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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWe\u2019re in the middle of summer and for many people, it\u2019s their favorite time of year. Of course, there\u2019s a lot to love about summer. It can be a great time to really work on strengthening mental health, too! There are a lot of benefits to summer <\/a>when it comes to mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone knows vitamin D<\/a> is good for you. It\u2019s why so many things are fortified with it. Just 20-30 minutes of sun exposure can help boost your natural vitamin D production. Not only is it good for your bones, but it can also help with energy levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another benefit of summer is that being outside soaking up that vitamin D encourages us to get more physical activity in. The warmer weather helps, too! With the nice weather, it can be hard to not want to go outside for many people. There are a lot of fun things we can do outside <\/a>to help get us moving. For example, a lot of people love to hike, play sports (like tennis or volleyball), go for walks, or ride their bikes. All of these things keep us moving which helps release endorphins. Endorphins naturally raise our mood and help to keep us feeling great throughout the day. Exercise or movement during the day also helps many people sleep better at night, allowing us to be well rested the next day. Of course, remember to use sunscreen and sun protection while outside!<\/p>\n\n\n\n It does have to be noted that summer can be a stressful time for some people. For children and teens<\/a>, summer comes with a disruption of their routines. While there are many benefits of summer for these age groups, there can also be social isolation. It\u2019s important to keep children and teens in a routine as similar to their school year one as possible. This is especially important for younger children. Keeping to a wake and sleep schedule can also help make the transition back to school less difficult!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Parents can also have a hard time! Being faced with more child care difficulties during summer can be stressful. School often functions as a safe place children can be while parents work. Without school, parents are now responsible for finding care for their children during the work hours. This can be especially difficult for parents on a tighter budget or who don\u2019t have family or friends who can help out with childcare. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only that, but summer comes with an expectation to spend more money. There are vacations, events, and outdoor activities that take up so much of people\u2019s days. These things very often cost money, and for some families, the investment could be substantial. This extra financial stress can make it difficult for parents who are trying to juggle everything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So how can we capitalize on all the benefits of summer without the drawbacks? It can be easy to get overwhelmed by the potential problems that summer can bring, which can cause us to isolate and stay indoors. This makes it difficult to get the good out of summer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n One thing that\u2019s especially important for adults is to not spend<\/a> their paid (or even unpaid) vacation time catching up on chores or projects around the house. Allotting some time for these things can be important, of course, but also try and make sure to carve out some time to unwind and do something that isn\u2019t productive or checking things off a list. This can be especially restorative, even if it\u2019s just a day or two. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As mentioned earlier in the post, keeping children and teens to a routine is important. Not just sticking to their normal wake and sleep times, but making sure there is some structure to the day, too. Younger children will benefit from having set play times and socialization time. If it\u2019s in the budget, arranging for summer camps or other day programs can help fill this need for children. Older teens could benefit from socialization times being set and even possibly summer jobs. This can be especially helpful for teens who need deadlines to help stick to a routine. With a summer job, this can help ease the tension between teens and parents over outings teens may want to attend that cost money, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another one of the benefits of summer is that the days are longer! Of course this means more daylight time to be outside and do fun things. However, some people also use longer days to stay awake later. It\u2019s important for adults, too, to stick to their normal sleep cycles. Try to go to bed as close to your normal sleep time as possible, even if that\u2019s only shortly after sundown. Making sure you get enough sleep is incredibly important!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes it can seem like there\u2019s a party or event every weekend. And this can come with pressure to attend. However, it\u2019s important not to overbook yourself. You don\u2019t have to say yes to every invitation<\/a>, especially if you\u2019re starting to feel stressed about it. Make sure to schedule out some time every week to relax without the pressure of an event or thing to go to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One thing that can be especially difficult for people is the end of summer. August and September bring with them the realization that routines are going back to normal, the weather is going to cool, and the days will get shorter. This can be very difficult for people, especially if they traditionally experience depression with a seasonal pattern in winter (Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Something that can help is to plan fun things to do throughout the fall. It doesn\u2019t have to be big or extravagant but having activities to look forward to during the fall can help ease some of the summer ending blues. Think about hiking or walking<\/a> while the weather is dry, doing more indoor activities like attending museums, or planning fun stay-in nights for the family. Something as simple as a monthly movie and take out night can help ease some of the sadness that comes from losing summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many benefits of summer to consider at this half-way mark of the season. Here\u2019s to supporting your mental health all year long, however!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXcyZ_sT884RtvC0WxMKqg_KQ3dJHzeWf9QKsz9vrQ0XiBW1-lLIUmVOg-eQfCYXMksbfSpwtY_pnOv2i5Yx_VFPr5zdjjWW3PZ4uQlosoZWCCUgUZ-jQmKnU64KL5pKMcXtwRdNTCNGRXHsIyTvRi-ePyQH?key=v3sArsuK6sX-_nqEkEaRcw\")
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