The Pressure to Be “Okay” in Summer: Why Depression Doesn’t Take a Vacation

Wellbeing Team
Jun 30
2 min read

The sun is shining. The days are long. Everyone seems to be traveling, barbecuing, laughing in the light.

So why do you still feel heavy?

Summer is often portrayed as a season of ease — but for many people, especially those living with depression, it can feel isolating, overwhelming, or even more painful than other times of year.

At Wellbeing, we work with people who feel the pressure to be “okay” in summer — and gently help them understand that what they’re feeling isn’t wrong. It’s real. And treatable.

Depression Doesn’t Take a Vacation

There’s a cultural myth that when the sun comes out, our struggles should melt away. But mental health doesn’t operate on a seasonal calendar.

If you’ve been living with:

Persistent low mood
Fatigue or sleep changes
Hopelessness or apathy
Disconnection from joy or purpose
Emotional flatness or numbness
Guilt about not feeling “grateful” enough

…summer may only intensify the disconnect between how you feel and how you’re “supposed” to feel.

Why Summer Can Be Especially Hard with Depression

🌡️ Sensory overload: The heat, noise, crowds, and longer days can be overwhelming for a tired nervous system.

📅 Routine disruption: Travel, school breaks, and shifting schedules can throw off your internal rhythm.

📱 FOMO and comparison: Social media is saturated with smiles and filtered joy — while you’re struggling to get out of bed.

🧠 Internalized guilt: The thought: “I should feel better than this” often increases shame and self-judgment.

These are real, valid barriers — and you don’t have to navigate them alone.

What Support Can Look Like in Summer

At Wellbeing, we help clients move through seasonal emotional challenges using a blend of trauma-informed care and personalized treatment. If summer’s been hard, here’s how we can help:

🗣️ Talk Therapy

Our therapists offer a space to talk through:

Emotional burnout
Life transitions
Trauma triggers around family, body image, or performance pressure
Shame around “not feeling better”

We meet you where you are, without pressure or timelines.

💉 Ketamine Therapy + Booster Sessions

If you’ve done a 6-treatment ketamine series with us before, summer can be a great time to schedule a booster session — to reconnect, reflect, and support your system through seasonal stress.

New to ketamine? We offer full consultations and integrated support to help relieve treatment-resistant depression. View our process and schedule an intro call here.