Walking is one of the most underrated forms of exercise. Everyone can do it anywhere, any time. This form of exercise may not be as impactful as a full-body, high-intensity interval workout or long distance run, but walking does do surprising wonders for the body. Walking aims to improve cardiovascular health by strengthening the heart and improving circulation. Walking also benefits your mental health, releasing endorphins that boost your mood to improve the overall mental state. 

There is something to be said about getting out of the house or office to go for a walk. It’s like a release that frees your mind and body from the confines of home or work. Research confirms that changing scenery, especially if you can see nature, has positive effects on mental health. As far as from a physical standpoint, walking in the middle of the day can help reduce the risk of lower back and knee pain, particularly if you do it on a regular basis. 

It is very exciting to see more and more research emerging about the benefits of walking. Ideally, you should aim to get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week, which basically means each walk can last 30 minutes. Aim for about 5,000 steps or more per day. If you regularly hit that mark, consider the following tips to make your walk more effective. 

Try Interval Jogging Or Speed Walking

If you don’t want to engage in a full 30-minute jog, consider incorporating a faster pace at select times during your daily walk. Health experts suggest that doing interval-based training during your walk can improve cardiovascular health. You can walk for two minutes and then speed walk for 30 seconds to one minute. Continue alternating between walking and fast walking, or even light jogging, and you will notice the difference in how your body feels. You can increase the interval times as your body adjusts to the new walking regimen. 

Walk Along A Hilly Path

Sure, walking on flat ground is perfectly fine, especially if you have knee or foot issues. Walking downhill can help improve muscle strength in your lower extremities, in addition to reducing the stress on the cardiovascular system. If you don’t have hiking trails accessible to you, find a hilly neighborhood and you’ll be good to go. Interestingly enough, walking downhill puts less stress on your breathing and heart rate. Walking uphill, on the other hand, challenges the cardiovascular system and can benefit people with knee problems. No matter if you are going downhill or uphill, remain consistent with your routine so that your body can get used to walking in hilly areas. Lastly, don’t be afraid to return to a flatter path every now and again to make life easier on yourself. 

Maintain A Quick Walking Pace

Movement is better than no movement at all, but walking at a snail’s pace will not enhance your walk. Walking briskly counts toward your 150 minutes of moderately-intense aerobic activity that health experts recommend. It can be tricky to know your heart rate during your walk, but a great way to keep up the quick pace is by listening to upbeat music. Push yourself by listening to songs that are at least 100 beats per minute (BPM) and you will move with the music. You can search the web or streaming platforms for songs with that BPM. If that pace is a little too quick for you, you can slow down every other song to help maintain consistency. The last thing you want to do is stop walking!

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The beaches are filling up, the pools are open, and cookouts are aplenty. Your city may even put together outdoor summer concerts, or you may have a vacation lined up. If you have children, they may be in summer camps or looking forward to playdates and other summertime activities. All of that was exhausting to read, right? Now, imagine coordinating all of that and getting to every engagement!

There are internal and external pressures to make the most of your summer. Those factors may push you into overdrive during the seemingly “laid-back and chill” season. If going to the beach becomes a chore instead of a jovial experience, you are likely experiencing a burnout. The term “burnout” is a common workplace term because exhaustion from work is quite common. Work-related stress can also cause you to burnout, but this term is a bit more broad now. 

During the pandemic, many parents experienced burnouts. Monitoring scholastic Zoom sessions, keeping the children occupied and safe, and having to work and worry about the future did anything but relax parents. A 2022 report noted feelings or irritability, emotional detachment, and a general overwhelmed feeling as a parental burnout. The primary takeaway, according to mental health experts, is that a burnout tends to result from an over-stressed life. Physical, mental, and emotional elements can all cause exhaustion and varying emotions, but you can control them if you know what to do. 

Why Is Summer Causing A Burnout?

