It's Good To Talk: Transitioning from winter to spring and summer
Change of any sort for people might be a mental health trigger in itself and seasonal changes can indeed affect mood
Spring is in the air. I can smell it. The lambs are appearing and the daffodils are in full bloom. The clocks have changed and we have more light and hope for the joys of spring.
What is it like for you transitioning from Winter to spring/summer? We presume it’s the best feeling in the world for people but maybe everyone doesn’t share that feeling! Have you heard of reverse seasonal affective disorder? (spring/summer sad)
When spring rolls around people want to do, do, do, like an awakening from winter hibernation
Well, change of any sort for people might be a mental health trigger in itself and seasonal changes can indeed affect mood. We know of this from those that experience mental health difficulty in the winter months.
In spring/summer we can see reverse sad which is difficulty around mental health due to an increase in light, making it harder to sleep and more social interaction and engagements can trigger an increase in social anxiety. Not everyone will be full of the joys of spring.
Assuming that all people love this time of year can add an extra pressure for people to force happiness, which can lead to increased self- expectations.
Talking about things can make us feel less alone....we get comfort from other people being in the same boat. It reduces the feeling of “it’s not just me”, so in this article I want to bring awareness to changes in mood due to changes in season, so less feel alone that are experiencing this.
Pay close attention to yourself
It’s really important to pay close attention to yourself and any changes that you notice in your life, such as insomnia, loss of appetite, irritability, agitation or anxiety or whatever is different for you.
If we can understand the contributing factors for changes in mood often we are more compassionate to ourselves and our struggles.
When spring rolls around people want to do, do, do, like an awakening from winter hibernation but then sometimes it rains and the sun disappears, sometimes people expect too much from themselves and others and then doing nothing seems to become over looked, leading to your emotional and physical batteries getting drained.
It’s okay to recharge and unfortunately no one can do that for us so you may need to work on minding you! I am always curious about patterns, what’s changed or what’s different and when this happens how much of an impact does it make to your life and most importantly your mood and mental health.
A mental health check-in is similar to a physical one in terms of symptoms, changes in lifestyle, changes in environment, what are you experiencing and how can it be helped so here are some suggestions to be mindful of during reverse sadness (Spring/Summer depression)
Spring Socialising
Firstly it’s okay to say no, you don’t have to go to everything you are invited to and if you do, go with guidelines on how you might support yourself to manage the situation if you find socialising difficult.
Top tip from me is always breathe, breathe, breathe, calm your nervous system so you can mind yourself in a better way to think clearer and keep that overwhelm feeling at bay.
Negative thoughts might readily accompany you to the event, adding no help whatsoever to the situations so you may need to challenge any unhelpful thoughts.
As I continuously say in this column: “Not all our thoughts are true!” Make yourself a priority in your life all year long but especially at times where there are more demands in life.
Show up for YOURSELF by reducing the expectations you put on yourself. You are only one person so be reasonable with yourself, know when it’s ok to gently push yourself with encouragement and when pushing yourself too much might be beyond your reasonable limits.
Create a routine or keep to a routine
Some people love routine, it gives them structure, purpose and may be very helpful for their mental health.
If routine changes or has to be adjusted to accommodate change in the season, it may take a while to settle into a new way of being. Give yourself time and be kind to yourself as you find your feet.
Our circadian rhythm is very important, this is our body clock that is regulates your sleep, hormones, digestion and many other things. It can get affected when we have increased light in the morning and evening making it harder to sleep or keep a regular sleep schedule.
Melatonin and the “feel-good” hormone serotonin can decrease as an excess of bright light can slow down its production. It is really helpful to try to maintain a regular sleep routine or get it back if the pattern is broken.
Reviewing your before bed routine to allow for changes in your lifestyle that might come with spring/summer months is a useful idea.
People tend to eat later in the evenings with increased daylight and trying to sleep after a heavy meal can also reduce sleep time.
People are often be more active for longer during increased daylight and it’s suddenly bedtime yet you may not have had sufficient wind down time so it’s also helpful to be aware of that.
There are practical things you can do, such as, going for a lighter summer duvet and adding in black out blinds or using an eye mask to aid sleep.
Experiment to figure out what works best for you. Changes in routine such as children off school or college or holiday time either at home or abroad means everyone can be together much more and unlike the movies it is not always be a bed of roses.
Tempers and emotions can easily get frayed so try to work a new routine for summer where everyone is realistic with expectations of each other and the home environment and everyone can have some headspace time.
How you see yourself
During the warmer months of spring and particularly summer people can be put under more pressure for social situations and there is more emphasis on physical appearance as the layers of clothing are shed.
This can have a real effect on people’s body confidence and may lead to increased self-consciousness and negative body thoughts, triggering feelings for those prone to negative self image.
Comparing yourself to others either on the beach or on social media will be far from helpful for your well-being so acknowledge your body for what it is, find beauty in it and wear clothes that you feel good in, not what you think is acceptable. As we show more skin in the better weather it is about finding comfort in your own skin.
If negative thoughts or beliefs are ingrained it might be helpful to speak to a mental health professional on how you might work towards making that better for yourself.
We all know that social media shows us what they want to not necessarily what is reality, so limit following sites and social media feeds that have the potential to bring your mood down with unrealistic body images. Remember you are far more beautiful that you will never believe!
Sunshine Guilt
Don’t get sucked into the guilt of having to appear happy all the time if the weather is good, the evenings are long and everyone else seems to be overloaded with happiness.
It’s ok to say you are having a bad day or be real about what is going on in your life. You do not have to suck up emotions because there is a stretch in the evenings and other people ‘appear’ to be getting on with enjoying themselves. This feeling of ‘having’ to make the most of a summer’s day often stems from childhood and the ‘special occasion’ of a sunny day - where it is celebrated by doing something!
Special days often can be ordinary days more so than those we free pressurised to enjoy. Just because its summer doesn’t mean you park your emotions until winter.
Let’s not forget “fear of missing out” (Fomo). This is similar to the perfect Christmas images that make us all envious of the perfect lives, there are plenty of those summer images too selling the perfect beach scene with smiley happy people.
Spring and summer offer events galore and it may seem like everyone is experiencing something good but you. It’s okay to stay in your own life lane, if that’s truly what fits best for you. Reduce the pressure to keep up with others lives, allowing more potential for your contentment, not someone else’s.
If you are living your life and it’s not what you would like it to be, it’s important to look inwards rather than outwards, see how you feel, understand why you feel like that, ask yourself do you need help to feel a different way, a better way for you?
If so, reach out either to helpful reputable sources, your GP, counsellor or trusted friends or family.
We must never suffer in silence!
Spring and summer can be also amazing, it can indeed offer joy, hope and fun. It’s a season, it comes and goes, if you love it, great!
However, if you don’t, try not to let it drag you down or don’t feel you have to ‘perform’ either, be you and if you are not you, let’s look at finding you and making all your days a bit brighter, all year long!
All good wishes,
Tracy xx