Surviving Summertime SADness & Big June Transitions
“The crickets felt it was their duty to warn everybody that summertime cannot last for ever. Even on the most beautiful days in the whole year – the days when summer is changing into autumn – the crickets spread the rumour of sadness and change.”
June is often heralded as the glorious start to summer, full of blinding sunshine and bustling nights.
Unfortunately, in the world of mental health, it’s more complicated than that.
Many of us are confronted with massive endings and daunting beginnings in the shift from spring to summer.
These transitions can be hard, but they don’t have to cause turmoil every time summer arrives.
Let’s talk about how to ease yourself in with less resistance, more acceptance.
WHY does anyone struggle with this transition?
You may be thinking, “Summer is great, so what’s the problem?”
There are a few, actually.
My clients struggle most with these two things:
Summer “F.O.M.O.”
The idea that summer “should” be carefree, active, and fun infuses this time of year with significant social pressure to be “out and about,” “living your best life.”
They don’t call it “event season” for nothing.
This expectation adds to FOMO, or the fear of missing out, which can cause unnecessary stress, overwhelm, and burnout even before the season peaks.
FOMO isn’t a formal clinical term, but these emotional phenomena are very real.
Summer “S.A.D.”
Tangible changes like long daylight hours and warm temperatures can also disrupt sleep and dysregulate mood — symptoms of Summer Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Unlike the lethargy that characterizes winter SAD, summer SAD can look more like restlessness and irritability.
Paired with social pressure and the emotional weight of summer events, this can make June feel less like a vacation and more like a gateway to anxiety and shame.
Understanding that your emotional state may be (literally!) tied to the thermometer is a key step towards self-regulation & self-empowerment.
Understanding that your emotional state may be (literally!) tied to the thermometer is a key step towards self-regulation & self-empowerment.
WHO may struggle with this transition period?
Queer-identifying folx
For queer communities, June is Pride Month — a high visibility, affirming time for LGBTQIA+ folx to celebrate their authentic Selves.
Unfortunately — especially for young adults and graduates — June can also mean leaving safe housing arrangements and “found family,” and returning to unsafe spaces and closeted identities.
The mental and emotional load of masking like this takes a toll.
And don’t even get me started on the current political climate, which seems to seek daily the erasure of queer identities and the systemic dismantling of queer rights.
The resulting minority stress can cause high-level, chronic anxiety and reactivate old trauma triggers.
Academics of all age groups
If you’re enrolled in or employed by an educational institution, finals and graduation are now behind you. In the wake of that fading excitement, anxiety about the future can set in.
This is the post-graduation “cliff.”
If your daily schedule, your social circle, and your short-term goals were all dictated by a syllabus, June means that road has ended.
Now what?
People who are neurodiverse, chronically ill, or otherwise sensitive to environmental change
Regardless of your personal or professional status, seasonal shifts rupture routines.
Certain medical conditions — heart disease, respiratory illnesses, autoimmune disorders, diabetes, and even menopause — can also make seasonal stressors like sun exposure and heat more intolerable.
The energetically activating progression from winter hibernation to spring awakening to summer hyperactivity can hit your nervous system hard.
When you’re already dealing with nervous system overload, burnout, or low distress tolerance, June can feel particularly jarring.
Who are you now?
- Are you back in the closet, in an unsafe place?
- Are you still a student, pursuing higher education?
- Are you a worker, entering the job market straightaway?
- Are you a vacationer, pivoting professionally or on sabbatical?
- Are you an expectant parent, about to take on household management and childcare?
- Are you someone else altogether?
What can cause nervous system sensitivity?
- Trauma experiences and survivorship
- Chronic illness or comorbidities
- Chronic or acute stress
- Autism, ADHD, or AuDHD
- People-pleasing tendencies
WHAT can you do if you’re struggling?
First of all, focus on what you can control — that is, what you think, and what you do.
These 5 steps can help:
1. Name what’s happening.
Acknowledge that change can be hard.
Stop yourself from spiraling further by reminding yourself this is an understandable reaction to losing stable routines, comforting habits, and safe supports.
Validate what you’re feeling.
That’s it.