The summer burnout is real, according to psychologists. Why is that the case when summer is a traditionally a relaxing time of year? People enter summer with certain expectations, the most common of which is that it will be exciting, amazing, and incredibly fun. That mentality over-commits yourself to potential opportunities that come your way. That, in turn, causes you to feel overwhelmed and ambushed. The differing schedules, vacations, child pickups, and more are all moving parts that require mental energy. Not only that, but the schedules are very tiring and fill up your plate. 

If you feel burned out and want to enjoy the rest of your summer, consider the following tips to help you cope with a burnout. 

Embrace Flexibility

As a human, it is very natural to think in a very black and white way. For example, you either go to your friend’s barbecue or you don’t. In reality, there are many decisions you can make about certain events, or anything involving your participation. If your neighbor invites you over for a backyard cookout, go over for a drink and then head out. Part-time attendance is a beautiful thing, giving you all the perks of participating and enjoying down time as well. Always ask yourself what actions will serve you in the best way and go from there. Being flexible is a skill, and an amazing one at that!

Focus On One Thing At A Time

If you multitask your way through life, you tend to skip over crucial details. Some people look at multitasking as a way to fit everything in, but it can fuel inattention and an unproductive attitude. If you work at the pool or beach while trying to enjoy yourself and monitor your children, your full attention is not directed at any of the tasks. In order to prioritize one thing, you have to de-prioritize another thing. Splitting your focus is a surefire way to burn yourself out, but focusing on one thing at a time can help you take back control of your life. For example, put your phone down if you’re working and stop working if you want to enjoy family time. 

Create A Summer Value Statement

What do you want to embrace this summer? Do you want to learn more about yourself, or do you want to become more adept at anticipating the needs of others? A value statement can help you avoid a burnout because it outlines personal or family qualities to which you want to adhere. Whatever you value is the right answer! Think about the ways you behave this summer and see if your actions align with your value statement. When invitations or obligations arise, you can decide how you want to act according to your value statement. 

Check In With Yourself

It can occasionally feel like life is running away from you, but you can pivot, assess, and redirect your efforts to prevent that from happening. Psychologists encourage you to regularly check in with yourself to avoid disconnecting entirely. If you feel frazzled, take time to hit the pause button and ask yourself what you need. Do you need more rest and relaxation? Perhaps you need to spend less time operating around your kids’ schedules. Try to establish a regular practice of seeing what you need to make summer as enjoyable as possible. 

Schedule Time To Do Less

You most likely have a to-do list, but is “do less” on that list? If you are constantly on the move and feel stressed, give yourself permission to scale back. Try to list out everything that you have to do in the coming week, or month if you prefer a long-term view. Ask yourself what you can cut out, or what’s easiest to cut. Sometimes, you just need to watch some TV or read a book. Other times you may want to go for a run or head to the beach with friends. Don’t be afraid to do less because it is often a great remedy!

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Do you feel a bit of brain fog in these hotter months? It’s logical to think that your sleep pattern may be to blame, but the heat may have a bigger influence on brain health than you realize. A few summers ago, researchers in Boston studied young adults living in college dorm rooms during a heat wave. Some of the participants had central air conditioning (AC) and slept in a 71-degree Fahrenheit (F) environment. Other participants did not have AC and the room averaged 80 degrees F.

For nearly two weeks of the study, students took a few tests every morning administered via their cell phones. The students who had to sleep in the hotter environment performed measurably worse on the tests than the students who slept in the cooler environment. One of the tests involved math, requiring simple addition and subtraction. A second test, the Stroop test, jumbled words and colors. If the participants saw the word “red” in a blue circle, they had to respond “blue,” according to the study authors. 

If your reaction time is slower, then you may get tripped up more easily on certain questions. Researchers behind the study found that heat slows your reaction time. In fact, they saw reductions in the order of 10% in response times and accuracy. Part of that may stem from interrupted sleep, or lack of sleep. When the sleeping environment is hotter and you are not accustomed to heat, it is much more difficult to get quality sleep. That said, a body of research suggests that the heat itself interferes with cognition. 

What Does Other Research Say?

A similar study from 2021 documented reduced cognitive performance at temperatures of 79 degrees F. As the temperatures rose during the study, researchers observed lower activity in the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the anti-stress system that can help you remain calm. Additionally, researchers noticed that oxygen saturation levels in the blood were much lower at higher temperatures. That most likely explained the reduction in cognitive performance. 

