The Ultimate Summer Survival Guide: Summer Depression Tips
Part three: Coming from a woman with Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder, summer tips for everything, cooling down, fun things, depression tips, etc.
Welcome back to part three of my summer series. If you are new here, you can read Plan your SummerandSurvive the Heat, which are the other parts.
To be honest, this post should’ve been up sooner, but it took me a lot of time to get myself to write it. It’s the most vulnerable thing for me to write about something I am slowly slipping into again. So, these tips here work wonders since I use them currently.
I didn’t want my doubts and insecurity to stop me from writing this post. If it just helps one person to not to feel alone, I think it’s worth sharing this.
And to give you an announcement, I will use RSAD when I mention Reverse Seasonal Depression.
TW: Depression, mention of depression behaviour, mention of suicidal thoughts (Briefly mentioned), mention of eating disorder (Only as a mention, not detailed)
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Qualifications
I don’t want to go into too much detail, but I do my best to make sure you understand that I know what I am talking about and not just write this.
Summer was always the most horrible time for me as a chronically sick girl, who is an autumn girl through and through. And through these years, this developed rather quickly in my teens to a reverse seasonal depression, basically normal seasonal depression, but in the summer. Back then, I had no idea that was a thing that changed over the years.
It was a hard time, yet I somehow managed. This changed in 2024, when I had the worst depression in my entire life since struggling with this. Looking back, I saw it wasn’t coming without a warning, but 2024 me had no idea when it was about to be bad.
(My heart is beating crazy, going back to this and writing it for everyone to read)
In the middle of July that year, it exploded, and I got sick on top of everything, which made me lose it. I was lying in bed for two weeks straight, with no desire to get up. I went to bed late and slept till noon.
I couldn’t even get up to brush my hair or do some basic self-care. I woke up crying, and I went to bed crying. And the crying came from the disappointment of waking up again. It’s like a circle that never ends. As I mentioned in the second part of this series, I was dizzy for three weeks straight.
My trauma thought it was a good idea to come out on top of everything.
After two weeks, my mom told me I needed to get up. That I can’t be in bed all the time, this will make it worse. I just sat there, crying even more. Which was a huge alarm sign for me, since I never cry in front of anyone.
But I got up, just to sit on my couch. Did it change something? No. I just didn’t lie in bed anymore. I was still crying, not taking care of myself, staring at a screen for more than ten hours.
I lost my desire for things I love; I didn’t write. Didn’t read. I didn’t even want to think about this. Nothing.
My time was spent rethinking my entire life, my toxic household, how much I was feeling like I would never be happy, that I failed at twenty-four years old because everyone was so far ahead, while I was stuck in the same circle.
I escaped reality through scrolling and fiction, not reading, as I said, I was watching edits of my favourite character, holding my favourite character’s plush like my life depended on it. At the time, it felt like it did. I took it everywhere with me.
Not outside, since I wasn’t outside.
Every day, I was barely surviving; it was like everything came at once till one evening I sat in my bed, and my mom walked in. Sitting down with me, I never talk to people, always keep things to myself, but I broke down crying and finally let out what I was holding in for more than a decade. I just looked at her with tears and asked.
“Why can’t people like me? Why do I feel like an alien my entire life that always have to mask who I am so people like me?”
I was the eight-year-old, little me again, who sat on the top of the stairs after being told she would never have friends if I didn’t learn social cues, adapt, and stop being such a ‘goddamn smartass’, no one would like me.
And suddenly that girl was tired of acting, of learning behaviour through books when I was eight years old. I wanted to be me.
My mom didn’t know how to handle this, since I am never the person to speak or cry with someone, so she was thrown off.
We flew to vacation about a month later, when it was even hotter in Spain. Again, I was barely surviving. A shell of a person who just wanted to die and be done with it. I barely did anything that vacation, less than usual, I was just there but not mentally.
It passed into the night when we were home, and I was done. I thought I couldn’t do it anymore, yet, as you see, I am still here. I am way too stubborn to give up something.
I sat on my bed at three am, it was dark, and the fan was making noises. A loud screaming ‘NO’ was in my head when I made the decision.
