Reasons To Hate Summer: Why You Should Hibernate Until October

If you hate Summer, you’re not alone. Lots of people feel like they *should* like Summer and make the most of the long nights and the warm weather but in reality, Summer can be a hard time of year for a myriad of reasons! Whilst some of these reasons to hate Summer might be a be tongue-in-cheek, Summer can be a very difficult time for some people, so let’s not forget the seriousness of that.

Chances are, you’re familiar with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) which typically presents itself in the Winter months, when the weather is colder, the days are shorter and were not getting as much Vitamin D or sunlight.

But Summer Depression (basically SAD in reverse) is a REAL THING that affects quite a lot of people. It’s just not as commonly known or spoken about. There are a few reasons that studies have highlighted might be the cause of Summer SAD, including:

• Increased body issues / self confidence troubles
• Financial worries (Summer can be expensive)
• Disrupted schedules, such as children being off school and vacations
• Prolonged heat and humidity, which might lead to trouble sleeping or a loss of appetite

These all sounds like perfectly reasonable explanations as to why you might be experiencing Summer SAD. If that sounds like you, make sure you’re focusing on Summer self care routines and speaking to a GP if you’re finding your mental health is declining. You might also find this post on taking care of your mind this Summer useful too!

I used to REALLY hate Summer. Like, really. And there was one big reason for that: my anxiety disorder.

Before I started suffering with my anxiety disorder, I actually loved Summer. It was my favourite time of year, I was always out and having fun. The heat didn’t bother me at all.

But when my anxiety disorder hit me, heat and getting hot in general became a HUGE trigger for me. So obviously, for me, getting hot was a BIG reason to hate Summer. And when it’s hot outside and you live in the UK where we don’t have air con in our houses, there’s nowhere to run to.

Thankfully now, after a lot of treatments for anxiety, I’ve managed to overcome my anxiety disorder and live a mostly anxiety-free life. I’m also starting to enjoy Summer again! Although not to the extent I did before.

However I still very much understand these reasons to hate Summer and some of them STILL get on my nerves. So let’s look at these 13 reasons to hate Summer. Some of which are very genuine, some of which aren’t. But they all count!

Hayfever

I tell you, there’s absolutely nothing I love more than sneezing 300 times a day and having a sinus headache for 5 months out of the year. Hay fever really can ruin Summer for so many people. So it’s really important to find tips for managing hay fever symptoms and using the right medication to suit you, such as tablets and eye drops.

Personal maintenance

Obviously nobody HAS to shave or fake tan, it’s our bodies and our choices, which is wonderful. For me personally, I would rather fake tan (because I feel more confident with a tan but I’m ginger so I don’t get one) and shave my legs but that doesn’t mean I enjoy doing it. Luckily I’ve found a brand like estrid who make shaving a whole lot easier!

Bugs

I don’t think I need to explain this one. The bugs in Summer make me itch. And the SIZE of the spiders? No thanks.

Lethargy

I don’t know about you but heat makes me soooo tired. And going to bed at 8 every night doesn’t make for very interesting Summer stories. I typically nap a lot more in Summer and often need an afternoon energy boost.

Electric shocks every time you touch a car door

Why does this happen to me? Anyone else? I dread touching the car door handle in the Summer because I never know when I’m about to get shocked across the driveway (bit of an exaggeration but you get what I mean).

Being a pale, redhead

Sunburn. Sunburn everywhere. Sunburn when it’s not even sunny. Any other pale skinned read heads will feel me on this one. It doesn’t matter how much you love being a red head, there’s no getting around the fact that we burn to a CRISP.

The race against time ice-cream challenge

Taking an ice-cream from the freezer to the living room without it melting down your arm is just an impossible task. I remember one Summer when we had a 30 degree + heat-wave, I got some ice cream and it was LITERALLY melted by the time I got to the living room.

Showering 3 times a day

Could do without that, to be honest. A mild inconvenience for sure.

No air-con

My house isn’t air conditioned. 99% of houses in the UK aren’t air conditioned (read air conditioning costs here). My kitchen turns into a sauna and my bedroom turns into Mordor. So sleeping and just generally living is super pleasant. You folk around the world with air-con in your house, I hope you’re grateful!

Not being able to use the oven in between the hours of 12pm and 9pm

Well, you can, if you don’t mind feeling like a dragon has just breathed on your head. I also find it a real struggle having any sort of appetite or desire to cook in the Summer or for any hot food at all really. I don’t want to be over a stove or near an oven in 30 degree heat but I can’t just KEEP ordering takeaways.

The pressure and expectations

I feel like there’s a LOT of pressure and expectations around the Summer months to be outside, having fun and making all the memories all the time. I think as a teenager this is okay and pretty normal; you WILL be spending more time outside and having fun when you’re younger.

But as an adult, this really bothers me because like, adulthood? We have jobs – which don’t end in the Summer like school does. Children that don’t just stop needing taking care of when June rolls around. Responsibilities.

Getting into a car and feeling like you’ve accidentally fell into the fires of hell

Gosh I remember my first car didn’t have air-con. It was a NIGHTMARE during the Summer. Thankfully now, most cars have air-conditioning which doesn’t take too long to fire up when you turn the car on in Summer. But if you’re a 90’s kid like me, you’ll remember those days without it!

Heat, in general

It can get a bit much, can’t it? Especially in the UK.

You might be thinking, “am I weird for not liking Summer?” but you’re absolutely not. Summer is a very stressful time of year, with a lot of expectations and pressure put upon it. So what to do if you hate Summer? Just GET THROUGH it and practice self care as much as possible.

Do you agree with any of these reasons to hate summer or do you love this season? What are your favourite and least favourite things about summer? Let me know!

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