Other studies found that higher temperatures in an office setting made office workers score lower on standardized tests. One of those studies found that productivity in the workplace was higher when the air temperature averaged 72 degrees F. Productivity began to decrease once temperatures reached the mid-70s. Additional research found that high school students performed more poorly on standardized tests when the days were hotter. Hotter days also made students more irritable or moodier, which may result from elevated cortisol levels. Too much cortisol in the body can induce frequent stress responses. 

Given that extreme heat waves are more common nowadays, health experts are more interested in understanding how heat can influence mechanisms that influence anxiety-related problems and mood. A study from 2022 found that hospital visits for mental health-related issues rose during extremely hot weather. That is consistent with what a lot of physicians explain. 

How Do You Combat The Effects Of Heat?

First and foremost, you need to hydrate as much as possible when the weather is hot. In hotter weather, you lose more sweat, so you have to replenish those fluids. In addition to water, drink electrolyte beverages (preferably not sugary sports drinks) that help replenish lost nutrients. In regards to the first study we discussed at the beginning of the article, students that slept in hot rooms drank less than six glasses of liquid per day. Prior research showed that being slightly dehydrated led to impaired cognitive performance. Drink plenty of water to keep your physical and mental health working optimally!

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Sleep hygiene refers to a set of sleep practices or habits that promote more restful sleep. These practices aim to improve the overall quality and duration of your sleep, so you can wake up feeling well-rested. They may also reduce the likelihood of sleep disturbances, sleep-related disorders, and other sleep issues. By maintaining optimal sleep hygiene, you can improve your overall well-being, since restorative sleep is necessary for physical and mental health.

Unlike a watermelon fast or something else you saw on TikTok, sleep hygiene is a wellness trend you should get behind. Practicing good sleep hygiene means adopting habits that cultivate consistent, quality sleep. These habits help promote a healthy circadian rhythm, but please note that sleep hygiene is not a one-size-fits-all recommendation. Some practices may work for some, while other practices work for others. Find your healthy sleep routine by considering the following recommendations that promote a good night’s sleep.

Create A Bedtime Routine

When you have a consistent bedtime routine, the brain and body know that it is time to shut down. A bedtime routine can include activities like taking a warm bath, practicing breathing techniques, meditating, or reading a book. Do not spend hours on your phone and don’t watch TV until the second you go to sleep. The blue light can cue your brain to remain awake. You want to do things that reduce brain activity and stress hormones. A calming bedtime routine signals the transition from wakefulness to sleep, so you’ll drift off to sleep more easily. 

Limit Screen Time Before Bed

As we previously mentioned, the blue light from screens gets in the way of healthy sleep. Smartphones, tablets, laptops, and TVs should be avoided at least an hour before you go to bed. Researchers note that blue light suppresses melatonin, the hormone that indicates when it is time to go to sleep. Turn off screens one or two hours before sleep to aid the natural production of melatonin. That will make falling asleep easier and result in better sleep quality.

Create A Comfortable Sleep Environment

If you cannot relax and get comfortable, falling asleep will prove difficult. Ensure that your bedroom is dark, cool, and quiet. Consider getting a white noise machine, blackout curtains, or even earplugs to foster a great sleep environment. A neutral, dark, and sound-free room reduces any external stimuli that can interfere with the various stages of sleep. When your bedroom has all of these ideal conditions, you can experience more restful, continuous sleep, which is beneficial if you experience fragmented sleep due to night wakings. Additionally, get a quality mattress, as your physical comfort also plays a big role in your sleep quality.

Limit Daytime Naps

Sometimes, a quality nap on the couch or on a lounge chair in the backyard is just what the doctor ordered. As long as your naps are short and powerful (30 minutes or less) and you don’t take many of them, you can still sleep without issue at night. Long and irregular daytime naps, especially those that you take later in the day, can interfere with nighttime sleep. Short naps can boost alertness without affecting your sleep at night while late-afternoon naps can make it more difficult to get a restful night’s sleep.

