Feeling good this summer? Here's why it’s the perfect time to take care of your mental health
During the summer, it’s easy to think, “I feel fine now—maybe I don’t need help after all.”
For many people, summer brings a natural lift in mood: the days are longer, routines are looser, and there’s more time outside. Anxiety feels quieter. Depression feels distant. OCD patterns may ease. In my ten years as a therapist for depression and anxiety in downtown Hamilton, this ease in symptoms is noticeable in my appointment calendar - my schedule is much lighter in June, July, and August. I am happy to see people suffering less during this time.
But this upswing is often seasonal—and temporary.
Instead of waiting for symptoms to return in the fall or winter, now may actually be the best time to invest in your mental health by using the energy you have now to change the patterns that lead to suffering later.
Why summer can be a turning point
The mental boost people feel in the warmer months isn’t imagined. Summer often brings:
More sunlight (hello, vitamin D and serotonin!)
More movement and social time
Fewer work or school stressors
A general sense of ease
This shift can create a false sense of recovery, leading people to put off therapy or stop using the tools that support their wellbeing. Then, when life gets busier, colder, or darker again, the crash can feel sharper and harder to manage.
What to do when you’re feeling good
Instead of coasting through the summer and hoping for the best come fall, use this time strategically. Here’s how:
Use the summer upswing to build healthy routines
Good habits are easier to start when motivation is high. Try:
Setting a consistent sleep schedule. Exposure to natural light helps regulate your body’s internal clock, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up at regular times. During the summer, extended daylight hours can strengthen those sleep-wake cues. This can give you a head start on forming healthy sleep habits, which often feel harder to maintain during the darker, shorter days of winter.
Adding a short daily walk or workout. Just 20 minutes of physical activity, four to five times a week, can have a significant impact on your mental health. A walk around the block is often more manageable in the summer—it’s free, nearby, requires little to no equipment, and gives you a chance to enjoy the warmer weather.
Practicing mindfulness or reconnecting with a spiritual habit. Sunrise or sunset can offer a natural pause in your day to spend 20 minutes in meditation, prayer, or quiet reflection. This can help reduce stress and increase focus and emotional balance.
These routines act like mental health “muscle memory” when life gets harder.
Start therapy while your functioning is higher
You don’t have to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. In fact, starting when you feel more stable allows you to:
Learn tools calmly, not reactively
Explore root causes with clarity
Build a relationship with your therapist before you really need it
Plan now for fall and winter
Think ahead—especially if you’ve noticed a pattern of seasonal struggle. You might:
Talk to your doctor or therapist about light therapy
Schedule check-ins for September or October now
Create a support plan with friends, family, or coworkers
For men, first responders, and high stress public service workers:
Many men and first responders have been trained—culturally or professionally—to power through and avoid seeking help. If summer makes you feel “back to normal,” you may be tempted to brush off past struggles. The problem may be that over decades, the moral stress that seems lighter each summer gets heavier until it becomes unmanageable. The truth is, feeling good doesn’t mean the underlying problem is gone. It just means now is the ideal time to work on it.
Taking action during the good times isn’t overreacting—it’s smart, proactive, and strong. And it can help prevent a fall crash that catches you off guard.
Next steps
If you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to start therapy or take care of your mental health, consider this your sign. You feel good now. That’s exactly why it’s time to get started. If connecting to a therapist now in anticipation of the typically harder fall and winter months that will come, click the “Book Now” button in the top right corner of this page to set up a free, no-obligation 15-minute call with me. We can talk through what a plan might look like to set yourself up for success all year long.
- Scott
