Many of us look forward to summer the entire year. It (sometimes) brings a relief from cold weather, meaning more opportunities to be outside and enjoy the beautiful sights this city and province have to offer. However, there are aspects of summer that have both positive and negative impacts on our mental health. Here are pointers to take into consideration during the summer months to maintain good mental health:
Benefits of summer to take advantage of:
- Being outside can improve mood. Research has shown that outdoor activities decrease the amount of cortisol (the stress hormone) in blood, increase levels of Vitamin D, and exposure to a natural bacteria found outside (mostly in soils)-Mycobacterium vaccae, appears to have potential positive impacts on the human immune system and mood by reducing levels of inflammation.
- Tending to a garden can have mental health benefits. Gardening provides an opportunity to direct our attention away from commitments that might be draining our energy and creating stress for us. However, gardening is not just another distraction: it’s a dynamic activity that allows us to express ourselves, learn, improve skills, and experience pride in the result of a beautiful garden. If you grow vegetables, the added benefit is that you end up with inexpensive, potentially organic, yummy food!
- Local festivals and events. Though we certainly have an active wintertime event schedule in this province, summer brings about many opportunities to take part in new and different experiences. Check out this page for things to do in August in and around Calgary.
Things to consider:
- Changes in routine: Though we can sometimes benefit from a reduced number of activities in our schedule, we may also notice that the lack of routine can cause unanticipated consequences. For example, many exercise classes discontinue during the summer months. These types of activities might be beneficial to our overall health and we may notice a change in mood when we are not doing them. Also, when we or our children are in school, a sense of predictability is helpful for our sleep patterns, activity level, socializing, and general sense of productivity.
- Decreased mood in summer months. A very small percentage of the populations (2-3%) find their mood decreases during the summer months. This type of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), though not common, can significantly impact people’s lives. Winter-type SAD is often successfully treated using a combination of self-care (e.g. sleep, nutrition, physical activity, social support), counselling, and light therapy. Summer-type SAD may benefit from a combination of self-care and counselling.
What can help? It is important to have a sense of downtime – especially given how busy our lives tend to be. Try maintaining some routine such as sleep times and meal times. Use downtime to intentionally do activities that are invigorating. What you find invigorating is going to be different from person to person, so it will mean paying attention to what gives you energy and what drains you.