Seasonal Anxiety: Why Symptoms Spike in Certain Months

There are certain times of the year that can cause anxiety symptoms to rise and make it hard to function as you normally do. For a number of reasons, some which are known to you and others which may not, you may carry associations towards a particular month or time period that affect your levels of calm and safety. 

Many people are familiar with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), which is a type of depression occurring due to a change of seasons. Typically, those who are affected by SAD experience symptoms of depression and fatigue when summer ends and fall and winter begin. SAD is linked to a change in light exposure, whereas seasonal anxiety can occur at any time of the year and has other driving factors. 

Anxiety related to SAD

That being said, for those who regularly experience winter blues, it is not uncommon to have anticipatory anxiety when you’re approaching the time of year in which your mood seems to be held hostage by the decrease in sunlight. You may have worries and concerns about how your lower mood during this time of year may affect your relationships, your productivity at work, or your ability to participate in activities you enjoy. You may also simply have anxiety about how inescapably terrible you know you’re going to feel during this time of year.

Holiday Anxiety

Many people experience the stress of the holiday season. Whether it be having to plan travel arrangements, hosting an influx of people in your home, or having to navigate the various food preferences for the meals you may be preparing, the holidays can certainly add a number of tasks and responsibilities to what may already be a busy life. 

Ways to notice when stress turns into anxiety are to consider the impact, duration, and intensity. When we’re under a great deal of stress, we typically know what’s causing us stress, and once that stressor passes, such as a work project deadline, we go back to baseline. Anxiety, on the other hand, does not have a timeline and tends to stick around.

Anxiety can occur when there is no obvious reason to be anxious. Anxiety, unlike stress, can also look like excessively worrying about all the ways something can go wrong. In this context, anxiety might include chronic physical symptoms (heart racing, stomach in knots) that seem to have no rational explanation. 

For some, the holidays can be a painful time due to losses such as death, divorce, or separation. Knowing that there will be empty spaces at the dinner table can trigger difficult feelings and provoke anxiety ahead of the actual holiday. Alternatively, if there is conflict or longstanding tensions amongst family members, this may cause you to play out worst-case scenarios in your mind, keeping you on edge. 

For others, the holidays may be a reminder of not having a family or people with whom to share the holidays. When people around you are expressing enthusiasm and excitement that you can’t share, you may feel pressure to pretend in order to avoid revealing the vulnerability or sadness you’re actually feeling. The act of pretending can create anxiety.

Significant Dates Anxiety

Seasonal anxiety can also be very personal to you and may relate to specific times of year where you experienced a significant loss, a major illness, or other stressful big-life-event. For example, if you had a parent or partner die of a painful illness in the summer, you may find yourself experiencing not only anxiety and sadness on the anniversary date of their death, but the particular time of year leading up to their death can also be a source of anxiety for you. 

Additionally, you may not have conscious awareness of it, but your mind might be tracking particular dates associated with stress and emotional pain. Shocking news, a miscarriage, a fatal accident, a betrayal, all have dates and times of the year your brain and body may potentially remember year after year. The remembering may occur in your conscious mind, but may also be accompanied by an unexpected surge in anxiety you experience in your body.

Coping Strategies

When you know there is an uptick in your anxiety during certain seasons or times of the year, you can be better prepared to get ahead of it before it becomes unmanageable. One of the biggest ways to lessen anxiety is to make room for whatever underlying feelings you might otherwise ignore or sweep under the rug. Give yourself time to acknowledge and feel any sadness, grief, fear, or loneliness that may be associated with the seasonal anxiety. Don’t rush yourself here. Take your time. And, most importantly, send yourself plenty of gentleness and compassion for whatever you may be feeling. 

If you want or need more support and guidance in getting to the heart of your seasonal struggles, anxiety counseling can help. If you’re interested in taking the next step, please schedule a consultation.

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About the Author

Lalo Rivera, LPC, SEP is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. As the owner of The Listening Body Counseling Services, she is a firm believer in the transformative power of the mind-body connection as a portal for healing. She specializes in helping individuals overcome complex trauma and PTSD with body-oriented approaches.