6 Tips to Manage Anxiety During Summer

I always check the weather before I leave home so I can be prepared for the temperatures that await me when I step outside. 

Any extreme temperatures, cold or hot, can increase my anxiety, but if I had to be honest, feeling overheated tends to increase my anxiety far more. 

The minute you start to feel hot, your heart rate naturally increases and if you already deal with a fast heart rate due to anxiety then this is definitely the last thing you want. 

When you’re anxious and adrenaline is pumping, you may feel warmer than usual, no matter the temps. 

This combined with hot weather would always have me feeling completely overheated and this could very quickly turn into panic if I didn’t find a way to cool down fast.

Symptoms such as dizziness, blurry vision, shortness of breath, and a racing heart felt a million times worse when I was sweating and overheated. 

There was even a Summer or two, during a really bad anxious period, where I hardly left my home because the warm weather made me feel so much worse. 

Here are 6 tips that have helped me that I wanted to share with you if your anxiety also tends to escalate the minute the temperatures climb.

Focus on your breathing, and do it right

I know, I know.

But don’t underestimate the power of correct deep breathing for lowering anxiety and stress levels.

Emphasis on correct breathing.

I used to attempt deep breathing during panic, but it never seemed to work and I’d then roll my eyes anytime someone said “Just take deep breaths.” 

In the midst of panic, when our mind is on the worst case scenario and we are overwhelmed with symptoms, we aren’t paying too much attention to our breathing. 

Breathing is shallow in the middle of panic so the immediate thing you can focus on are long, slow, deep breaths.

When we are panicked, we tend to gulp air.

This means we are actually taking in too much air and most of it is very shallow, meaning we are taking all this air into the top of our chest and not deep into our belly.

It’s not dangerous, but it makes symptoms feel far worse and can cause chest pressure, face tingling and a feeling of suffocation.

Breathing in and out through your nose can help to streamline the air going in and out of your body so it’s easier to take in deeper breaths. Or I love to breathe in through my nose and breathe out slowly through pursed lips, as if I am breathing through a straw. 

You want to extend your exhale to help support your nervous system. 

I also love alternate nostril breathing, a technique I learned in yoga and one I recommend doing a few rounds of before you even leave to go out.

Sip on natural electrolyte water

Sweating can cause water and sodium loss so sipping on electrolytes can help. 

If you worry about dehydration or even drinking too much water then you need some electrolytes in your life. 

I just want to mention here that health anxiety can cause some irrational fears and that you’d have to drink massive amounts of water for it to be too much so thoughts like that are completely fear-based. 

Electrolytes are salts needed by our bodies to function properly. 

Electrolytes don’t only ensure that you are properly hydrated, they help to increase energy, improve your mood and your sleep, as well as help with muscle twitching and spasms. I have personally even found them helpful for heart palpitations!

Magnesium is a natural electrolyte and I take it every single day. 

Coconut water is also an excellent source of natural electrolytes or try making your own electrolyte drink by adding a dash of maple syrup or honey to a bottle of water with the juice of a small lemon or lime and a pinch of pink/sea salt. 

I also love this collagen electrolyte blend in peach flavour!

Re-Lyte Hydration and Waterboy are also popular electrolyte blends thousands of people love and they come in a variety of flavours!

Wear sunnies

This tip may seem pretty obvious, but sunglasses can help tremendously if you’re extremely sensitive to light and it tends to make your dpdr and dizziness worse. 

I know many people like wearing them, complete with a baseball hat, in stores with fluorescent lights as it blocks the light out. 

There’s actually a flickering with fluorescent lights that may not be seen with the naked eye, however sets off a chain reaction of activity in the brain.

This inherent flicker rate can trigger panic and increase dizziness and even contribute to migraines.

So do what you have to and don’t be embarrassed to wear them indoors too!

Dizziness is one of the most common yet also one of the most unsettling anxiety symptoms so I highly recommend reading this blog post and listening to this podcast episode if it’s a symptom that plagues you.

Stay cool when you’re out

I’d carry frozen water bottles with me everywhere to place on my pulse points if I was outside or in a store and starting to feel too hot, although air conditioning is a blessing at stores during the steamy months! 

As the water melts you’ll also be able to take small sips of the ice water, which is a great way to distract your brain and disrupt the panic cycle. 

Cold water (especially if you’re able to take a cold shower or immerse your head in cold water) stimulates your vagus nerve which slows your heart rate and helps to manage scary palpitations too.

Tea, supplements and CBD

Magnesium glycinate is my all time favourite supplement and you’ll see why by reading an article I wrote on it here.

I would always take it before leaving to go anywhere.

I also love CBD, especially the drops which provide immediate calming effects. 

Tea can actually help to cool you down (yes, really!) and before leaving I’d always be sure to sip on one of my favourites while getting ready.

Lemon balm, chamomile and spearmint are just 3 of my faves.

I’d have a cup with magnesium glycinate (200-400 mg) as well as do a few rounds of alternate nostril breathing to help support my nervous system before I even left.

Stay indoors during especially hot and humid days

Breathing in hot air can cause a feeling of suffocation and like you are not breathing properly. 

This humid air can actually inflame the airways making breathing feel hard and people with asthma are always encouraged to stay indoors during very humid days. 

So if you have to turn down an outing for your own sanity then don’t feel guilty about it and reschedule for a day that’s not so intensely hot. 

Anxiety symptoms can be incredibly intense so be sure to take it day by day and see how you feel. Don’t pressure yourself or be hard on yourself.

Follow these tips and be consistent with the deep breathing and supplements and you will slowly start to notice positive changes. 

My ebook, Anxiety A to Z Encyclopedia is a healthy replacement for Google, still allowing you to look up anything you need but without triggering you. 

I share every possible symptom of anxiety along with calming methods, coping skills, underlying triggers, nutrition and supplement recs and everything in between!