Seasonal Affective Disorder Is Impacting Fort Myers Residents

Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) is normally thought of as a wintertime thing. Less sunshine and shorter days is likely a cause that reduces serotonin, which helps regulate mood. Symptoms include irritability, feelings of despair, stress, anxiety, and a reduced sex drive during those winter months. However, a new study conducted by sleep specialists MattressNextDay has highlighted that some states and cities are more susceptible to the summer blues due to a range of weather and pollen factors – which is why the term ‘summer S.A.D.’ has been coined. 

It's already been a hot summer. Several Florida cities set heat records over the Memorial Day weekend. The National Weather Service posted these records:

And it got even hotter for some. Melbourne and Fort Pierce both hit 98 degrees on Monday. Not quite that hot, but here in Southwest Florida we saw temperatures around 94 degrees. It's waaaay too early in summer to be this hot. And that's been a trend.

The study states "With the most rainfall between May and September, at a huge 7.13 inches, Florida is officially the state that’s the most likely to suffer from S.A.D. Average temperatures sit at 81 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer (the third highest on our list), which, whilst nice and toasty, can intensify those feelings of anxiety and stress. "

And then add in our humidity. Florida's average relative humidity is 74.5 percent. That pushes the heat index into the triple digits, making it completely miserable to be outside during the summer months. So where does Southwest Florida fit in on this study?

The study then looked to find the cities where people are most likely to suffer from S.A.D. Coming in at number 1 was Goodland, Kansas. Although it's not nearly as hot there, Goodland gets hit with some pretty high pollen counts, forcing allergy sufferers to spend some summer days indoors. That in turn can lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder as you watch others enjoying summer.

Second on the list is Miami, Florida. As we noted earlier, Miami generally sees heat indexes top 100 degrees more than 50 days out of the year. And when it's not hot - it's raining. The 305 averages 60 inches of rain a year. That's the average. In 202, Miami Airport measured 83 inches of rain, well above that average.

Although we didn't see nearly the amount of rain that Miami had last year, we still had plenty of hot days and high humidity, with lots and lots of sunshine. That was, until around Thanksgiving last year. It was cloudy EVERY SINGLE DAY. Remember that? Persistent clouds and rain went from the end of 2023 into 2024. That was a very unusual occurrence brought on by last year's El Niño.

Another likely factor in Seasonal Affective Disorder In Fort Myers during the summer months is that we're not yet 2 years removed from one of the worst hurricanes to ever hit our area. I still drive by houses with tarps on their roofs, not to mention a trip to Fort Myers Beach, which is a stark reminder of what happened to our area with Hurricane Ian. Those memories can be quite stressful. And now this:

Updated reports show that 2024 is expected to be an above active hurricane season, which has not been lost on the media. We report this over and over and over again, which brings about anxiety over what might come our way. Heat + humidity + anxiety = Seasonal Affective Disorder. And I didn't even mention inflation and the election.

Webmd has some great ideas on how to cope with summer depression. Summertime fun can mess up your sleep schedule, especially if you have kids off school, so keep an eye on your sleep. Your exercise routine is important, too. How often have you passed on a workout because it was too hot, or it was raining? Gotta stay on it. But don't overdo it.

There's also the stress of planning and executing the family summer vacation. Don't feel like you have to do too much, and don't beat yourself up if everything doesn't go as planned. Maybe a staycation would be a better idea. There's a lot of things to do here in Southwest Florida that don't include the stress of a long car ride.

Most importantly, if Seasonal Affective Disorder seems to be a regular occurrence for you every summer - talk to your doctor. There's plenty of medications that can help, including the medications being sold at all those stores on 41 in Bonita Springs. The area known as "The Green Mile."

You're not alone. Seasonal Affective Disorder even hits those of us living in paradise.

Summer always brings a bevy of vacation options, some more exotic than others. But, you don't have to travel far or do something major to have a great vacation. There are many fun and affordable staycation ideas that can give you a memorable vacation memory by just staying close to home.

So, what exactly is the definition of a staycation? It's pretty self-explanatory, but according to the Oxford Dictionary, it's "a vacation spent in one's home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions. Similarly, Merriam-Webster says it's, "a vacation spent at home or nearby." I think it's a stretch to call any vacation that's spent in your home country a staycation. That would mean that someone living in Michigan who travels to California for a vacation is really having a "staycation." It makes much more sense to define a staycation as a vacation where you literally stay at home or do something fun in your local area. Thankfully, there are a plethora of great staycation ideas out there.

Plenty of cities have "be a tourist in your own town" activities promoted by their local city tourist bureaus, which are perfect for a staycation. Really, staycations have been around forever, but they increased in popularity during the pandemic, when people actually weren't allowed to travel abroad. Still, even after the pandemic, the staycation is going strong. According to an international study by tourism and hospitality experts in the U.S. and China, the "staycation phenomenon" that started during the pandemic is still very popular and likely to stay as a new normal. The study, dubbed "Customer Preferences for Staycation Package Attributes," is published online in the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. It researched the local staycation preferences of Chinese tourists, as well as staycation information from the U.S., Netherlands and Indonesia.

I love a good staycation. It can be stressful to plan a huge trip to squeeze into your time off. By the time you get everything packed, do all the flight stuff and get to your hotel, you might just feel like resting for the short while that you're at your destination. What's more, you can often find so many great places close to home that you've never experienced before. I've had so many great staycations where I ventured to a part of town or the state that I had never been before, and those are among my favorite vacation memories. In that spirit, here are some fun and affordable staycation ideas. Send me your ideas, too.

Have a vacation in your living room or bedroom. Make it a movie-watching marathon. Watch a string of your favorite guilty-pleasure movies or binge-watch a brand new series. Either way, it'll be cozy and comfy.

If you have a state or national park nearby, use your vacation time to go adventuring. Being at a local park can offer some breathtaking scenery, especially in the summer. Have a picnic out there, too. If you don't have a state or national park close by, try a local park.

Nearly every town has a local museum or art gallery. Perhaps you've never really had the time to visit your local museum or art spot. Use your vacation time to explore those local spots, and you might find a new favorite place.

If you've driven by that new hotel for a while and wondered what it's like inside, why not book it for a night? You don't have to be traveling to say at a hotel, Airbnb or local bed-and-breakfast. It can make for an exciting adventure right in your backyard.

Using vacation time to plan a big party for friends is a good use of that time. Instead of traveling around the world, bring to world to you. Invite lots of your good friends, and spend some of the cash you would have on a vacation for your party. It'll be the party of the year. Make that decade.

Pamper yourself. Maybe you think having a spa day is too much of a luxury, but if you're saving money by not taking a big trip, why not use that money for a spa day? It's not just for ladies, either. Guys can book a spa day for a variety of services. It'll make for a day of bliss.