Here in Minnesota, our life in summer just looks drastically different than it does in winter. A switch flips and now we can go to baseball games, go fishing, swimming, parties in the park, suddenly we see our neighbors again and they’re even inviting us over finally! Here in the Twin Cities, summers are amazing: Twin Cities Jazz Festival in St. Paul, Saints and Twins games, beautiful patios, walks around the lake, sailboats, Minnesota State Fair, those free outdoor movies, I could go on and on. Even awesome can get overwhelming sometimes.
- There is so much wonderful who wants to miss all the great stuff? We start to pack a lot into those long days because we’ve got daylight and good weather on our side! Halfway through May all the awesome and exciting stuff starts happening and we start staying up later.
- You can tell that summer pace is getting to you when you start craving fall and winter—and wondering why that would be. This is a sign that you need some time to slow down and ease up on commitments. You’re still enjoying summer if you just lie on your back and look at the clouds.
- Life looks really different in the summer and that can impact social anxiety in some sneaky ways. Alcohol seems to flow more as people are bringing drinks to parties.
- If you’re trying to manage how much you drink or the drama that can come with it, decide the strategy in advance. You really don’t have to drink at every party. You don’t have to eat there either. As people are drinking more, just exit. No excuses are needed. “I had a great time, thanks!”
- We are all concerned about physical appearance to some degree. In the summer it can be stressful when we’re trying to look presentable (and even good) for people we haven’t seen in awhile, look okay in photos even with more skin showing, bare arms!, bare legs!, feet and toes, and we know there will be social media shares documenting it all.
- I have to say that no one looks just the way they want to look. If you can aim to be comfortable in your own skin you will have a better time. For me, literally my skin is very pale and I know it. People do comment on it all the time. It’s a great icebreaker with people I don’t know.
- And you’re supposed to relax with strangers! Even if you’re horrible with names, small talk, and yard games!
- Fear of the unknown is really normal. Some people manage it and continue but some people have a tougher time with it. Social anxiety is a fear of socializing with others. You don’t want to be judged and evaluated. Some people with social anxiety might avoid others so they don’t have to be judged. Sometimes that avoidance just keeps increasing because you don’t want those unpleasant feelings. You might feel tension in your body, a sense of dread, experience chest pain, become irritable, and have stomachaches. If this is going on in other situations, there is help for it. Anxiety disorder is treatable in counseling and it can truly help you to not only tolerate social situations, but reduce those physical problems and have a social life again.
- There is often not as much time for peace and quiet when you’re on the go from one thing to the next. “Got to finish work, grocery shop, make an appetizer, change clothes, get over to the party, and start over tomorrow!” Then on the weekends, it’s travel, vacations, cleaning and yard work.
- You don’t have to say yes to each and every thing. Practice it out loud: no. Or “no thanks, I have other plans.” Prioritize what you want to do over the summer so you don’t get overextended. And enjoy the evening in. Respect yourself and what you need to recharge. You don’t have to be out every minute of daylight. But when you are, love yourself enough to put on some SPF 35.
