You just got home to your apartment after a long work day. You were walking off a humid, 90-degree Manhattan street and feeling your heart rate spike from the heat. You feel overwhelmed, tired, sticky and ready to hit the cold shower and blast your air conditioning. Finally, it is summer, the season we have all been waiting for. It is warm, your favorite bar has outdoor seating open again, you can pull out your favorite summer dress, and all your seasonal depression is gone. Well at least that is how you want to feel like.
Summer does not always bring the best feelings for everyone. Summer can be overstimulating for a lot of people with the heat, crowds, and societal pressure to be constantly out and active. Protecting your peace during a chaotic Manhattan summer requires you to combat societal (fear of missing out) FOMO and use therapist-backed strategies to ground your mind.
What is Sunshine Guilt?
Sunshine guilt is the societal pressure to enjoy sunny days even when you don’t want to be outside. There are a few reasons as to why people feel “sunshine guilt”. Some of the reasons are:
- FOMO and the Scarcity Mindset – FOMO, or fear of missing out, can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety when people perceive sunny days as rare and valuable. To combat FOMO, it is important to appreciate the comfort and coziness of being indoors.
- Sunshine = Happiness Misconception – While many people enjoy sunny days, excessive heat and humidity can cause discomfort, fatigue, irritability, and even seasonal affective disorder for some.
- Social comparison and cognitive dissonance – Cognitive dissonance is the psychological discomfort a person feels when holding conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes, or when their behavior contradicts their personal values. Social media can negatively impact mood by fostering comparison and cognitive dissonance, especially on sunny days when societal expectations clash with personal desires.
You do not need to spend your summers outside sweating at Central Park if that does not bring you joy. There are other ways to enjoy the summer days without getting overwhelmed with the heat. You can seek out micro-doses of green space on your own terms. For example, like finding a shaded bench in a quiet community garden, visiting a pocket park on a lunch break, or walking along the Hudson River waterfront during the cooler morning hours. Up for a ride? Take the Staten Island ferry during the evening, for a breezy experience while seeing the iconic views.
Protect your skin and your peace!
Just like you should be protecting your skin during the summer by wearing sunscreen, you can protect your peace during the summertime as well. Here are several therapist-approved tools that we recommend to keep those summer days as peaceful as possible!
- Visualize: Visualization is a simple way to calm your mind by imagining yourself in a peaceful environment.
- Do things you enjoy: Engaging in enjoyable activities can help alleviate a dull or stagnant mindset. Go to an air-conditioned museum. Visit an aquarium. Watch a Broadway show. Read the book you have been putting off. Try the summer menu at your local cafe. Explore that cool new restaurant that opened down the street.
- Go for a swim: Cool off this summer by splashing into a body of water. Whether it is jumping into a pool, lake, or dipping your toes in the ocean, immersing yourself in cold water can help activate your parasympathetic nervous system. Activating this system will eventually calm you down.
- Go outside: Spending some time outdoors, even for 15 minutes daily, can benefit your well-being by providing fresh air, sunlight, and a calming environment.
- Meditate: Our therapists are trained in mindfulness therapy. We can help you navigate your future meditation journeys to clear your mind and be present.
- Listen to music: Studies have shown that listening to peaceful music can reduce cortisol (your stress hormone).
- Practice yoga: Practicing yoga can not only clear your mind, it can be used as your daily movement activity. Doing yoga can create a healthier mind and body simultaneously. There are always yoga classes happening around the city. Find a studio that calls your name. It is a nice way to move your body and practice mindfulness.
- Get a massage: We all love this one! A massage is a technique that can be helpful in lowering cortisol levels. Getting aches and pains out of our bodies can benefit us to calm our minds and body.
- Explore breathing techniques: Deep, controlled breathing techniques activate the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing anxiety and promoting calmness.
The most important one is being able to say, “No”. Sometimes what we enjoy doing is not always aligned with our friends. And that is totally okay. It is important to be able to communicate that. Protecting your peace also means changing how you respond to social invitations. When friends text you to join them at a packed backyard barbecue or a scorching midday street festival, saying “no” can feel incredibly uncomfortable. You might worry that turning down an invite means you are wasting your weekend or letting your network down. However, true self-care requires you to honor your energetic limits. Instead of offering a vague excuse, try setting an honest, empowering boundary. Tell your friends that you are avoiding the midday heat, and proactively suggest a cooler, low-stimulation alternative like an evening movie, an indoor dinner, or a morning walk by the water. By taking charge of your calendar, you protect your energy while maintaining your connections on your own terms.
If you are struggling to protect your peace during NYC summers, experience anxiety, and need to speak to someone that just gets it, working with a Manhattan Wellness therapist can provide valuable support, guidance, coping strategies, and a safe space to explore these concerns as you begin to protect your peace this summer.
PRIORITIZE YOUR WELL-BEING WITH SELF CARE THERAPY IN MANHATTAN, NEW YORK
Taking care of yourself sounds simple, but it can be surprisingly difficult to put into practice. You may spend so much time meeting the needs of others, managing responsibilities, or pushing through stress that your own well-being falls to the bottom of the list. Even when you know rest, boundaries, and self-compassion are important, making space for them can feel challenging.
At Manhattan Wellness, we understand that self-care is about more than bubble baths or taking a day off. True self-care involves learning how to listen to your needs, honor your limits, and create sustainable habits that support your emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Working with a therapist can help you identify patterns that contribute to burnout, develop healthier coping strategies, and build a life that feels more balanced and fulfilling.
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OTHER THERAPY SERVICES AT MANHATTAN WELLNESS IN MANHATTAN, WESTCHESTER, BROOKLYN & THROUGHOUT NEW YORK
We understand that prioritizing yourself can bring up a range of emotions and challenges. As you begin creating healthier boundaries and making space for your own needs, other concerns may arise along the way. To better support you, we offer a variety of services tailored to your individual goals. Our therapy services include Therapy for Stress Management, Anxiety Treatment, and Therapy for Dating and Relationship Issues, as well as Therapy for College Students, Support for Maternal Mental Health, Self-Esteem Therapy, and so much more.
Are you feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or disconnected from yourself? Let’s talk about it.
