Anxiety so much worse in Summer/hot weather

[Backtothe80splease]

Does anyone else find this?

I’ve suffered with anxiety since I was a child.

I’m in peri now and have a lot of stress with an unwell parent which is certainly not helping with my poor mental health but I have noticed in previous years and am certainly noticing this summer (and especially this week with the heatwave) that my anxiety skyrockets in the height of summer and not sure why.

Tbh you think summer would reduce anxiety but I am feeling just awful. I wake with very high anxiety and don’t come down from it until the evening. By the evening and at night I feel a whole lot calmer.

It also makes my (decades long) IBS much worse which also exacerbates my anxiety.

It ruins the summer for me and I’m finding myself longing for evenings, cooler days and the autumn. I still have anxiety 365 days of the year but it’s not so intense then.

Why though? It is as though the extra bright days (hate bright light and have to wear sunglasses all the time) and warmth are triggering something.

Does anyone else experiencing this? I don’t know how to calm myself (I exercise, eat well, only drink water, meditate, sleep ok).

I consider myself fairly well educated and sensible however it was only last year that I worked out my anxiety is worse in warm weather because it mimics the symptoms of an anxiety attack. Feeling hot, sweaty, quicker pulse etc
It was a real “duh!!!” moment!!

100% I think winter feels safer, being indoors much more and not having to have an excuse for not going out much. In summer you’re expected to stay up later, go out more. It makes sense that those of us with anxiety suffer more in summer, I bloody hate summer! Roll on autumn! X