The summertime is a time that every young person gets excited about as there is no school and more time to enjoy activities. But, teens and young adults who are struggling with mental health issues may find that summertime is a challenge as it can make symptoms of mental health issues worsen when time isn’t managed well. It’s important that young people who are living with mental health conditions strive to manage their daily schedules and include activities that can boost mental health. This way, the summer can be more enjoyable and more things can get accomplished without the symptoms of mental health issues getting in the way.

Get a Summer Job or Internship Within Your Desired Field

Spending time furthering your education and goals for your career path are great ways to expand your mind and also keep busy while being with like-minded individuals. All of this can help to ward off unwanted emotions that can come during your mental health recovery journey like feelings of isolation and doubt or anxiety for the future. Some things you can do include:

Finding a summer job: Summertime jobs can help you get ahead in the career that you’ve chosen while also helping you to put up some money away for your future. Often, businesses offer part-time opportunities for young adults in the community.

Finding a summer internship: If a business doesn’t offer summer positions, they may offer internship positions instead that allow you to get a better understanding of what to expect from a career field. This can provide you with the opportunity to develop a more in-depth opinion about whether or not you want to continue working in your desired field. And, give you some experience within a specific expertise which can help you get a job later on in the future.

Volunteering Within Your Community

Volunteering is a great way to stay occupied and also develop meaningful relationships with people within your own community. Knowing people is a great way to have opportunities presented to you later on in life. And, helping people in your own local community can not only help others but allow you to feel that you’re doing something that’s good and impactful in a meaningful way, which can benefit your overall mental health. Part of the recovery process is acting in service to others and developing a sense of empathy – one great way to do that is to get out in the world, out of your comfort zone, and expand your mindset which volunteering often allows you to do. Volunteer opportunities are all over the place from local churches, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, animal shelters, and more.

Getting Outside Into Nature

Being in nature is a well-known way to boost mental health. The sunlight can help to promote the extraction of vitamin D through the skin which can help to improve mood management and happiness. Furthermore, moving your body can help to release endorphins that also can promote a better, more happy, and more self-motivating mindset. There are a number of things that you can do outside to get the blood pumping including:

• exercising like riding a bike, running, or walking
• gardening
• getting out on the water (swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking, etc.)
• hiking in the woods or nature trails
• exploring national parks or nature trails

Getting Help for Mental Health Issues as a Young Adult

While being active during the summertime can help to boost mental health, if you’re dealing with a mental health condition, doing some of these things may not help to completely deter symptoms of these conditions. In this case, it’s important to reach out and ask for help from professionals.

Treatment geared specifically to the issues that young people with mental health issues face is important to consider as it pinpoints these issues and provides individualized care. Yellowbrick offers mental health treatment for emerging adults, or young people who are on the precipice of adulthood. Find out more about how we help emerging adults by learning more about our programs and services on our website.