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Summer Blues
Less than a month left till Labor Day, the unofficial close to summer. Ever wonder why you start getting that sinking feeling about now? Look around and you will see you are not alone. Many people feel down in anticipation of the close of summer. There are numerous reasons for this.
Many people take vacation time in the summer (more than in any other season). Kids are out of school, making family vacations possible, and because it's universally agreed upon at work that lots of folks will vacation, the work place sort of slows down and it's much more acceptable to take long weekends.
For those who thrive better with less stress and more holidays, this makes the summer a more enjoyable and relaxing season than other seasons. I say for those that do thrive, because some don’t. For the type A’s out there, all the relaxing can be downright stressful.
Additionally, however, sunlight can have a very positive effect on mood. Longer days and more outdoor time can affect the entire cortisol system which, for some people, especially those with Seasonal affective disorder, can improve mood.
Autumn brings many associations. Autumn is the season where the earth “dies” in its cycle of renewal. It is also the season of back-to-work and back-to-school gearing up. Many students and workers begin some new task in the fall and this can be anxiety-inducing. Some parents will be sending their child off to a new school situation or having a new empty nest and this can be a very sad and difficult time. Old feelings of when you were a student and summer vacation was over can also come back to you now and leave you feeling sad and anxious without your really knowing why.
There is really nothing wrong with feeling a little mourning at the passing of summer. But if you are really down in the dumps, perhaps you are letting it get the better of you. Try to consider this.
If you are a little blue then:
1. Try focusing on one new thing you will do this fall that you feel will be very exciting or gratifying.
2. Pick something that represents something of the summer to you and preserve it. For example, a song you heard during vacation and loved. Then get the album! Or make a photo album of some particularly good times, or a craft project using shells you found during a wonderful time at the beach.
3. Be aware of what sad end-of-the-summer memories may be about in your past. Is it when you left for that difficult boarding school or first year of college you hated? Did you see less of your Dad after the summer was over? Understanding that your sadness may not be only about this summer but past summers can help you put it in perspective.
4. Avoid self medicating the blues with alcohol or drugs.
5. If you feel overwhelmingly sad or anxious, then screen yourself for true depression. Depression is very treatable if not left too long untreated.
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Please consider there is an actual condition called Summer Seasonal Affective Disorder, where sun and heat bring on symptoms including depression, anxiety, and weight loss. This should be addressed in an article about 'Summer Blues'. I have a blog www.seasonalsad.com and forum for people with this disorder to connect.
i have depression time to time, but it is also very recognized when I have less responsibilities and I have more time to evaluate every crap in the world some necessary some not. Let nature or God solve the human unsolving issues, than less depressed we will be, and accept situations and ask for help and talk it out.
^^ Thank you for this information, I get depressed at the end of summer vacation all the time and it's good to know that I'm not alone.
My daughter is having a great deal of anxiety about summer ending. She's going to a new school and fears that she'll encounter the same treatment she experienced at her former school.
We sold our house and moved to another school district because of mean girls. When the school cracked down on the bullying, those girls made my daughter's life a living hell outside of school....and their parents chalked it up to normal adolescent behavior.
They spread rumors saying that she was a ho, a slut who would have sex for alcohol. Other kids picked up on the rumor and embellished it.
My daughter was so distraught that we took her for counseling, where it was suggested that we start fresh in a new area. Although my child has been taught more coping strategies, she's still nervous about facing another group of kids who may call her a bitch.
Please do a segment on bullying so that parents of bullies will see how devastating it is for the victims. I shudder when I think of those who can't move away from it. Thanks.
^^^This struck me as a tad strange. Why would someone at a new school call ur daugther a "bitch" or anything nasty if they don't know her?? Is there any little behaviour pattern that your daughter exhibits that might trigger that kind of reaction from students? (Just something to look at. Bullies tend to pick on percieved shy / smaller individuals. Definately not someone others might percieve as a "bitch".)
I have a bit of dred about school re-opening too. I'm the teacher! (That's also why I commented above. I'm speaking from in-school experience) I will be teaching some new students this academic year and I just have a bit of performance anxiety. I know that thier education is in my hands in the subject areas I teach and that brings some serious pressure with it. I will also miss the lazy days of being at home and spending time with me bf.
I have major anxiety about his leaving for college in the UK. I'll miss him a lot.
Teachers who have taught for a while say that the coarsening of the culture along with advances in technology have made bullying more prevalent.
Shy kids are sometimes seen as aloof. Some interpret this as arrogance, especially if the kid is accomplished as well as shy. Those who envy the accomplishments are often the ones who start rumors (which often include the word bitch).
Borderline bullies see bullies as powerful and join the bullying to share in the perceived power. It can quickly get out of hand and when the Internet is involved it can be overwhelming.
The bully's chosen target may have had no previous interaction with the bully, which makes the victim all the more frustrated about why it's happening.
Parents of bullies often downplay the behavior of the bully, which makes it even more difficult for school officials to handle.
Those who respect others don't bully. Celebrities who use the language of bullies are modeling bullying. Making "bitch, slut and ho" mainstream.. creates bullies.
It deals in summer vacations. Thanks!
Ah summer! Miss those days at the beach in CT! am a desert rat now, and so long for those Summers@the Beach! Summers come and go each year, and it seems as though I have not given my children the peace & tranquility of a decent New England summer, some day, some day soon...Rocky Point maybe in the Fall...not like Waterford Beach, in Wtfd., CT!
The passing of summer is truly depressing for me. In New York, the mornings and nights are getting colder and I am already experiencing the blues. I don't even want to get out of bed. Every year this happens to me twice. During the winter, I also become indifferent and depressed. I have been diagnosed with S.A.D. The only time that I seem to be happy and pain free is summer. That is why I am thinking of moving to a tropical/warmer climate location to better help me deal with my depression and arthritic pain conditions.
It's odd that people would feel badly about the summertime. It's common knowledge that the increase in sunlight and temperature would improve your looks and mood. Very strange.
Bruce