Restless Summer

Restless. Bored. Stuck. Unsettled. Unsure. Spiraling. All of these are very common feelings, especially at this time of year. The funny thing is, we don't talk about it and even fewer of us are willing to admit it.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is not only for winter and it's not only sadness and depression, though that's what most of us think.

There's a reason we call this time of year "the dog days of summer."

Allow me to nerd out for a moment: the time between July 3 and August 11 were called this because the star Sirius is known as the Dog Star and it aligns with the sun during the hottest days of the year. It was once believed that Sirius caused the hotter days, but now we know it's just the tilt of the earth and something called thermal lag.

And there you have it. At this time of year, we all kind of suffer from thermal lag. It looks and feels like restlessness, boredom, poor appetite, poor sleep, irritability and even depression.

Hear me: There is NOTHING wrong with you. This is a natural phenomenon and if you're feeling this way, please know you are not alone.

But just because there's nothing wrong, that doesnt' mean you should just push through and ignore these feelings. (some of you need to read that again)

Here are a few quick things you can do to cope:

1- Cool off. Close curtains. Turn on fans and AC. Play in the water. Stand in front of the freezer. Literally cool your body temp so you don't bake your brain.

2- Establish (or re-establish) a routine. Often when summer comes, all of our routines go out the door so we can "have fun" and "enjoy summer". That's great for about a month then it starts to feel like you're about to go flying off the merry-go-round (if you know, you know).

3- Say No. You don't actually have to do and go to all the things even if they're fun, seasonal or your kids really want to. You get to -- and you absolutely should -- say no. We have a tendency to cram it all in because up here summer is SHORT. But, um, here is your permission to let some of it fall.

My whole Momster Monday was about this very thing. Check it out.

And if you're still feeling restless, maybe you need a breather. Check out my Thoughtful Thursday.