Glasto FOMO? 🎪 Here's what to do
How to cope with summer anxiety
Renaissance, Glasto, Wimbledon. Rooftop bars and picnics in the park. In summer, the party is always happening somewhere. But if you’re not there…well, it can feel pretty miserable.
As those of us who didn’t get Glasto tickets sit at home avoiding Instagram and adjusting the placement of our fans, it’s a good time to address the downside of summertime: summer anxiety.
While most of us are familiar with the concept of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) in the colder, greyer months, its prevalence in summer isn’t so widely spoken about (perhaps because we’re all pretending to have the *best* summer ever!!!). So in this week’s newsletter, we’re going to break the silence.
What is summer anxiety?
If you’ve noticed that you feel more stress, worry or unease as temperatures climb, you might be affected by summer anxiety.
This is, in fact, a form of SAD—when your mood is impacted by changes in seasons. Those who experience anxiety or depression specifically during the spring and summer months may have a case of summer-onset seasonal affective disorder (or, as Lana called it, summertime sadness).
If you’re really struggling with this (severe symptoms may include trouble sleeping, weight loss, irritability, poor appetite and heightened anxiety), it’s wise to seek help from a medical professional.
However, lots of us experience summer anxiety on some level, even if it’s not debilitating. Here’s why…
What causes summer anxiety?
Hot, sunny weather
Particularly in the UK, we’re often desperate for some sunshine once summer finally rolls arounds. But too much sun can be bad for us.
Firstly, longer, sunnier days can disrupt our sleep, since too much light exposure affects transitions between sleep cycles. And if you aren’t getting your forty winks, it’s bound to have an affect on your mood.
Secondly, increased heat and humidity can raise our cortisol levels, leading to feelings of anxiety or irritability.
Climate anxiety
On the subject of weather, it’s impossible to ignore the consequences of climate change, as heatwaves arrive more frequently, and seemingly earlier, year on year.
However nice it is to leave dreary winter behind, thinking about the future of the planet can be anxiety-inducing.
Body image
As we’ve discussed before, poor body image tends to get louder in summer, when we’re wearing less clothes or donning our bikinis. Feeling self-conscious can contribute to anxiety.
Social pressure and FOMO
Summer often brings social expectations and pressures, such as attending parties, weddings and festivals, going on holiday, or simply more invites to al fresco drinks after work.
It’s a lot to keep up with, physically, emotionally and financially. Whether it’s social anxiety or money worries, a packed calendar can trigger stress and anxiety.
On top of this, it’s impossible to be everywhere at once, which can lead to FOMO (fear of missing out) if you feel like everyone is having more fun than you are.
Tips for easing summer anxiety
While we can’t control the seasons and anxiety can feel overwhelming, there are two key things you can do to ease the pressure and de-stress.
Get to know your nervous system.
We’ll sing about it ‘til the cows come home, but understanding your nervous system is one of the most helpful things you can do to regulate your emotions.
If you’re feeling uncomfortably hot and frazzled or climate anxiety is weighing on your mind, try activating your Parasympathetic Nervous System through cooling breathing exercises, like:
Alternate nostril breathing - used to channel calming yin energy in yoga, simply breathe through one nostril while holding the other shut, alternating between nostrils in cycles.
Legs up the wall - another yoga technique, this one involves lying down with your legs resting up against a wall, and breathing in and out equally.
In for 4, out for 8 - exhaling activates your rest response, whereas inhaling activates your stress response. So breathing exercises that deepen and lengthen the exhale are really good for calming down.
Get to know your inner critic.
Surprise, surprise, a lot of factors that trigger summer anxiety, like body image, social pressure and FOMO, all come back to your inner critic.
If you’re finding these aspects of summer challenging, it’s likely that your inner critic is telling you things like “You’re having a boring summer compared to everyone else”, “Everyone thinks you look rubbish in that dress” or “You need to go on a diet before your beach holiday”.
More often than not, it’s total bulls**t. You can try, ahem, gently reminding your inner critic of this, but remember that our relationship with our inner critic is a complex and enduring one that won’t be fixed overnight.
Practice self-awareness to become more conscious of your inner critic’s narrative. Then learn to distinguish the good and bad parts of this narrative—sometimes, it might be trying to help you (e.g. “is it really a good idea to have another Aperol?”), whereas other times it’s simply spewing unhelpful judgment.
If it’s the second scenario, try challenging its narrative (e.g. “people might also be looking at me because I look GREAT in this dress”) and concentrating on self-compassion.
Bonus tip: don’t believe everything you see on social media
Finally, there is one more crucial thing to bear in mind this summer: everyone gets FOMO. Particularly when it comes to social media, remember that all of us only tend to post our highlights. So yes, you’re seeing that person have the most fun ever at Glastonbury. But they’re not going to be posting when they’re stuck in traffic with the world’s worst hangover tomorrow. Meanwhile, you might be living your best life sipping on an iced latte in the park 😉
How are you feeling this summer?
Is summer anxiety something that resonates with you? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.