Heightened anxiety in hot weather.

[mrjonesmcr]

Hi everyone, I hope you're all keeping well this evening.

Does anyone find that they feel more anxious during warm weather? right now, we've had beautiful weather, but of course, I can't enjoy it like everyone else! even though it is hardly a heatwave, not yet anyway! but my body doesn't want me to. In an ideal world, I'd feel relaxed sipping on a cold beer or something, but I don't feel right in the slightest.

Over the course of today, I've consistently felt lethargic with bursts of nausea, headaches and general anxiety. If I was at home all day rather than working, I'd likely feel more relaxed, like I do now. Well, perhaps relaxed is not quite accurate, but I'm certainly (a little) less worried and calmer in case anything happens. My logical mind knows I'll be okay, but logic tends to go out of the window when I'm feeling anxious.

[NoPoet]

Apparently it's something to do with the way blood vessels expand? I hear that summer SAD is more anxiety based, while the better-known winter SAD is more like depression.

I know that I can sometimes feel much worse, kind of sad, low, shocked, trapped, when the weather turns really nice. This is possibly due to bad memories of being ill during periods of nice weather. Or maybe it's because we feel bad when we're telling ourselves we should feel good?

Whatever the cause, we can take ownership and enjoy the good weather.

[mrjonesmcr]

Apparently it's something to do with the way blood vessels expand? I hear that summer SAD is more anxiety based, while the better-known winter SAD is more like depression.

I know that I can sometimes feel much worse, kind of sad, low, shocked, trapped, when the weather turns really nice. This is possibly due to bad memories of being ill during periods of nice weather. Or maybe it's because we feel bad when we're telling ourselves we should feel good?

Whatever the cause, we can take ownership and enjoy the good weather.

Oh yeah, I think I read something about that once.

I do like it like this, it's far from unbearable in terms of heat, so I'm a little confused at why my body doesn't like it, but as you've said, it could be in the mind.

I'll probably try and enjoy it over the weekend, it's unlikely I'll leave the house.

[NoPoet]

Have you got a back garden you can sit in? Sit out there with a book and/or some headphones on. At night, maybe try listening to relaxing music and imagine being happy and having a good time in the good weather.

[little_geko]

Hi MrJonesmcr. Yes, I get anxious when the weather gets nice. I think partly because I feel a sudden pressure to wear different clothes and I can't deal with making those choices or having to wear something that isn't just a huge baggy jumper. I also feel pressure to go outside, have fun, make the most of it, see friends and then I get angry at myself when I hide inside all day with no real reason to go out. Overall I think the sun makes me feel pressure to be happy and do what everyone else is doing. Do you feel anything like this?

[Shazamataz]

The heat certainly makes things worse for me. We're heading into winter here in New zealand but it's been unseasonably warm for may and when it gets over about 22 degrees my anxiety hits the roof. I think it's because one of the big symptoms of anxiety is getting hot?

[AuntWithIssues87]

I am the opposite…I have terrible SAD in the winter. My area has long, cold dark winters with a lot, and I mean a lot, of snow. Summers are so-so…we don’t get a whole lot of 90+ degree days but when we do it is generally very humid as well and high humidity days do tend to spike my anxiety. But my weather anxiety is far worse in winter especially around the holidays when it is dark at like 5:00PM.

[FrankT]

Oh God... we're deliberately frying the planet and no one cares!

[Catkins]

There are a lot of people who care.

[FrankT]

But not enough.