Normalize the springtime sads.
Spring has a reputation for being cheerful, hopeful, and life renewing. Lots of times it is! But it’s also not exactly the whole picture. Spring for many, is not just sad, it’s unbearable. It may seem counterintuitive but death by suicide rates in the United States are at their highest in spring: April, May and June. Suicide rates can be up to three times higher this time of year than when they’re at their lowest … in December. Warmer weather can feel like a lot of pressure: to hang out, to go outside, to be cheerful and enthusiastic. Not wanting to do any of those things and not feeling any of those ways, may exacerbate feelings of despair, hopelessness, and isolation. Change, any change at all, can put stress on our system. Heck, going on vacation can be a stressful event. So we are not surprised that some of us are feeling sad, stressed, and just wanna stay home. The Springtime Sads are not a personal failure. Sad is on a spectrum: it shows up for lots of different reasons and in lots of different seasons.
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