Don’t Drink Too Much Before Bedtime

If you drink a lot of fluids before bedtime, you will more than likely wake up at least once, if not twice, to urinate in the middle of the night. Health experts refer to this as nocturia (waking up to pee), which breaks sleep continuity. By minimizing your fluid intake one to two hours before bed, you can maintain uninterrupted rest cycles. 

Stick To A Consistent Sleep Schedule

Ideally, you should go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on the weekends. In doing so, you help regulate the body’s internal clock, which ultimately promotes better sleep. Consistency actually improves the body’s sleep-wake cycle, which can make falling asleep and waking up a lot easier. Disrupting that schedule, such as oversleeping, can confuse the brain’s sleep signals and cause grogginess or unrest. 

Try any number of these suggestions and consider keeping a sleep diary to figure out which things work for you. Tracking your sleep habits can help you identify patterns, triggers, and areas that need improvement. Review your diary on a weekly basis to help you figure out things or behaviors that interfere with sleep. That can enable you to make proper adjustments to build a healthier sleep routine. 

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Do you feel a little regret or shame about wolfing down way too much food or drink at the holiday weekend party? Perhaps you devoured three hot dogs and an entire bag of chips while sipping on some cold ones by the pool. Whatever your indulgence was, there is no need to beat yourself up about the past. What happened, happened, and now it’s time to look toward a healthier future. 

A food binge happens when you eat past the point of satisfaction. In fact, binge eating can cause a person to eat large amounts of food, so much so, that they feel discomfort. It’s common for binge eaters to eat when they are not hungry, especially after they’ve already finished a filling meal. It’s possible to feel guilty, sick even, while scarfing down unnecessary calories, but it isn’t the end of the world. You can put the holiday binge eating behind you and get back on track. Continue reading to learn how you can recover after the holiday binge.

Start By Hydrating

If you drank a lot of alcohol and ate a lot of unhealthy food, the body is most likely dehydrated, especially if you did not drink water while binge eating. That’s why you should start the next day by drinking a lot of water to rehydrate the body. High-salt, high-sugar, and high-fat foods, as well as alcohol, can easily pull water from the body. Aim to consume half your body weight in ounces of water the following day. Not only does water help keep the body operational, but it also aids digestion, which is something you need after eating excessively. 

Stay Off The Scale

If you go on a food binge, even if it is just for a day, it is very possible that you’ll see a higher-than-usual number on the scale the next day. Do not go looking for information that doesn’t benefit you. When you go back to your normal eating routine, your weight will adjust accordingly. Give your body a few days to reset and remember that weight is not the only measurement of health. If you feel strong, sleep well, and have a little pep in your step, these are indicators that you are on the right track.

Do Not Purge

Do not do the unthinkable and take forcible action to undo a food binge. Don’t make yourself vomit, don’t use laxatives, and don’t exercise like crazy to balance out your caloric intake from the previous day. Those are not healthy solutions; in fact, they are common behaviors of eating disorders that can cause serious damage to the body. Some complications that stem from this binging and purging cycle include:

• Acid reflux
• Low blood pressure
• Arrhythmia, heart failure, and other heart issues
• Severe dehydration and constipation
• Osteoporosis and tooth problems
• Stopped menstrual cycles
• Gastrointestinal problems

Get Moving

Again, do not go run a marathon after a day of binge eating. You can help get all that junk out of your system if you get moving. Exercising is a natural way to promote bowel movements because the physical activity increases gut motility. That helps push out all of the extra junk, calories, fat, and sugars you ate during your binge. Additionally, movement triggers the brain to release serotonin and dopamine, two feel-good hormones that help boost your mood and overall mental health. Go for a walk, hop on an exercise bike, or head out for a swim to put your body in motion. You can even tackle some chores, such as vacuuming or mowing the lawn!

