Is Arizona’s Heat Bringing You Down?

Seasons are a weird thing. While there's usually not much different outside of temperature changes, the way we live our lives during them changes drastically.

Many of you likely know the concept of "Seasonal Depression", the idea that we tend to get sadder during the winter months due to the cold weather and short days.

Arizona may have the opposite problem.

Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder

While standard Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) sees its results in the winter winds of January and February, the reverse focuses on the polar opposite.

Summer is meant to be a time for fun, family, and friends. Staying out late to catch fireflies and singing songs around a campfire. That is not the case in the Grand Canyon State, as the unbearable heat makes even the most tame outdoor activities a struggle. This increase in heat may also cause a decrease in mental health, U of A researchers have determined.

Read More: Will Your A/C Give Out on You This Summer?

Heat fatigue and isolation are the two biggest culprits, bringing your mood down based on nothing but the number on your thermostat. How unfair.

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How Can I Avoid This?

While reverse SAD should only affect 10% of the population with standard Seasonal Affective Disorder, the effects can be seen in almost everyone. The best advice to keep your sunny side up this summer is to, ironically, keep the sun away.

Ensure you're staying out of the sun, but also try to get out of the house from time to time. Isolation is the highest cause of SAD, and getting out to spend time with your friends (in Air Conditioning, preferably) can do wonders for your mental health through the dog days of summer.

[AZ Family]