And I was like: “This can’t be the end. I have goals, ambitious dreams, and I have always wanted to do so much. I would be disappointed if my life ended when I was so miserable till now.”
So, here we are almost two years later, and a woman working for her goals because I know how it is to lie on the ground and dig myself up from the dirt. Even with dancing on the edge of another depressive episode this summer, I know I will manage. I have so much I worked for.
All of this, I did alone, like my entire life I did.
I fought myself out of it, and you can too.
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1. Watch your sleep schedule
Everyone sleeps badly in summer, or most people without an air conditioner do. But looking back, this is my first sign that it was getting bad. In June 2024, my sleep got all over the place.
Let me give you my normal routine before this: I woke up at 8 AM, got myself a coffee, and sat down to work on my dream of becoming self-employed and have business. I spend every morning productively. I went to bed a reasonable time for someone who has a sleeping disorder, around 12 AM.
Suddenly, I was awake till 3 AM, then 4 AM, 5 AM, my record was 6:30 AM, and I still woke up at 8 AM, at this time. That later changed in July when I slept till 11 AM.
I stopped being productive at all. I was on my phone scrolling the entire night. Woke up, scrolled again. Nothing productive.
I have a post with sleeping tips you can check out.
This is really important to keep in mind since a lack of sleep can make everything worse. If you see your sleeping schedule become bad, pay attention to it and fix it.
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2. Cooling down
In part two, I have a collection of colling down tips you can check out. There is a variety of tips to choose from, another thing is a pool when you have a garden, or maybe a ‘taning bed’ if you have a balcony where it fits.
Another thing, add a bathtub with cold water and lie in there, which is also a huge help when the other things are out of question. If I didn’t have a freshly tattoo, I would be living in the bathtub!
But cooling down is important. I write this on a day that is so horrible, at my parents’ place, where it is so hot, I can barely breathe or move without feeling like I have a meltdown. So, I am writing this with a cool bottle of water, I am tempted to just holds against my skin, instead of drinking.
Hydration is important, though!!
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3. Close blinds
It’s a good tip for the heat, but the darkness helps with the bright sunny day outside. It made it only worse for me, so I am sitting with the blinds down.
I have to admit it’s funny writing this part of the post in the same room I lived two years ago before I moved out in August 2025, but now, sitting in the room that is so hot, my mom’s cat and I are sharing a fate of melting, it’s interesting. He lies in a cupboard box, and I am on the couch, writing this.
It always helped me to make it dark, since I am a person who loves this. The bright and cheerful outside makes my RSAD only worse. So, that is a tiny trick that could help.
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If you have someone who could benefit from this post, feel free to share it with them!!💕
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4. Social media
You click on it and see all the people having fun. Spending time with friends, going on trips, sitting on the beach, or doing so much more. And you sit at home, crying, wondering why that can’t be you.
Maybe you don’t have friends to do it with.
Maybe you don’t have the energy.
Maybe you are like me and don’t have the health.
And everyone has so much fun, it makes it look like you have even a worse summer than you even felt. It makes you feel horrible, plus the RSAD is worse. That is how I felt in 2024, since I was seeing everyone having fun while I was miserable. Well, that made me feel worse.
This is the time when you need to rethink and work on your social media behaviour. I have a post here, which is a small post about how using the ‘not interesting’ button is saving you.
I will also do a post soon with some tips that helped me with social media.
But the tips I can give you are, when you can’t stomach seeing other people enjoy their summer: Stay away from social media.
Take a break from it, for your own health, which is more important than keeping up to date with everything. Especially when it hurts you.
Or if you want to use it, use it for you. Search for videos that inspire you or make you happy. For example, I love watching autumn videos since I am an autumn girl. And I love to watch people bring autumn into summer. Using this to your advantage helps. Let’s say you want to at least read something, you can watch reading videos. Crocheting? Watch vlogs of people doing it.
Getting inspired can help you a lot, maybe even videos like ‘Get out of a slump with me’. There are so many things. If you use social media, make it work for you.