Try Mindful Eating

Mindful eating requires you to use all of your emotional and physical senses to experience and enjoy the foods you choose to eat. It is the opposite of mindless eating, or distracted eating, which commonly leads to overeating. Whenever you feel tempted by food and drink, acknowledge how you feel at that moment. Before you polish off a bag of chips and go for a second cheeseburger, consider whether you are really hungry or not. Are you going to get food just because it’s there and you are bored? If you are actually hungry, eat slowly because it takes about 15 minutes for the brain to register that the stomach is full.

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To embrace the self for all of its attributes, whether mental or physical, and negative or positive, is self-acceptance. It’s possible for someone to struggle to accept certain qualities of the self from time to time. That is especially true in a time when it’s very easy to compare the self to everything that is happening on social media or popular culture. Perhaps trauma from childhood also makes it difficult to extend compassion to the self. Whatever the case, accepting who you are is vital for overall happiness and well-being. 

Self-Acceptance For Psychological Health

If you have low self-acceptance, your psychological health may suffer. The incapability to fully accept yourself can put you at a higher risk for experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Some research notes that rejecting negative qualities about yourself can cause you to fixate on those attributes, which encourages negative self-talk. Some examples of negative self-talk include:

• “I’m such a failure.”
• “I’m not good enough.”
• “That person is so smart and I could never be like that.”

Negative statements such as the ones listed above can cause you to lose feelings of hope and self-worth, and increase feelings of anxiety and sadness. When you can finally accept yourself, even the qualities that you may not be proud of, you retain more control of your emotions. That means that self-acceptance may help prevent anxiety and depression, provided you put the work in. 

How To Practice Self-Acceptance 

Self-acceptance sounds easy, right? Like anything, practice makes perfect, but you have to know where to start. Below, we’ll take a look at three techniques that will help you practice self-acceptance. 

Keep A Gratitude Journal

Do you ever find yourself ruminating about things that went wrong during the day? Don’t dwell on negativity or negative qualities, unless you want to spiral out of control. Shift to a more positive mindset by keeping a journal, or even writing notes on your phone. A great daily practice to help foster a more positive mindset is to write down five things that you are grateful for. When you focus on the positive, you start to reduce feelings of negativity. This practice helps you accept yourself more mindfully. 

You Are A Work In Progress

The great part of being human is that you can always learn new things. When starting a new hobby or learning a new skill, it is natural to not be very good at it. You are just starting and there is a learning curve! Maybe you decide to participate in a baking class and notice that your classmates have baked perfect cookies. You look at your oven and you see that your cookies are burned. Don’t let negative thoughts like, “I’m such a terrible baker,” enter your mind. You can return to class and should not be discouraged by a small setback. Tell yourself that you are a work in progress, so that you can better handle your thoughts. You can always try again! Don’t expect to be perfect on the first go-around, or else you will wind up spiraling into negativity.

Look At Your Experiences From A Different Perspective

Do you find yourself thinking about an event, emotion, or experience that brings about feelings of unhappiness? Look at the situation from a different perspective in an attempt to find a silver lining. There is nothing wrong with viewing the glass half full! Maybe you get dressed up to go out and take a sip of a drink that you spill all over your shirt/dress/top. Now that’s a frustrating experience, but you don’t need to add fuel to the fire and make it more frustrating. Instead, find the positive or talk to a friend about what just happened to get a little more perspective on the matter. If you remain stuck in your feelings, you look at things too negatively. Find a fresh take on the subject and you may notice things that you didn’t before that help you accept yourself.

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It’s safe to say that people are more connected than ever in our digitally driven world. Just because people can connect digitally in seconds, does that mean that they are making meaningful, social connections on a regular basis? Now is the time to create a supportive social network, both digitally and in-person. In this article, we delve into the concept of social health and different practical strategies that help foster social engagement to achieve holistic wellness. 

What Is Social Health? 

As much as you do not want to believe it, social health is an essential part of your overall well-being. Often referred to as social wellness, social health relates to the connection and need for community. Most people achieve this through relationships with family and friends. It’s the sense of belonging that comes from connecting with these groups of like-minded people who support, value, and love you. In simpler terms, social health comes from the relationships you build with others and the connection those relationships provide.

