective disorder affects people in summer too. Here\u2019s how to manage it"},"content":{"rendered":"

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When we hear the term \u201cSeasonal Affective Disorder\u201d, we often think of the dark, gloomy winter months<\/a>. <\/p>\n

While shorter days and a reduced exposure to natural light can take a toll on our mental wellbeing, Seasonal Affective Disorder<\/a> (SAD<\/a>) is not just a winter condition, and some find they experience symptoms during the warmer, brighter summer months. <\/p>\n

\u201cSAD is largely about mood changes related to weather<\/a>, and lifestyle changes related to weather can play a part in that,\u201d says Dr Vanessa Pilkington, a Doctify-rated consultant psychologist.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the weather is extreme it can disrupt our normal routines and mood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amanda Macdonald, experienced psychotherapist, counsellor and member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) agrees and adds: \u201cThis can show up as low mood, irritability, anxiety<\/a> and insomnia<\/a>. However, it\u2019s important to remember that SAD can affect people in different ways at different times of year, it\u2019s very individual.\u201d<\/p>\n

A number of factors can contribute to these seasonal fluctuations in mood. Below are some possible causes of summer-onset seasonal affective disorder, or reverse SAD, alongside expert tips on how to manage your symptoms…<\/p>\n

Social pressure<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the dark wintry, rainy days you\u2019ve got an excuse to stay at home all day and catch up on all things you want to do, whereas in the summer there\u2019s an expectation and feeling that you should always be out making the most of the sunny weather,\u201d says Pilkington.<\/p>\n

\u201cTherefore, people often feel exhausted in the summer because they are hot, overrun and overcommitted when their activities outweigh their resources.\u201d<\/p>\n

It can be difficult if your internal state doesn\u2019t match this happy summer expectation.<\/p>\n

\"ItIt can be difficult if your internal state doesn\u2019t match this happy summer expectation (PA)<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we\u2019re walking outside, have our windows open, or scroll on social media it can feel like we are constantly confronted with images, videos and in-person interactions of people having fun all the time, and if that\u2019s not how you\u2019re feeling inside that can make you feel even worse,\u201d says Macdonald.<\/p>\n

Disrupted routines<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring the summer holidays, people working in education or who have children have this big chunk of time when either kids are out of school or they aren\u2019t going into work in the same way, which brings with it a change in routine,\u201d says Macdonald.<\/p>\n

This can feel dysregulating.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s often a sense of comfort in being tethered to a routine, so suddenly having that routine thrown out the window can be very dysregulating,\u201d says Macdonald.<\/p>\n

Sleep disruption<\/p>\n

Heat<\/a> can also wreak havoc on our sleep during the summer months, which can have knock-on effects on our mood.<\/p>\n

\"HeatHeat can also wreak havoc on our sleep during the summer months (PA)<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t get enough sleep, you can wake up with headaches, feel irritable and end up living on adrenaline and nervous energy because you are not properly replenished and recharged,\u201d says Pilkington.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen people are living on adrenaline, they often get anxiety, higher levels of stress, higher levels of cortisol and become more irritable and anxious, and might be more inclined to feel agitated or angry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dehydration<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are dehydrated, you can become more irritable, tired and might feel lightheaded or lethargic, and that can affect your mood,\u201d notes Pilkington.<\/p>\n

Idealised childhood summers<\/p>\n

\u201cSummertime can trigger memories of childhood summers and looking back at these memories can bring sadness, particularly if people in them are no longer around,\u201d says Macdonald.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn addition, idealising childhood summers can create a pressure of feeling like we should be able to recreate that for our children.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sensory issues<\/p>\n

\u201cHeat can be upsetting for lots of people\u2019s systems and can be dangerous when temperatures get extreme, and for some people those sensory issues can be really challenging in the summer months,\u201d says Macdonald.<\/p>\n

\"\u2018Heat\u2018Heat can be upsetting for lots of people\u2019s systems,\u2019 says Macdonald. (PA)<\/p>\n

\u201cFor example, some people find it really difficult to tolerate heat, sun cream and the feeling of stickiness during hotter temperatures.\u201d<\/p>\n

Body image<\/p>\n

\u201cMany people feel more comfortable when they are covered up and feel protected within their clothes, so the summer can be challenging as that is when we all tend to wear less clothing,\u201d says Macdonald.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis can be particular difficult for people who\u2019ve experienced eating disorders or are experiencing self harm and have scars, for example.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are some seven tips on how to manage these feelings during the summer period\u2026<\/p>\n

1. Pace yourself<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re feeling low or exhausted, try to pace yourself this summer,\u201d recommends Pilkington. \u201cTry to avoid rushing around too quickly in the same way that you might in the colder months. Pace yourself rather than keeping going until you burn out.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Prioritise sleep<\/p>\n

\u201cTry to keep to regular hours of sleep as much as you can, keep your room cool and dark, and wear earplugs if you need them,\u201d advises Pilkington. \u201cCarve some time out before going to sleep to relax and try to avoid going on your phone for at least an hour before you go to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\u2018Try\u2018Try to keep to regular hours of sleep as much as you can,\u2019 advises Pilkington (PA)<\/p>\n

Macdonald agrees and adds: \u201cKeeping to a routine can definitely help.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Connect in a more relaxed way<\/p>\n

\u201cKeep connected with people and see friends, but maybe consider doing it in a more relaxed way,\u201d suggests Pilkington. \u201cFor example, you could host in a more collective way where everyone brings some food around and cooks together.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Go for a swim<\/p>\n

Staying active is a great way to boost your feel-good hormones.<\/p>\n

\"StayingStaying active is a great way to boost your feel-good hormones (PA)<\/p>\n

\u201cDo some exercise like swimming, for example, as that cools you down, but gets you moving as well,\u201d recommends Pilkington.<\/p>\n

5. Keep hydrated<\/p>\n

\u201cLots of symptoms are from dehydration, so make sure you drink lots of water and stay hydrated,\u201d advises Pilkington.<\/p>\n

6. Have regular recharging sessions<\/p>\n

\u201cHave a threshold and decide how much socialising and activity you\u2019re prepared to do,\u201d suggests Pilkington. \u201cDecide which evenings or afternoons are reserved for relaxing at home.\u201d<\/p>\n

7. Seek help<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are experiencing sleep difficulties that go on for beyond two to four weeks, find that you are withdrawing socially, are not enjoying activities that you usually enjoy, are ruminating, or are feeling very irritable, anxious or a bit hopeless for a prolonged period of time, seek advice from a professional,\u201d advises Pilkington.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":801868,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[97,259,260,340355],"class_list":["post-801867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mental-health","tag-health","tag-mental-health","tag-mentalhealth","tag-pa-feature-wellbeing-sad"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/801867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=801867"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/801867\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/801868"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=801867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=801867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=801867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}