Cooling Down Summer Depression: 5 Tips for Managing SAD

It may be due to its catchy acronym, widespread coverage in mainstream media, the fact that as many as 5 percent of Americans experience it —or maybe all three— which allows most of us to be familiar with Seasonal Affective Disorder, or “SAD” for short.

When most of us think about SAD, however, we usually associate this form of recurrent depression with falling leaves and dropping temperatures, even in some of the research literature (Magnusson & Boivin, 2003).

As I write about here, however, SAD is very much seasonal, which includes the summer season, too.

If you find yourself dreading the summer season or are experiencing trouble sleeping, little appetite, restlessness, agitation, anxiety, and even aggression, you may consider speaking to a qualified professional who can help determine whether you may have summer-onset SAD.

In the interim, here are a few ways that may help manage summer SAD:

1. Keep Cool.

A theorized reason for experiencing summer-onset SAD is that increased heat and humidity can cause physical discomfort, leading to irritability, agitation, and fatigue. These physical stressors can exacerbate feelings of depression and anxiety. A few ways to keep cool include:

• Use Air Conditioning or Fans: Keep your living space cool with fans, or use the AC. Instead of cooking and eating warm meals, which may heat up the house and further exacerbate feeling hot, try making no-oven meals like crisp salads, dips, and sandwiches, or minimize oven use by batch cooking in advance.
• Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, which can worsen cognitive function and mood, as found in one study, particularly in men (Ganio et al., 2011).
• Avoid Peak Heat Hours: Limit your outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day, which usually is between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

2. Keep Calm and Regulate Your Sleep.

Longer days and increased sunlight can disrupt your sleep patterns, leading to insomnia and mood disturbances, and poor sleep quality is strongly linked to increased sensitivity to pain and depressive symptoms (Irwin et al., 2023).

• Relax in Low-Light Environments: Use blackout curtains or drawn shades to create a dark environment in your bedroom for better sleep.
• Establish a Consistent Sleep Schedule: Limit screen exposure before bed and try to regulate sleep times to help stabilize your circadian rhythm.
• Wear a Sleep Mask: Wearing a sleep mask can help block daylight out, particularly if sleep trouble is due to early and bright daylight.

3. Maintain a Routine.

As noted in research (Li et al., 2022), “daily routine disruptions predict higher odds of persistent probable anxiety and depression directly and partially through reducing coping resources.” Because the summer season can bring changes in routines, like vacations and heightened family activities, a lack of structure might mean stress, difficulty managing daily responsibilities, and letting go of self-care. Maintaining a routine can help:

• Keep “Things as Usual”: Social Zeitgeber theory proposes that daily activities, like work, act as social cues that help us maintain internal biological rhythms. Try to keep to your schedule, like regular meal times, as usual throughout the summer.
• Incorporate Relaxation Techniques: Having coping resources, like practicing meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises, can help in managing stress, which directly links to depression.

4. Keep the Right Social Plans.

With backyard BBQs, beach gatherings, and patio lunches, summer often brings on an influx of events and increased social pressure, with an expectation to be more active. Feeling obligated can cause exhaustion and anxiety. Keeping the right plans can help alleviate these feelings:

• Set Realistic Expectations: The fear of missing out can drive us to overcommit to social events, which are plentiful in summer. Prioritize the activities that support your well-being instead of over-committing to others.
• Plan Enjoyable, Low-Light Activities: Make plans for summer nights or in cool places, like the mall or movie theatre.

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5. Focus on Your Own Body’s Health.

Research has found that people who suffer from SAD consume larger dinners and more evening snacks and are more likely to binge and emotionally eat and crave more starch-rich food and food with high fiber (Yang et al., 2020). Interestingly enough, the same research found that “no current nutrition intervention has demonstrated efficacy for ameliorating SAD symptoms.” Despite these findings, research on general depression has found that consuming sweetened beverages, processed or junk food, and foods rich in saturated fatty acids while also eating very few fruits and vegetables has been linked to increased depression. Adopting a healthier diet, especially the Mediterranean diet, which largely emphasizes healthy fats, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds, has been found to reduce the symptoms of depression (Jacka et al., 2017).

During the summer season, we’re also often exposed to more exposed “summer bodies” in general, and certainly on social media. Exposure may lead to social comparison and make us feel less satisfied with our own bodies, especially if we struggle with insecurities to begin with. Such comparisons can be linked to feelings of depression. Reminding ourselves that every body is unique and deserving of love and acceptance can help mitigate negative feelings.

While summer can be difficult, especially for people who experience summer-onset SAD, recognizing the signs and making intentional and proactive changes can help maintain your mental health all year round.