By Amy Tran, M.A.
We are in the full swing of summer, which means school is OUT.
The freedom and ability to sleep in can be an exciting change for many children and adolescents at first, but after a while, some youth may find themselves getting into a slump.
Why?
Summer means …..
- No school or classes to attend. Without school, there may be a lack of structure in your daily life. It can be difficult to adjust to the sudden disruption in one’s routine during the switch from school into summer mode.
- No alarm clock to wake up to. Without something to get up for, you may sleep in and even stay in bed all day, which can lead to increased feelings of lethargy and sluggishness from a lack of movement.
- There is no homework, studying, or assignments. With less responsibilities to attend to, there is less to occupy your mind. This may result in a lack of stimulation and boredom. Other times, the lack of distraction may lead to more time ruminating about upsetting, stressful, or anxiety provoking thoughts and situations.
- Extracurriculars at school are done. Being on a team, group, or club can bring about feelings of community, belonging, and mastery over a skill or sport. Sport teams have the added benefit of exercise – which is great for our mental health. When school is done, so are these organized events.
- There is less socializing. School environments are a place to see other people, socialize, and catch-up with friends every day. During the summer, you may feel more isolated without consistently seeing other people.
- Summer holidays are on display. In our digital world, many people post versions of their best selves – including their beach days and vacations on social media. Seeing this content on social media while you are sitting at home can lead to social comparison and feelings of jealousy, worthlessness, and sadness.
All of these factors can play into a greater sense of loneliness, feelings of being trapped, and more anxious and depressive symptoms during the summer.
Behavioural Activation
The lack of structure, stimulation, and socialization during summer can lead to increased mental health concerns. And when we are struggling with our mental health, we are more likely to become even less active, less engaged in our surroundings, and pull away from activities that bring joy into our lives. As a result, this leads to even greater mental health challenges. It is a vicious cycle that we can easily fall into during the summer.
A large body of research has found that our activity level is closely related to our mood. Even if we are not in the mood to do an activity, forcing ourselves to engage in an activity, or increase our activity level, can boost our mood. And if we are in a better mood, we will be more inclined to engage in more activities. This idea is referred to as behavioural activation.
Here is an example. Say you are stuck in bed, feeling down, and have no motivation to leave your room today. You are not in the mood to do anything – and then you remember the concept of behavioural activation! Even though you do not feel like it, you get out of bed and wipe down your bathroom mirror anyways. You notice how good you feel about cleaning the mirror, so you also wipe down your sink. After you clean the sink, you feel even better and keep using that momentum to clean the rest of your bathroom.
Behavioural activation is commonly used in therapy and an important part of treatment for depression. Therapists will ask clients to engage in different activities, and monitor the impact these activities have on their mood. Therapists will also work with clients to schedule activities throughout the day so clients have a plan to engage in various activities, even if they do not initially feel like it.
In essence, behavioural activation aims to:
- Encourage you to do things to activate feel good chemicals and improve your mood.
- Increase a sense of mastery after overcoming a challenge or completing a task.
- Improve your sense of connection from socializing with others.
Ideas for behavioural activation
So if you have found yourself stuck in the summer slump, behavioural activation can be a helpful strategy.
Here are some tips to get started:
- Keep it simple. The activities do not have to be complicated. Start small and then see how you feel. A little progress is better than no progress!
- Experiment. Try different activities. Rate how you feel before and after certain activities and determine which activities have the best impact on your mood.
- Identify values. Identify what really matters to you. Is it keeping your home clean? Keeping up with your hygiene? Connecting with friends and family? Getting physical exercise? Identifying your values can help you pick activities that best suit your needs and create deeper meaning in your life.
- Create a menu. Keep a list of different feel good activities that suit your lifestyle and needs. When it’s time to activate yourself behaviourally, choose something from your menu.
- Schedule it in. Create an activity schedule by “booking in” times for you to engage in certain activities. This can give your day more structure and create more accountability.
- Commit to 5 minutes. It can be hard to fully commit to something if you are not in the mood to start it in the first place. So instead of letting the idea of a big commitment scare you away, just commit to 5 minutes of an activity. After 5 minutes, re-assess how you feel.
- For parents: Self monitoring how activities impact mood, and scheduling activities can be harder for young children to do. Parents can help their kids with this by asking them to rate their mood before and after activities in a journal, collaboratively make a list of activities, and collaboratively schedule activities.
Here are some activity ideas:
- Go for a short walk around the block.
- Go for a longer walk or run outside.
- Do any activity outside to soak up Vitamin D from the sun.
- Start a new project (e.g., an art piece, a DIY project for the home, a puzzle, gardening)
- Find a volunteer position or work on the side (to help increase stimulation and socialization)
- Find extracurricular activities in your community
- Clean and organize part of your home or room (start with something small like making your bed)
- Take care of the basics (such as taking a shower or brushing your teeth).
- Pick a meal and try to make it.
- Do something nice for someone.
- Make plans with someone you know.
You got this. We believe in you!
P.S. Feel free to us behavioural activation throughout the year!
References:
Ekers, D., Webster, L., Van Straten, A., Cuijpers, P., Richards, D., & Gilbody, S. (2014). Behavioural activation for depression; an update of meta-analysis of effectiveness and sub group analysis. PloS one, 9(6), e100100.
Kanter, J. W., Manos, R. C., Bowe, W. M., Baruch, D. E., Busch, A. M., & Rusch, L. C. (2010). What is behavioral activation?: A review of the empirical literature. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(6), 608-620.
Dimidjian, S., Barrera Jr, M., Martell, C., Munoz, R. F., & Lewinsohn, P. M. (2011). The origins and current status of behavioral activation treatments for depression. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 7, 1-38.