2. Reset your expectations.
Recognize that what you thought life “would” be this summer no longer applies. Let go of what “could” or “should” have been.
Hypotheticals like this are a type of cognitive distortion that prevent you from living in the present.
Feeling dread, discontentment, or disappointment? This may signal that your current expectations don’t accurately reflect your lived reality.
Let go of old beliefs that keep you stuck so you can set new expectations that move you forward.
“Once something has outlived its usefulness in one area of life, its purpose for being in existence is no longer the same. The leaf that captures a stream of sunlight, and then transfers its energy to the tree, serves one purpose in the spring and summer, and another completely different one through the fall and winter.”
3. Identify your needs.
Based on your new expectations, figure out what you need.
Your challenges may be external. Did you regress by moving back to a childhood home? Did your peers all move on to the next “adult” milestone, leaving you “behind”?
Your challenges may be internal. Saying goodbye to seasons and Selves past can invite heavy grief. The more unwelcome these changes, the more chaotic, powerless, and existentially uncomfortable you may feel.
At the heart of these big transitions lie questions about your identity: who were you yesterday, who will you be tomorrow, and what do you need in this moment to get there?
A suggestion from Jodi Kantor:
"Look to your friends... Think about what roles you take on with them: math tutor, party planner, psychologist, workout coach. These answers often reveal truths that our résumés do not. In social relationships, we aren’t bound by suffocating expectations about our future. Our friends have needs, and by noticing how we respond to them, we can learn who we are."
4. Modify your boundaries for summer.
Set up safeguards that support your needs.
Start by saying “no” to people, events, and things that don’t feel fulfilling or reflect your personal values.
Do you really have to attend every graduation party or social event? If saying “yes” compromises your mental wellbeing and emotional safety, you are already overextending. Do you have enough mental rest and emotional recovery to move yourself towards your goals?
Even limiting digital consumption can help. Mute accounts that trigger comparisons. Follow only creators who share identity-affirming content.
Curate your digital space in a way that feels authentic and safe.
Tip: rehearse alternatives to "no" in advance.
For example:"That sounds great, but I have other commitments. Thanks for the invite. Maybe next time!"
5. Create new routines for summer.
Remember that transition periods are time-limited, so maybe you don’t need to reinvent the whole wheel; just swap out a spoke or two.
You can do this using a BRIDGE ROUTINE:
Identify 3 non-negotiable actions.
Include self-care activities that help you feel grounded and secure.
Keep it simple to avoid unnecessary overwhelm and prevent overthinking.
Small acts of consistency lower the pressure to perform, and remind your brain that you are still in control — because you are.
A sample morning bridge routine:
- Make your bed.
- Take a 10-minute walk before the heat peaks.
- Journal for 5 minutes.
“We need society, and we need solitude also, as we need summer and winter, day and night, exercise and rest.”
At the end of summer, who will you become?
Transitions are hard, in part because they ask us to let go of who we were and become a new version of ourselves — hopefully a better one.
"Feeling lost" in this is not a failure, but an uncomfortable and normal developmental milestone.
It doesn’t matter how “prepared” or “ready” you thought you were. When routines that kept you steady vanish overnight, it’s understandable to question your changing needs, lifestyle, and identity.
You deserve to mourn and explore those shifts.
You also deserve to celebrate things like Pride, graduation, and the arrival of long days, in whatever way feels safest and most restorative for you.
You deserve to define your future Self.
Take actions to honor the end of what you’re leaving behind — then remind yourself the next chapter of your life is yours to write.
If you’re struggling to navigate seasonal mood shifts, the intersection of different identities, or the uncertainty and unpredictability of major life transitions, please know that you can make your mental health the one thing that stays steady.
Support is available, and you don’t have to seek answers to existential questions alone.
In my practice, I love collaborating with clients to find closure in closed chapters, and hope in new ones.
To request personalized support, you may schedule a complimentary 10-minute phone consultation with me here.
It would be my honor to hold safe space for you on your quest to discovering who you’re meant to be.
Disclaimer: This blog is intended for informational purposes only, and does not constitute medical or psychiatric advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare professional directly for personalized guidance and support.