Anxiety, panic attacks and heat. Why do you feel worse in the summer?

Seasonal depressions are not the only ones

You may have heard of seasonal affective disorder, when the cold season brings psychological problems – mainly depression. Although winter is typically a melancholic season, it is not the only one that may start some mental discomfort.

Although summer is associated with vacations, trips and joyful events, such as garden parties and barbecues. The sun shines more and thanks to it our body produces more vitamin D, which contributes to a better mood. But when summer swings into its hottest season, it can also trigger anxiety and panic attacks. The culprit is the heat and very long days.

Why can anxiety get worse in the summer?

Heat increases cortisol, a stress hormone that promotes anxiety symptoms. It affects the brain’s center of fear and thus causes an increase in anxious thoughts. In summer, you may feel more shortness of breath, nausea, fatigue, restlessness, dizziness, increased heart rate, tremors and dehydration. These are the physiological reasons why you may feel more anxious in the summer.

But with summer comes other challenges that can add to the anxiety. It is:

• Changing the routine – daily routine helps to prevent anxiety. But there are so many events happening in the summer that it is not easy to keep up. New activities then mean greater physical and mental effort, and our balance is in danger.
• Fear of missing out – have you heard of FOMO (fear of missing out)? The environment and ourselves put pressure on ourselves to take advantage of the opportunity for summer fun and not miss anything. So we have less space for ourselves and blame ourselves if we miss something. This brings stress, which in turn leads to anxiety.
• Less sleep – the days are longer, so we go to bed later, or we can’t fall asleep because of the light. This throws off our circadian rhythm and sleep patterns are disrupted. But quality sleep is essential for mental well-being.
• Taking recreational drugs – summer parties and sitting in the gardens in the evening also means more alcohol or other lighter or harder drugs. But they are a big burden for our nervous system.

How to prevent anxiety and panic attacks on hot days?

Come and enjoy the summer more in peace and joy. These five simple tips will help you prevent anxiety and panic attacks in the summer, or at least reduce them as much as possible.

1. Don’t expose yourself to too much sun – you certainly don’t need to sit between four walls, but be careful not to put yourself in situations where the heat will make you physically uncomfortable. You can schedule events for morning or evening and find shade by the water.
2. Don’t plan too much – one trip after another, an active vacation planned to the letter, and invitations to events can easily overwhelm you. Be kind to yourself and plan enough time off when you don’t have to do anything but take care of yourself.
3. Drink more water and less alcohol – it seems like a cliché, but watching your drinking habits and avoiding alcohol really helps. The physical symptoms of dehydration promote anxiety, and alcohol disrupts the quality of sleep.
4. Treat yourself to quality sleep – it’s hard to fall asleep in the heat and long days. If you have a lot of light in your bedroom, get blackout curtains. Also think about air conditioning or at least a stronger fan. You will immediately fall asleep better.
5. Do breathing exercises – they will help you fall asleep more easily or reduce anxiety symptoms whenever they strike you during the day.

Dealing with anxiety is not easy. However, it is possible to work with it and alleviate unpleasant symptoms. Talking to a therapist can bring you quick relief. The therapist will also teach you different exercises to help you manage anxiety when it comes up again. You don’t have to be alone.

In Hedepy, you can join the therapy easily online, you don’t even have to leave your home. It doesn’t matter if you can’t name what exactly is bothering you. The therapist will guide you and together you will find a way out.

Based on a short test, we will recommend the three most suitable therapists to you. You can have your first session as soon as tomorrow. Just take the first step and start the journey to greater mental well-being.