Social health is supported by five pillars, all of which work to keep the structure (your well-being) intact. We’ll detail them below:

• Communication skills: The ability to communicate clearly is paramount to build healthy social interactions. If you can communicate effectively, you can express your thoughts and feelings. You can also listen actively and understand where others are coming from, a practice that fosters great social connections. 
• Quality of relationships: Your goal should not be to have as many social connections as possible. It’s about quality, not quantity. The quality relationships are the ones in which you feel safe, heard, seen, and completely understood. These relationships are the ones that enhance your health. 
• Ecosystem of social support: It’s very common for people to rely on different support systems to navigate life’s more difficult challenges. These support systems essentially form an ecosystem of strong connections, in which you can find guidance, reassurances, and companionship. You often become more resilient with the people around you in these ecosystems. 
• The role of community engagement: Humans are social creatures, which explains the joy you receive when you are part of a strong community. Being a community member gives you the assurance that you are part of something larger than yourself. 
• Boundaries and self-care: Without healthy boundaries, you cannot foster optimal social health. You have to know when to say no, and understand that your social network will respect your decision. Boundaries help ensure that your limits are respected by peers and that helps create a healthier, stronger social life.

The Benefits Of Strong Social Health

It is clear that social health plays a role in helping individuals create more meaningful lives. There are numerous benefits to having a strong social support system, from your mental health to physical well-being. Read on to learn more about them: 

• Social support offers comfort, or a sense of belonging, that helps boost self-esteem and confidence. 
• Supportive relationships not only positively impact your productivity levels, but also enhance accountability. 
• Strong social networks tend to help people handle stress more effectively and reduce the likelihood of experiencing anxiety and depression. 
• Social support works to keep mental health in check and may increase productivity. 
• Leveraging social support can lead to an overall more fulfilling life and enjoyable experiences. 
• Belonging to supportive social circles can improve both mental and physical health. 
• It’s possible for individuals to experience a reduced risk of chronic illnesses and stronger immune function when they have strong social connections. 

Integrating Social Health Into Your Daily Life

As detailed in the previous bullet points, it is clear that maintaining social health benefits you in numerous ways. Unfortunately, it is often easier said than done, especially considering the modern reliance on digital technology. Yes, technology can enhance connectivity, but it also can promote isolation and detract from social health. The constant accessibility can blur the line between work and real life, which can lead to burnouts or strained relationships. 

Social media tends to foster feelings of inadequacy, not empowerment. Navigating the social media landscape can be very tricky, which is why online interactions are often less meaningful and supportive than offline interactions. If you want to meet your social health needs in the real world, focus on ways to connect with others in meaningful ways. Join a community wellness environment, attend social events, prioritize face-to-face interactions, and set boundaries with technology. Do all of those things and more and you’ll be well on your way to experiencing better social health.

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Pride Month is a chance to celebrate the community, acceptance, and equality of LGBTQIA+ people. There are parades, events, parties, and more all over the world during Pride Month. It’s safe to say that this month can positively affect mental health by bringing more LGBTQIA+ people together as one community. The idea is that these celebrations bring hope for a brighter future, one that is united for LGBTQIA+ rights and equality. 

What Is Pride Month?

It was 1969 and the sun was shining…In all seriousness, Pride Month started with the Stonewall uprising in 1969. These protests were in response to police raids in gay bars in New York. These raids took place due to discrimination and persecution against the LGBTQIA+ community. After the Stonewall uprising, the first Pride Rally in the United Kingdom took place a few years later in London, England. 

Every June, Pride Month honors the history of Stonewall and the activism it sparked to push LGBTQIA+ rights to the place where they are today. Although Pride Month is somewhat of a mild protest, it is truly a movement, a chance for people to fight for equality and stand on the shoulders of the activists who came before them. Additionally, Pride Month is a celebration of the spaces that members of the LGBTQIA+ community can share. It’s hugely helpful, empowering, and a way to recognize queer lives. And the biggest benefit is that people of the LGBTQIA+ community get to unite together and remember that they are not alone.