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5. Don’t lie in your bed all day
As mentioned before, I did that, and I can not recommend this; it only makes it worse, not better. If you can at least move to a different spot, and also go outside.
Maybe you have a garden or balcony, just sitting there (When the temperature cools down), getting you a new scenery instead of sitting in bed, getting lost in your thoughts.
In the evening, I would go outside, it’s the time when it cools down, which is more pleasant than in the heat. A quick walk outside, however long you can manage, is a good thing. I did this in 2024 as well, even when it wasn’t long since I was dizzy and went home, but I had my mom with me.
Don’t go on a walk alone if you are dizzy.
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6. Lists
Making the lists I am talking about in this section helped me last year when I prepared this in 2024, after I was doing a bit better. And it’s a game-changer, you can make a list with everything you want that is helping. Here are some ideas:
What things did I overcome/things did I achieve?
What things made me happy or brought me joy?
Switches I can make:
Things that don’t bring me joy or make me feel better?
Things I like about myself
Things I am grateful for.
What things make me happy are the ones I need to force myself to do, and still keep doing at this time, because I know they help me mentally, even when I don’t want to do them with my depression:
What things made me happy or brought me joy?
Things that didn’t help:
A list with shortcuts that help you (This instead of that kind of way)
There are so many things that you can do, so you have everything set and can look at them when you have a low point in life. I look through these lists I have and update them regularly.
Especially one where you put in what you love and achieve, it can make you feel better. I love to look at the one where everything I experienced, or achieved, because it reminds me how I survived a lot, achieved a lot, and see how far I have already come. It makes you feel better.
I leave some examples of a list I made, I love to use and organize my notes app, which is what I did on my MacBook a few days ago.
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7. Have a different bare minimum
Let’s be honest, when you are dealing with depression, no matter the form, you think differently. So, fit your bare minimum towards this; don’t let it work against you.
Everyone has different bare minmum but when you're dealing with depression, things should include:
Basic Hygiene
Food
Water
Movements
And something that brings you joy
That is it, add what you want, tweak it to how you want it, but these things will help with the depression and not make it worse. I did nothing of this when I was in my deep end in 2024; I couldn’t even get out of bed, and then after I managed this as mentioned earlier, I spent the rest of the summer on my couch.
I struggle with the heat, so I can’t just go for a walk whenever I want. I am lucky when I can in the evening. Another example is just to walk in your apartment, house, or garden. Make jumping jacks, just do something to move. No matter how small, you aren’t doing it to do a workout (Good if you can, I can’t think of working out in the summer, my body won’t let me. But if that is what you can, go for it!). You are doing it for your mental health.
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If my writing brings you a little calm in your day, you can support me with a small coffee☕️
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8. Hygiene
I always took care of myself; it was important to me. Always go one step further since I love skin care, pampering, and everything like that. This here is the toughest part to admit to strangers on the internet, but I want people to feel understood.
When I feel in the worst RSAD in my life 2024, I suddenly stopped even that. I didn’t take care of myself. There was a time when I didn’t brush my hair for almost two weeks. And if you read my hair care posts, you know I take very good care of my hair.
I just didn’t see the point, and after that time, my hair was done. Completely in a nest at the crown of my head. Tears and a lot of time later, my mom brushed it out since I couldn’t do it anymore with my condition with my arms.
A week later: The same, just not as bad.
I didn’t use sunscreen anymore, I wasn’t washing my face with my face wash, I didn’t use moisturizer, showering felt like a chore. And this made me feel worse, since I felt disgusting.
Writing this is really hard, even while writing I am overthinking this. Yet, I wanted to do something real to make even one person feel like they are not alone and understood.
So, after I was feeling better, I had to come out of this. But you don’t go from zero to a hundred, it meant I had to learn a lot, and I thought I would share a few tips if you feel like this.
Always brush your teeth, honestly, if you don’t do anything but this! Everything else can be fixed, but teeth can’t.
Have your hair in a protective style; it’s easier like this. I did this since I was done with the nests in my hair.
If you can’t take a full shower, at least sit in it. It helps to keep yourself from getting into a worse state.
