When we think of summer, we think of warm, lazy, blue-sky days. Pool parties and backyard barbecues. Beach balls and popsicles. Sunshine and smiles.
And it may indeed be a pleasant season. If you live somewhere where it gets very cold and snowy in winter, summer is your reward for enduring those dark days. The weather is more temperate and the outdoor environment is in suitable conditions for enjoyment.
But in a place like Oklahoma, the summer is extremely hot and humid, and even if you really want to touch the grass, you have to avoid exposing your body to anything green, which always has mosquitoes, chiggers, and ticks crawling around.
No matter where you live, if you have kids, your schedule gets thrown into disarray over the summer — especially if you’re a stay-at-home parent or work from home. Your kids are often around you all day, every day, engaged in your business, which can be fun, but it also makes it difficult to generate interest in getting work done.
Combine that with the disruption in your routine, the heat, and being cooped up in your stale air-conditioned house (or your non-air-conditioned house), coupled with the fact that people often get poor sleep during these months, and you can start to feel irritable and depressed, especially when you get to the trough after the fourth of the season, in late July.
While we usually associate Seasonal Affective Disorder with winter, it can also occur in summer, although it manifests differently in each season. While winter-induced SAD is marked by low energy, depression, lethargy, and social isolation, summer-induced SAD is characterized by agitation, restlessness, anxiety, insomnia, and feeling overwhelmed.
Even if heat doesn’t cause you outright discomfort, it can make you feel uncomfortable.
fortunately, there Is The cure for the summer blues. When the weather seems more oppressive than sunny, the tips below will help keep you in good spirits.
how to beat the summer blues
get sun; Get out; Find water.
Sunlight has lots of benefits for both body and mind. Fresh air and nature do the same. In winter, these things are difficult to find because it is cold outside, and even when you go out, the sunlight is weak. In the summer, the sun is bright and shining, but it’s hard to soak it up and get enough time outside in general, because as soon as you leave your air-conditioned house, you start to sunburn.
Just like in the winter, you’ll have to get creative in pursuing the vitality-boosting “nutrients” of both the sun and nature.
To kill both birds with one stone, it is important to turn to water bodies. There’s a reason Oklahomans go to the lake; It is one of the few forms of outdoor recreation that is tolerable in the summer. Take a trip to a local lake. Splash around. Rent a boat.
Or hit other bodies of water: swim a river. Find a swimming hole and take a dip.
I tell people that if you’re going to live in Oklahoma, having a pool is not optional; it’s mandatory. A kind of home “third space” that gets you out of the house can go a long way in keeping you healthy during the summer. If you don’t have your own pool, get a membership in a community.
Boating and swimming will provide plenty of sunshine and a rich dose of nature. You’ll be amazed at how much being active outside, soaking in some rays, and enjoying the trees, clouds, and sky will lift your spirit.
And in fact these activities also kill a third bird (sorry for all this bloodshed, birds): getting the seasonal element of fun.
One way to make winter more enjoyable is to participate in activities that are only possible at that time of year, like skiing or snowshoeing. The summer equivalent is swimming and water sports. They feel welcome in their rhythmic novelty. If you’re someone who runs year-round, try swimming for your cardio in the summer; Not only will this help you beat the heat, but adding this type of seasonality to your workout will keep your fitness routine fresh.
In addition to swimming in the summer, spend as little time as possible outside with your clothes off and take a walk early in the morning or late in the evening when the weather is a little cooler. It will often still be hot, and night walks won’t get you any sun, obviously, but again, you’d be surprised at the disproportionate effect on your mood that being active outside and getting fresh (albeit humid) air can have.
Change location, get any location.
There is less going on in summer. Your children’s school has fewer programs and extracurricular activities. Friends are out of town. The slower pace may be welcome, but it can also turn into monotony, especially when you’re already feeling cooped up in your house due to the heat. If you’re not going out much, it can leave you feeling bored, anxious, and generally frustrated.
So force yourself to get out. Go anywhere, anywhere. Visit the obvious indoor, air-conditioned entertainment venues: the aquarium, a museum, movies, a bookstore. When our kids were little, we would sometimes take them to Bass Pro Shops to look around and see the fish tanks and turtles. It wasn’t much, but hey, it was worth something.
It’s okay to go to familiar places, but make a special effort to do things you haven’t done before. Discussion of the novelty has an additional mood-lifting effect. The food scene in Tulsa is surprisingly good, and we try to have dinner at a new restaurant every other week. It’s a small but fun way to mix up our routine.
Take a weekend road trip.
There may come a time in the heat of summer when walking around town isn’t helping enough, and you may feel like, “Hey, we need to get out of Dodge!”
Even if you’ve got a long vacation somewhere over the summer holidays, you often need a short trip there too, to settle things down and provide a more significant change of pace.
When that nagging urge arises, go on a weekend road trip. Making a long drive (even up to 8 hours) just for a weekend trip may not seem worthwhile, but it’s usually surprisingly fun. Don’t do too much pre-planning – just go ahead. The more spontaneous it is, the more fun and memorable it will be.
Improve your sleep.
It can be hard to sleep in the summer if your room is hot and you don’t have air conditioning. But it’s not just external factors that can affect sleep during this season.
Research have found that sleep is subject to seasonal changes that are inherent in our physiology. We sleep for less time in summer than in winter and experience 30 minutes less REM sleep. Our bodies don’t really need as much sleep this time of year, so it’s nothing to worry about. But if your sleep quality has declined, and it’s affecting your well-being, now is a good time to make sure you’re doing all the things typically recommended: keeping consistent sleep/wake schedules, avoiding caffeine late in the day, keeping your room dark and cool (the best you can!), etc.
If you’ve tried the standard things, and it’s not working, here are 45 lesser-known tips that may improve your sleep.
One thing worth trying: a weighted blanket. I find I use my weighted blanket more in the summer than in the winter. I don’t sleep under it all night; Instead, if I wake up too early I put it on and it helps me get back to sleep. Check out our guide to weighted blankets here.
Loosen your grip on your daily routine
One thing I’ve learned after working from home for several summers is that you can’t just pretend it’s a normal workday with extra people in the house. When kids are at home, your environment changes, so your daily routine has to change with it. You have to adopt a loose approach. Trying to stick to your schedule as strictly as possible will only lead to frustration.
Instead of trying to squeeze out more productivity, just try to be a little more predictable: Start the day by letting everyone know what your work interruptions look like, when you’re available, and exactly what counts as an interruption. When your children are young, consider putting them at camps if available/desirable. As they get older, set some rules for how much screen time they get and when they need to engage in non-digital activities.
During the day, intentionally schedule a few “connection breaks” — ten minutes to have breakfast together, play ping-pong, or chat — so that your kids aren’t constantly trying to get your attention between those moments. Also, protect your workspace with clear boundaries; If your office door is closed or headphones are on, you’re at work, not just at home.
And perhaps most importantly, change your mindset and take your expectations down a notch. No one will look back and wish they had spent more time scrubbing spreadsheets. You’ve got to get the work done, but summer is not the season to set personal records. If you can maintain essential habits — exercise, focused work, family meals, bedtime — while accepting a little more noise, spontaneity, and imperfection, you’ll find yourself enjoying the weather rather than resenting it.
