If you feel a little sad every August, you are not alone, and psychologists explain why

Summer is ending and another year is passing by; you know I don’t like it. Righeira already understood it back in the '80s: August sucks. September is near, and it's time to get back to our responsibilities. This means we’ll soon have to put away bikinis and shorts at the bottom of the wardrobe and wrap ourselves in heavy coats, say goodbye to the sun, and survive the cold, rain, and gray clouds. Most of all, we’ll be forced to return to the daily grind, filled with school, work, and frantic runs trying to balance all our tasks with our personal lives. The result? Many of us feel anxiety, sadness, and melancholy. Like any ending, whether it's of love, a year, or summer, we experience a mix of nostalgia for what we’re leaving behind and fear for what awaits us tomorrow. This is confirmed by many TikTok videos where guys and girls declare that they hate August, as well as by psychologists, who state that spikes in anxiety and bad moods have an explanation beyond a certain mood and mental well-being variation common from one season to another.

Why does August make us feel so sad and anxious?

"I hate August with all my heart," "It’s too hot, there aren’t any good vacations, it has no identity. It’s just a disgusting and sweaty experience," or "Ever since I was a child, August has always had the worst vibes. School starts, post-holiday depression kicks in, you sign up for courses, the sun begins to set, and you realize summer is over." These are just some of the statements of hatred towards August that appear on TikTok. There's something in the air during the eighth month of the year that triggers discomfort and bad moods in many. While the oppressive heat and humidity still rage outside, we find ourselves questioning life or, at the very least, how we spent the summer and what we will face in the coming weeks as we head towards autumn. Even the most ardent lovers of the beautiful season feel the joy of spending days outdoors, the excitement for beaches, barbecues, picnics, and beachside flings fade away.

What is the August blues?

August is the worst month of the year. It serves as a harsh reminder that you’re about to return to your usual routine. Psychologists confirm this as well. "August can be seen as the 'Sunday night' of the year when people feel the impending pressure of returning to routine, work, or school. Just as many feel a sense of dread or anxiety on Sunday nights, August can cause similar feelings on a larger scale, as it signals the end of a period of relaxation and freedom," explains therapist Carly Harris, supporting what psychiatrist Stephen Ferrando, a doctor at Westchester Medical Center, previously theorized: that the August blues is similar to the Sunday blues, the sadness felt on Sunday evening at the end of the weekend and before the start of a new week. The difference? The August blues lasts for an entire month. According to Ferrando, besides the duration, the downside of August’s melancholy is that it doesn’t discriminate by age or between summer lovers and those who can’t wait for it to end. In all cases, there is a kind of FOMO and sunshine guilt, a sense of guilt or dissatisfaction for not having enjoyed the summer enough, not doing enough, or not having fun.

No, the August blues is not SAD

After Blue Monday and the Winter blues, now we know about the August blues, but we must be careful not to confuse the two. The symptoms and feelings experienced during August may seem similar to those of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). For example, there is also a change in light during the eighth month of the year. The days start to shorten significantly, affecting our circadian rhythms or the body’s internal clock and triggering mood changes. The anxiety about summer ending and the tension for the start of a new year is considered part of "subclinical disorders", not severe and/or consistent enough to warrant a diagnosis. This is because, unlike SAD, they present continuously with waves of "onset-remission" lasting at least two years.

How to cope with late summer sadness

Although it’s not often classified as a formal disorder, August melancholy is something to monitor and take care of. Rachel Annunziato, a professor of psychology at Fordham University, explained that even though one often feels guilty for slowing down during this month, "this is an important time to give yourself a little break" and that "it’s OK to feel sad or nostalgic during this period." To prevent sadness and melancholy from turning into something more serious, Annunziato advises that it’s important to be kind to yourself and remember that August doesn’t have to be seen only as a time to prepare for autumn and the return to the daily routine. There’s still time to rest, have fun, plan a trip to the beach, hang out with friends until late, sit in the park with a good book, eat ice cream, enjoy fish barbecues, and fully enjoy the last glimpses of summer. At the same time, it’s also helpful to look ahead to the coming weeks, trying to remember the positive sides of autumn, like Halloween, pumpkin lattes, and vampire movies, and also take advantage of the Virgo season to organize and tidy up our lives. Buy a new sweater, start a new journal, and savor the beauty of nature changing. Because the only remedy for the August blues seems to be living fully in the present and manifesting a better tomorrow.