The Context Of Pride Month And Mental Health

Mental health is important, regardless of the time of year or specific celebratory month. Regarding Pride Month, though, there has been a lot of discrimination and prejudice against the LGBTQIA+ community, and that still exists to this day. The rights for LGBTQIA+ members are still ongoing, and Pride Month continues to be somewhat of a catalyst for positive change and equality. 

It is often the joyous times and celebratory nature of Pride Month that benefit people of the LGBTQIA+ community. For example, the inclusion and unified efforts help combat social isolation, low self-esteem, and the homophobic or transphobic political stances in the media. It is truly sad that people still have these hateful or negative views toward the LGBTQIA+. 

A lot of LGBTQIA+ activists have observed two interesting things regarding Pride Month. The first is that the fight for equality and rights can be quickly weaponized against them. The second is that LGBTQIA+ people often dim their internal light for safety, depending on the setting, situation, or surrounding people. 

How Can Pride Month Enhance Mental Health In The LGBTQIA+ Community?

Whether it’s a publicized goal or not, Pride Month brings together the LGBTQIA+ community and all its diversity. There is beauty in diversity and community, but it can be tough for people to individually navigate their own isolation. Many organizations and peer spaces are available to the LGBTQIA+ community and are there for people, in good times and bad. 

Pride Month also helps undo what the negative media puts out against the community. A lot of people who may not be “out” yet or struggle with their own gender identity or sexuality. Pride Month, then, serves as a space of solidarity for those still living in the closet. 

At the end of the day, Pride Month is a time of acceptance, despite whatever homophobia, transphobia, or biphobia still exists in the world. It is for the LGBTQIA+ community, but allyship can help advance community efforts. Families and friends of LGBTQIA+ community members can help participate in events and empower everyone. Being a great ally can help advance the community, but it also means that you learn more about the issues that affect the LGBTQIA+ community. You are there for the people in your life who require support!

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June is Pride Month, and it’s dedicated to celebrating the work of LGBTQIA+ activists who have changed the world. The gatherings that take place over the course of the month allow LGBTQIA+ individuals to celebrate who they are, and who they are proud to be. By going to Pride events, the community gets to celebrate who they are and who they love. The welcoming and accepting nature of these events relieves any person of fear they might otherwise experience in the world. 

What Is Pride Month?

Dedicated to uplifting LGBTQIA+ voices, Pride Month celebrates LGBTQIA+ rights and culture. Throughout the month, there are many celebrations that take place, including parades, protests, live theater, memorials, drag performances, and more. Additionally, there are many celebrations of life that commemorate members of the community who lost their lives to HIV/AIDS. Part of the month is about political activism, while the other part focuses on celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community and the victories it has achieved over the years. 

Why Is June Pride Month?

Early in the morning on June 28th, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York’s Greenwich village. Officers started hauling patrons outside and tensions escalated quickly. Patrons resisted arrest and a large crowd of bystanders began throwing coins, bottles, and other things at the officers. Fed up by the harassment by authorities, New York’s gay community broke out in neighborhood riots that lasted three days. 

The uprising served as somewhat of a catalyst for an emerging gay rights movement. For example, the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance formed after the historic event. These organizations modeled themselves after the civil rights and women’s rights movements. Members of the organizations held protests, met with political leaders, and interrupted public meetings to hold leaders accountable. One year after the Stonewall riots, the nation’s first Gay Pride marches took place. 

What does LGBTQIA+ Stand For?

LGBTQIA+ is an inclusive term that includes people of all genders and sexualities. The acronym stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and allies. Each letter may stand for a specific group of people, but the term encompasses the entire spectrum of gender fluidity and sexual identities. Queer is an umbrella term for non-straight people, while intersex refers to those whose sex does not have a clear definition because of hormonal, genetic, or biological differences. 

Where Did Pride Come From?

According to historical accounts, many people credit Brenda Howard as being the “Mother of Pride.” She organized the first Pride parade to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. 

Where Did the Rainbow Flag Originate?

