We need to talk about the “other” seasonal depression… the Summer Blues.
You've probably been telling yourself you “just need to get to summer” and then you’ll start feeling happier. Just because it's sunnier and brighter, doesn’t mean your mood automatically feels that way, too.
Did you know when you are struggling with depression in the summertime, seeing other people experiencing the happiness and joy that you desperately desire can actually make you feel more isolated if you’re not taking care of yourself?
Turning your summer blues into sunny days starts with simple self-care 💝
That's why it's so important to focus on your self-care if you find yourself struggling with the summer blues. You need energy in order to enjoy the summertime, and the best way you can manage your energy is with simple self-care.
I’m talking about the boring, simple self-care that often gets overlooked because it's not as trendy and exciting as a juicy seven-step skincare routine 😶🌫️, or a two-hour morning hike along the lake 🏞️.
It often seems unbelievable, but the simple truth is that taking small steps to care for yourself in the simple ways I’m sharing with you can have just as much, if not more, of a positive impact on your mental health than those luxurious, time-intensive self-care events.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love a good hike around the pond with my dog as much as the next girl, but I know that's not always reasonable when the thought of getting up to brush your teeth feels like a big feat for the day.
Your Practical Self-Care Strategies for Navigating the Summer Blues
1️⃣ Establish a Routine
Our minds and bodies love when things stay the same—it's called “homeostasis” (you’re welcome to those working on your SAT prep vocabulary this summer 😉)
The more we can keep things reasonably the same, the less stress it causes for our minds and bodies, which means we have more energy to dedicate to the things we enjoy.
This is especially helpful if you're struggling with depression because one of the major symptoms that makes dealing with depression so difficult is the exhaustion and fatigue you can experience.
You can start with one or two things that you can do either every morning, evening, or just every day and commit to that.
Liz Moody, podcast host, health journalist, and author of the best-selling book “100 Ways to Change Your Life” has spoken publicly about her personal struggles with anxiety and agoraphobia. One of the things that helped her improve was starting to make a green smoothie for herself every morning. From there, she was able to take more self-care steps along the way, which led to her path to recovery from her agoraphobia.
2️⃣ Stay Active
Moving your body is a great way to get out of your depression or summer blues and towards sunnier days. When you move your body, you move your mind.
If you have the option of joining a sports team or a group activity, I love that because then you are amplifying the positive benefits of movement along with social connection.
Group sports not your thing? Try following along with a 5-minute yoga video on YouTube (I like Yoga with Bird’s and Black Yogi Nico Marie’s channels), or walking from one area of your room to another.
You could even start with something as simple as walking around the room for 30 seconds before going back to your bed. Starting anywhere will help you continue moving because, if there's one thing I learned from physics that actually stuck, it's that a body in motion stays in motion.
3️⃣ Practice Mindfulness and Meditation
Finding your inner peace is much easier when you can stay aware and observe your thoughts. Guided meditations, deep breathing exercises, and other mindfulness practices like journaling, visualization, or walking can be great ways to get started.
You can follow along and practice mindfulness with me for FREE on my YouTube channel. Here are a few popular options to help you get started:
→ 5-Minute Morning Anxiety Guided Meditation for Teenagers
4️⃣ Stay Connected
You can find yourself feeling very lonely when you're dealing with the summer blues. Even though you don't want to be a burden to your friends, the truth is that if you're going through a hard time, they’ll want to be a part of the solution in helping you feel better. So, be sure to take the time to connect with your friends, whether that is in person or on the phone.
Now, we can’t talk about social connections without talking about social media. Social media can be a great way to stay connected with our friends and loved ones.
However, if you find that scrolling through your socials and seeing other people's stories and posts makes you feel more negative about your own experience, I highly recommend taking a social media break. You get to decide how long your break lasts. This could be for an hour, a day, or a week - it’s your choice. You know what you need and what you can commit to.
If you reach the end of your social media break and decide that you'd like to continue, by all means, please do. Also, if you decide to end your social media break early, it doesn't mean that you're a failure. It's all about making mindful choices about what is best for you and your mental health. Ultimately, if your socials are not helping you stay socially connected, they're not doing the job they promised.
LIKE THIS? I’D LOVE FOR YOU TO FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST AND PIN IT FOR LATER!
5️⃣ Engage in Creative Activities
When you're feeling the summer blues, it can be hard to identify, name, or express what it is you’re feeling clearly. Expressing how you’re feeling and how you would like to feel in creative ways can be a way of acknowledging and processing our feelings so that they don't stay stuck all summer long. Here’s a starter list of creative activities you can try today:
✍️Drawing your favorite memory
📝Journaling about your feelings
🎧Playing music that makes you feel like dancing
🕺Dancing to your favorite summer songs
6️⃣ Sleep Smarter
You’re a smart cookie and work hard all school year so you deserve to spend your summer mornings sleeping in. But the problem with that is when you sleep too much, your mind and body expect that you don't need or like having energy when you're awake, and so it tends to stay fatigued and sleepy. Remember that thing about homeostasis? Your mind and body loves it when things stay the same.
As awful as this sounds, I recommend choosing a time you want to be awake by most days in the summertime, and then do your best to wake up by that time.
Sticking to a relaxing bedtime routine that doesn't involve a lot of screen time before you go to sleep can help. Making your sleeping space quiet and comfortable for sleeping will also make it easier to wake up refreshed and less stressed on those summer mornings.
You Can Get Started Today With
The Self-Care Bundle
Getting started with self-care doesn't have to be a chore. You can start with one of the tips in this article and build up from there.
If you'd like some more ready-made resources that you can start using today to navigate your summer blues, I highly recommend checking out the Self-Care Bundle.
The Self-Care Bundle is a digital resource library filled with over 25 simple, ready-to-use, short self-care practices created by a mental health therapist (me, I’m the therapist!) that you can start in as little as five minutes.
Finding inner peace to navigate your summer blues using self-care can be super simple.
TL;DR?
Here’s the full list to help you start enjoying your summer and navigate your summer blues with simple self-care:
1️⃣ Establish a Routine
2️⃣ Stay Active
3️⃣ Practice Mindfulness and Meditation
4️⃣ Stay Connected
5️⃣ Engage in Creative Activities
6️⃣ Sleep Smarter
I'd love to hear more about your summer goals and experiences, so please share them with me. I’m on Instagram @MalloryGrimste.
➡️ Don't forget to explore all the digital resources included in the Self-Care Bundle today. It's a great way to support your journey to finding inner peace this summer (and fall, winter and spring, too).
🔗 Here’s the link: https://www.mallorygrimste.com/selfcarebundle
WANT TO REMEMBER THESE TIPS? DON’T FORGET TO PIN IT!
IF YOU ARE CONCERNED THAT YOU, OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW, MAY BE CONSIDERING KILLING THEMSELVES, PLEASE CONNECT THEM WITH HELP.
SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE
1-800-273-8255
✨ Call 24/7 ✨
