When Summer Feels Heavier Than It Looks: Understanding Summer Anxiety

Does it feel like you should be enjoying summer… but you're just not?

Everything around you screams light, fun, and carefree — yet inside, things feel off. You’re not relaxed, not soaking it in, maybe even feeling worse than usual, and you’re not sure why.

You’re not alone. And no, you're not doing anything wrong.

We don’t talk enough about how emotionally complex summer can be. For many people, this season brings up summer anxiety, burnout, and unexpected waves of emotion.

The Hidden Side of Summer: Why Mental Health Can Dip in the Sunniest Season

On the surface, summer is all sunshine, vacations, and BBQs. But beneath that, a lot of people quietly struggle with overwhelm, comparison, or even seasonal depression (yes it can happen in summer too!)

This doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. It just means you're human.

Here are some common summer struggles I often hear about in therapy sessions:

Common Mental Health Challenges in Summer

1. Disrupted Routine = Nervous System Dysregulation

School schedules, work routines, and daily structure often fly out the window during summer. While that might sound relaxing, your nervous system thrives on rhythm. Late nights, irregular meals, shifting responsibilities — all of this can create low-key chaos in the body, leading to restlessness, fatigue, or irritability.

2. Social Pressure & Comparison

Between weddings, road trips, family gatherings, and social media highlight reels, summer can feel like a nonstop comparison game. If you're feeling left out, behind, or like you're not “doing summer right,” you're not alone — especially if you already deal with anxiety, perfectionism, or burnout.

3. Body Image Triggers

Swimsuit season can be incredibly activating. For those healing from disordered eating, low self-esteem, or trauma stored in the body, this time of year can surface deep discomfort. It’s often not about the body itself, but about safety, control, and value. These feelings need compassion, not shame.

4. More “Space” = More Feelings

Slower schedules can create more room — and with that space, long-buried emotions can surface. Grief, loneliness, resentment, exhaustion. If your time off makes you feel more agitated or down, it’s likely your nervous system is speaking to you — not failing you.

6 Ways to Support Your Mental Health This Summer

If you're struggling with your mental health in summer, here are a few gentle practices that may help:

1. Rebuild Simple Daily Rhythms

Try setting small routines like a consistent wake-up time, regular meals, or a short morning stretch. These anchors help regulate your nervous system and bring back a sense of stability.

2. Be Intentional with Social Media

Limit your time online, especially if scrolling leaves you feeling worse. Choose conscious check-ins over mindless scrolling, and remind yourself: you’re seeing a curated version of someone’s life — not the full story.

3. Practice Body Compassion

If body shame or discomfort arises, pause. Speak to yourself with the same kindness you'd offer a loved one. Breathwork, gentle movement, and reconnecting to sensation can help bring you back to the body as a safe space.

4. Name What You’re Feeling

Instead of trying to “push through,” name the emotion: “I notice I’m feeling anxious.” Labeling emotions helps lower their intensity and gives your brain room to respond, rather than react.

5. Use Grounding Techniques

Try grounding exercises like 5-4-3-2-1 (sight, sound, touch), placing your feet on the floor, or taking a few slow, deep breaths. These small shifts help soothe a dysregulated nervous system.

6. Reach Out for Support

You don’t have to do it all alone. Support from a therapist, a trusted friend, or a healing space can make a big difference when emotions feel overwhelming.

Therapy Support for a Heavy Summer

Therapy isn’t just for big crises — it’s also for those harder-to-name moments when things feel heavy, foggy, or just off.

At Laura Bruno Psychotherapy, we help you make sense of what’s coming up, reconnect with your body, and gently shift out of stuck patterns. Together, we’ll explore what your nervous system is trying to say and offer tools to regulate, release, and feel more grounded.

Mind-Body Therapy & Somatic Breathwork in Niagara and Across Ontario

We support adults, children, teens, parents, and professionals with:

• Anxiety, burnout, and chronic stress

• Trauma and nervous system dysregulation

• Body image and self-worth

• Relationship or parenting struggles

Services include:

• Individual, child, couples, and family therapy

• Somatic breathwork (online + in-person)
  

We offer in-person sessions in Niagara Falls and online therapy across Ontario, so you can access support from anywhere.

If Summer Feels Tender, You’re Not Alone

If this season feels heavier than expected, know this: you're not broken, and you're not alone.

✨ Book a therapy session or explore what support might look like for you. ✨ Curious about somatic breathwork? Join an upcoming group event or book a 1:1 session to reconnect with your body.

Whatever you're feeling — you don’t have to carry it by yourself.

By; Janessa Meissner