5 Ways to Navigate Anxiety in the Summer
By Rachel Guadamuz, 8/3/2024
Summer can bring with it mental and emotional health challenges for many. Some of these challenges include Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), anxiety and stress from increased social activities and changes in schedules, body image issues, sleep disorders, and social isolation. How do we navigate summer anxiety? Here are a few tips to help decrease summer anxiety symptoms:
Get outside. It may sound counterproductive, but a good walk with a friend can boost your serotonin (mood improvement) and oxytocin (bonding/connection) levels, as well as give you a healthy dose of vitamin D. Walking can also provide natural bilateral stimulation for your brain, which can decrease anxiety-inducing feelings and emotions (Google it 😊).
Avoid isolation. We are better together. I often tell my clients: “There is only one thing that God said was not good in all of creation: for man to be alone” (see Genesis 2:18). It may feel impossible to step out and connect with another human being initially, but it is SO worth it. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Go for a walk
Go back to church… in person
Join a Bible study group
Or, if nothing else, brush your teeth, get dressed, and go to the local coffee shop to be around others. I have also been known to go to an airport and people-watch—it's glorious!
Get some sleep. I get it—easier said than done. You may have heard these hacks for better sleep before, but here are a few refreshers:
Turn off your phone or put it in another room at least 30 minutes before bed. This will help you curb that doom scrolling until 2 am.
Use your bed only for sleep (and sex within marriage). This helps your brain associate it with sleep rather than other activities like reading, eating, or watching Netflix.
If you can’t sleep after 20 minutes in bed, get up and do something else. Try again later. This helps your bed be associated with sleep, not tossing and turning.
Pray this scripture out loud (I love this verse): Proverbs 3:24, "When you (I) lie down, you (I) will not be afraid; when you (I) lie down, your (my) sleep will be sweet." Work it into your soul until it bubbles up organically.
Bless your body. I heard someone talk about this on a podcast (I wish I could remember where), and it stuck with me. I have had thick thighs my whole life and loathed them until I embraced the concept of “blessing your body.” I would look at my body in the mirror, particularly my imperfect thighs, and thank God that I can walk, carry my children, sit without trouble, and lie down easily. Even postpartum and post-surgery, I found things to bless or thank God for about my body. Now, I do it without thinking most of the time.
Talk to a therapist. Ha, I would say that, wouldn’t I! But honestly, if the summer months are wreaking havoc on your emotions and internal dialogue, reach out to someone who will sit with you with empathy and compassion and provide tools to heal.
The summer can bring its own mental health challenges, but we can be encouraged by the fact that God has given us His word, His Spirit, and fellow believers to support us as we navigate these symptoms of summer anxiety. We don’t have to walk through this alone. I conclude with Hebrews 10:24-25: "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another."
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