Stress During the Summer - Who would believe it?

It's the Summer - Yippee!!

I love the summer, but I think it seemed better when I was a child.  Do you think the same about it?  While it can be a time to spend more of our leisure out in the fresh air, many elements make the summer unbearable.  Weirdly, some people hate the heat, others detest the pesky mosquitoes, and for many, it can still mean you have to get up tired in the mornings and head to work.  In our part of the world, the long summer nights make us feel that we have to stay up to enjoy them. After the longest day of the year, June 21st, the time is fast moving to less light, and we know what that means in a few months. The endless seeming days of darkness. Heading to work and back in the dark.  So why is the summer at times more miserable? For some clients, they report it's the stress of having the kids, whom they love, around all the time. Special camps and activities cost money, and with the rising cost of things, it is difficult for families to have the means to send their kids to various activities.  Many parents long for the "Back to School" drama because while that in itself is costly, there is a certain ultimate freedom, at least a little bit.

Mental Health Challenges 

While the days are long and bright, many clients find they can be lonely. If you don't have many people to spend time with, every day can feel endless.  If our mood is low, the light doesn't always help.  People can often find themselves retreating into the darkness of their curtained rooms.  It is not something everyone considers, how difficult being alone can be in the middle of the summer when people are generally expected to be happier.  Key things to be examined in most counselling appointments are how people are sleeping, eating and exercising.  All of these aspects can be pointers or regulators of how we are all coping with life.  Are we sleeping too much or too little? Are we over- or under-eating in the season of  BBQ feasts and the swimsuit body images at the beach or pool? Do we promise that tomorrow is the day for exercise, given that it is fine outside, "but wait, is that a thunder cloud? I'd better stay in". 

Is going for counselling more of a Winter than Summer thing?

Counselling can be availed of all year round. While summer time can be quieter due to family vacations and general travel.  Many mental health professionals would love to have more clients at this time of the year.  There is never a perfect time for counselling. Give me a call and see if you can get an in-person or virtual appointment.  In a session, we can examine how you find this time of the year.  It is often a time of memories for people. We all recall various summer experiences over the years.  Maybe it was a time of being with our parents, and they are gone now.  Or a time when you seemed to be more carefree.  These are all great topics to bring to counselling.  The things people go to counselling with don't have to be all trauma-related. They can be about regular things that seem to affect us and maybe cause some depression or anxiety to rise within us.  Seize the day!  Check out how counselling right here in Edmonton might just be the thing for you.  It's summer after all!  A time to be happier! 

*Many thanks to Nathan Anderson for his great pic on unsplash.com