The rainbow flag, created by artist Gilbert Baker in 1978, is a commonly used symbol of LGBTQIA+ ride. Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S., commissioned Baker to make a flag for the city’s upcoming Pride celebrations. Baker, a prominent gay rights activist, used the stripes on the American flag as inspiration, but used the rainbow to include the many groups within the gay community. Many people don’t know that each color of the flag has its own meaning. Red symbolizes life, orange is healing, yellow is sunshine, green is nature, blue is harmony, and purple is spirit. The original eight-color flag included hot pink and turquoise. The former represented sex, while the latter represented magic and art. 

Pride events welcome allies from outside the LGBTQIA+ community. There are many opportunities to show support, observe, listen, and learn more about Pride during the month of June. See what your community has to offer via social media, news outlets, and more. Happy Pride Month!

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Gloomy winter weather is typically the first thing that comes to mind in a conversation about seasonal depression. It’s no secret that many people suffer from seasonal depression, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), in the winter months. A less common type of seasonal depression arrives on beautiful, sunny summer days, and it is just as serious. 

How is it possible that warm days and sunshine cause someone to head down a depressive spiral? Before passing judgment, always remember that every person is different. It’s estimated that up to 30% of people with seasonal depression will experience summer depression, according to psychiatrists. People with summer-patter depression, also known as reverse SAD, tend to experience symptoms of depression about four or five months out of the year when the weather is warmer. 

As with any form of depression, early treatment is the best approach. The exact timing of treatment will depend on the person’s history with the mental illness. There are no studies of treatments that are specific to summertime depression, but the following strategies may help relieve symptoms and boost mood. 

Dark Therapy

Just as light therapy can benefit those with winter SAD, dark therapy may help those with summer SAD. Some people report that they feel better when wearing dark glasses. Wearing blue-blocking goggles at night may help reduce the stimulating effects of blue light. Additionally, wearing blue-blocking goggles has been able to benefit people with manic or hypomanic symptoms in bipolar people. If you feel irritable or agitated as a result of summertime depression, consider wearing blue-blocking goggles. You can also turn off all screens at night to help limit your blue light exposure. 

Create A Routine And Stick To It

Psychiatrists explain that following a consistent routine can help inspire motivation and fulfillment. Start with the basics: wake up on time, brush your teeth, shower, maintain regular mealtimes, and schedule bedtime. If you feel comfortable with all of that, consider adding exercise, self-care practices, and creative outlets to your routine. A great way to stick to a routine is to write your routine down in a planner. You can also use a scheduling or productivity app. You can even go so far as to write memos on sticky notes!

Avoid Depression Traps

What is a depression trap, exactly? The ways in which people cope with depression are not always the most conducive to their mental health. Engaging in these traps will only worsen depression symptoms. Some of these unhealthy behaviors include:

• Blaming yourself constantly
• Watching too much pornography
• Eating when you’re bored, not hungry
• Gambling online, often
• Playing video games for hours and hours
• Spending a lot of time browsing your phone or laptop
• Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol

Shift Your Circadian Rhythm

One theory about winter SAD is that circadian rhythms change, go awry even, during the winter. Circadian rhythm is the body’s internal program that regulates the timing of all biological functions. The circadian rhythm is orchestrated by daily cycles of light and dark. Depending on winter or summer SAD, light or dark may help reset the person’s internal clock. Some people with summer SAD feel that their circadian rhythms run late, so they walk outdoors each day during summer at sunrise and look in the direction of the sun for 10 minutes. This is a simple practice that may lift spirits throughout the summer. There are no studies to back this up, so you may have to experiment for yourself to see if it benefits your circadian rhythm. 

Cold Temperature Treatment

If you are familiar with the Ice Man, also known as Wim Hof, then you understand the importance of the ice bath. Many people have embraced cold therapy for accelerated recovery, more energy, and reduced inflammation. Plunging into a cold bath shocks the body and has a therapeutic effect. In fact, many cold plunge enthusiasts agree that regular ice baths help to boost mood. Others report that cryotherapy has a similar effect, although that is much colder than an ice bath. Fill a tub with cold water and some ice next time you feel down and take a three minute plunge, taking care to breathe deeply throughout. You may love the results!

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