Summer is a beautiful season, a time associated with the strength of the sun. Summer is literal and symbolic. Summer is a zenith, a high point in the natural growth cycle of the year.
In astrology, the sun symbolizes the self, the unique identity that each of us has. The months when the sun shines strongest can be a time of feeling our own truer natures to shine the strongest, as well.
From the mental health point of view, summer can be a time of strengthening ourselves, taking advantage of fortuitous alignments in nature and the tilt of the planet, to help ourselves feel connected and anchored into what matters most in our world.
What is it that matters most to you, the sun star you are? And how can you shine strong, in service of that, this summer?
How does summer affect mental health?
The power and radiance of the sun bring life to the planet. The sun also brings energization, warmth, and sparkle to our bodies, and our subjective, most personal experiences of life.
In summer, the boost in exposure to the sun brings increases in our vitamin D levels, which help with immunity, mood, and sleep. The presence of the sun promotes melatonin production as well, which is linked to well-being in multiple ways.
In the summer, we often socialize more and are more likely to let ourselves relax. The abundance of available activities and opportunities for connection is a positive thing. Beaches, frisbee, hikes, swimming in lakes, vacations – all of these belong to the sweeter side of life.
Summer is a good time to soak it up. Soak up the healing, harmonizing influences of sunshine and its many health and mood-enhancing benefits. It is also a good time to enjoy ourselves, recognize the good side of life, and value the temporary, albeit cyclical, experience of being at the top of the Ferris wheel of the year.
From a mental health point of view, summer is a time to enjoy ourselves, nature, and other people, and to allow ourselves to experience goodness.
Summer is a great time to set and form healthy habits that we can then sustain and hold steady when the season changes around us. We can take advantage of the many factors helping us feel soft, easygoing, and energized, to set up habits and rhythms that support our truest and highest intentions.
Here are some ideas for good mental health habits to form this summer.
Creative Play. Creative play is enormously healing for mind, body, and spirit. The combination of personal meaning, fun, cathartic emotional release, and self-discovery makes it a super-practice for any woman on a healing path.
If you have been thinking about returning to a creative practice or trying something new, summer is a great time to do it. Not only do the longer sunlight hours mean you’ll have more energy for it, but the whole seasonal environment supports “shining” in every sense of the word.
Nature. Summer is the easiest time of year to get outside more. The nourishment that nature brings to the spirit comes in many forms. There are physiological rewards as the body interacts with the natural world – benefits from exposure to full spectrum light, the many medicinal scents that abound in the plant world, and even sound healing from saturation in organic acoustics.
The microbiome is healed through physical contact with soil, and our ions are balanced through earthing, among many other positive effects.
To the soul and spirit, nature is a panacea – the harmony, poetics, and symbolism of the natural kingdom help us to understand ourselves and our place in the world better than anything else.
Exercise. Due to the increase in daylight and energy, summer is a fortuitous time to get into a good pattern of exercise. This year you may want to ask from within your body, what kind of movement is right for you.
Are you a dancer, a runner, a team player, a fighter? What makes you feel strong nimble and fluid in your body? How could you support your body with the type of movement it’s asking for?
Food. Summer is a time when we may naturally feel comfortable eating less or eating lighter and fresher. Maybe it’s time for a detox diet, cleanse, or fast. Maybe we want to change how we consume, eat more mindfully, or try out new recipes.
Spirituality. Summer connects us with the sun and the incredible, magnificent power of the mysterious life force energy that powers and sustains every one of us. Summer can be a great time to remember what it is that we have reverence, gratitude, and love for. Form some spiritual habits this summer. Start or evolve a practice of meditation and prayer, whatever that means to you.
What are some mental health benefits of the summer season?
Here are some of the blessings that summer brings to our psychological well-being.
Work Less
In the summer, we gravitate towards working less. Whether it’s a holdover from our years in the school system, because we have kids of our own, or simply because we like to get outside, most of us reconnect with the world outside of work during these magical months. Working less is enormously positive for our mental health.
More Time with Family and Friends
In summer we host and go to gatherings with friends and family, receive visits and visit others, and in general, feel more like we have the energy and enthusiasm to connect with people.
Isolation is a strong factor in creating poor mental health, and finding ways to connect with other humans, especially (but not only) those we feel safe with, helps us at the creaturely, biological level to remember and feel that we are part of a larger tribe of humans.
More sunshine
Sunshine brings us Vitamin D, an important ingredient for the body to thrive. Vitamin D is connected to immunity, improved mineral absorption, strong bones and teeth, and mood regulation.
More physical activity
We get more physical activity in the summer, whether because we’re going on adventures and trips or because we seize a day of beautiful weather to get outside and move.
Physical exercise is the number one natural antidepressant, anti-anxiety, sleep aid, nervous system regulator, and immunity booster.
What are some self-care tips women can engage in to feel good during the summer?
Self-care practices are for all year round, even in summer. Here are some tips for summertime self-care.
- Make sure you get some alone time. Sometimes it’s harder in summer to remember that we still need quiet time alone with ourselves. We do!
- Take your reflection practices outside. If it feels like a shame to be inside, think about whether you could do your morning journaling, meditation, mindful breakfast, or yoga practice outside. Rather than skip self-care routines, make summer versions of them.
- Make sure you get enough sleep. It can be harder in the summer to get enough rest because of the natural energization. Support yourself by limiting screen time and letting your body tell you when it’s ready to go to bed. It might be earlier than you’re used to. Take naps if you can!
- Keep going to meetings and therapy. It can be very tempting in the summer to let “hard stuff” like 12-step meetings or cbt therapy go by the wayside. Stay actively involved in your healing and recovery, knowing that the better you take care of yourself, the more wonderful your summer will be.
- Eat clean and hydrate. Sometimes we forget the basics in summer because we’re feeling good already. Nevertheless, the body still needs to be pampered and cared for, by taking the cleanest, clearest ingredients we can.
- Practice positivity. Take the opportunity to ask yourself questions that will help you practice positivity as a life philosophy. If you’re feeling good, dwell on that. What excites me, what do I love? What am I grateful for? What fills me with bubbles? What makes me feel big and warm and bright?
Villa Kali Ma can assist women with mental health
We’ve explored women’s health and happiness from every angle, from the spiritual to the relational, from the psychological to the physiological, from the neurological to the nutritional.
If you’re struggling with a mental health problem, trauma, or addiction, those are our specialties! We’d love to help you find out who you really are, and who you can be once freed to shine as brightly and radiantly as you are meant to.
Check out our many programs for women and give us a call if you’re curious!