Use wet wipes to wash yourself, or use a washcloth, at least. It’s helping you feel a bit fresher when you are feeling too horrible or too sick to do anything.
Get something new that excites you to use it. That doesn’t have to be expensive, just something small to add to your routine. Maybe a new body wash with your favourite smell, or a new towel. Whatever helps you could make it a bit easier to take care of yourself.
You can also lie down with a facemask, so you can put on one without much effort, and your skin will be happy.
If you don’t have the energy to do a face wash, use micellar water. I did that a lot. I have been using the same for years, even in my normal skin care.
It will get better even when it doesn’t look like it!
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9. Hobbies
When I was deep into this, I also wasn’t interested in doing anything, not even my hobbies. But doing something you love that brings you joy is so important. There are a few things that can help with this.
If you can’t do your old hobbies, maybe try to start a new one, something you've always wanted to do. This could motivate you to try it out; the new learning and passion could help you.
Or if you can’t do it, watch a video of it. If you use your time staring at a screen, which I already mentioned isn’t good, at least use it for something good.
Watching people do your hobbies could inspire you! As I said, try out something new, like researching for something you've always wanted to do.
Whatever it is, now, even when it feels like a chore, it will help your mental health when you don’t abandon your hobbies.
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10. Adapt to you and not people
That is an obvious title that explains it already, like I mentioned, comparing yourself to how everyone else is doing isn’t going to help you. You are your own ‘competition’. It won’t bring good when you feel even worse about yourself because you're comparing yourself.
Plan your phase of what you and your body are capable of, not what everyone else is up to. It’s relieving. Don’t let anyone make you feel bad, even people in your life, if they don’t understand, ignore them. As hard as it is, people only understand what they went through themselves, and sometimes they can’t understand.
It’s you with yourself.
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11. Quick food is better than no food
Nurishing yourself is important. I know you don’t want to think about this. But prepare for it, maybe ask family or friends for help with meals or grocery shopping. If you can prepare as much as you can.
If you eat normally most of the year, the moment you struggle, the most important part is that you eat something. Let this be a big reminder from someone struggling with an eating disorder for twelve years.
Find quick meals that are filling and easy to make, so you don’t have to think. I would even plan what to have and have some ‘emergency meals’ ready that are quick.
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12. Don’t listen to sad songs or watch sad movies
Tempting!
We all did this at one point; it’s not something that helps; it will drag you down more and more. Instead of this, try to go to your favourite, uplifting songs or media you consume.
As silly as it might be, use the silliest things you can think of that will make you laugh.
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13. Kit to survive
This is personal to everyone, but I had a box at my bedside table, and my table was full of everything always ready. I think that is a thing that I loved the most.
You can put it where you want, literally. Some ideas:
Your medicine//Supplements
Cooling kit
A box of snacks to have ready
Sunscreen
Face wipes
Hair ties// Hairbrush
Books
Tablet, laptop
A comfort plush
cloth to wear
Spray bottle with water
Other things for your hobby
Phone//Phone charger
Diffuser with essential oils
Comfortable pillows
A water bottle should always be near you
Toys or things to fiddle with to get your mind off
Headphones
Your lists
Downloaded movies, videos, series, or whatever you want
A face mask
Playlist ready with everything
These are just a few things to inspire you; you can fill them with what your heart desires. It’s really helpful when you have everything ready for you to use with the least amount of effort. In times like these, it’s important.
It is something that helped me a lot; it made me do a bit more, it’s a setup that works like a charm.
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14. Ask for help
Trust me, I know.
This is hard; at least let someone know what you are going through. I went through it alone, every year I do. Yet, it’s helpful when you let someone know and have help.
Even if it’s a hard thing to do, it will make it better.
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This was a longer post; if you made it here, I am so grateful for it. Whoever is reading this, it was hard to share this, but I think it was something I needed to do. If anyone here feels seen and takes some tips, I am happy.
You are strong, and you will get through it. As much as it doesn’t look like this now, it will pass. I don’t know you, just know I am proud of you, even if all you did today was getting out of bed; this step can feel like a huge step for someone struggling.
xx
Lena
