Summer Anxieties

What is Summer Anxieties? In simple words: an uneasiness and stress in individuals during the summer months due to various reasons.

And guess what? I am one of those individuals who suffer from Summer anxieties. Usually when I tell people that I do not enjoy Summer, one of their first reactions would be to say something along those lines: ' How can you not the Summer, the sunshine, the heat, the holiday feeling, social event, etc'? Well, you would find some of those answers with the response.
For me, my Summer anxieties lie within a few things and one of them being; the heat. The lack of sleep from being too hot, the tiredness that then follows, the dehydration that I constantly feel even though I always try to keep hydrated, the constant dryness of my skin that regardless of the amount of body lotion I might put in never seems to resolve the issue, the itchiness of that dry skin that nothing seems to help. 
and here come another issue which probably is the number one issue of my body image during the summer. I already struggle a lot the rest of the year with my body image but come the summer this anxiety just worsens. Struggling to feel confident in clothes with little fabric or worst cover to hide that body but end up being too hot and suffering from sweat and that body image that I might project in the eyes of others as a 'sweaty mess'. It's a constant vicious circle.
And also let's not mention that being 'Summer' people are 'expected', by society, to be happier, to enjoy that weather...in my case my anxieties never disappear at the approach of the summer, they are still there and sometimes, as I mentioned above, worsen within this specific season. And of course, social anxiety comes stronger to me when the heat is here, more people around, the social gathering that takes place in your local town or with your family or friends, and the pressure to put on a happy face 'because it summer' comes as a pressure that I sometimes I struggle to deal with. I wish sometimes I could just hibernate in a very cool place during these few months and reappear as the first fall of leaves. 


But Summer anxieties for some could be because of the below situations too:

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) Syndrome: People tend to fear missing out on summer events and activities that they believe are necessary for a good summer.
Financial Stress: Summer is a time when people tend to spend more money on vacations, festivals, and outdoor activities, which can cause financial stress for those working on a tight budget.
Academic Pressure: For students, summer can be a stressful time due to academic pressures such as summer classes or preparation for the upcoming semester.
Heat-Related Health Concerns: The hot weather can cause health concerns such as dehydration, heat exhaustion, asthma, allergies, or sunburn, which can cause anxiety in individuals prone to such conditions.
Safety Concerns: Summer can also bring about safety concerns, such as water safety, hiking, and camping, which can cause anxiety in individuals.

How to avoid Summer anxieties? Unfortunately, I do not have the solution to this but I do know that taking each day as it comes is probably the best way also don't put pressure on yourself because society or your family /friend group force you into activities or else that you do not feel comfortable with, set your boundaries, looks after yourself first, your need 1st the rest will be secondary. ...but just in case...: 
If you suffer from any kind of anxiety, don't stay in the dark and talk to your GP about it, they will be able to refer you to a counselor.


Do you suffer from Summer anxieties? tell them all by commenting below. 

Thanks for reading. 

Marie