How seasons affect you: Summer

With the warmest of seasons comes a palpable sense of eagerness and freedom, of expanding beyond limits to connect with the things and people that bring you joy.

This heightened vibrancy is usually attributed to circumstances—school’s out, vacation’s in, and the days are longer—but there’s something more innate at play.

Human beings are part of a natural ecosystem. As such, the seasons—particularly the transitional periods, when we move from from one season to the next—factor significantly into how we feel.

Just as trees and animals respond differently to summer than they do to winter, humans are affected by seasonal changes too.

The difference between us and trees is we tend to forget that we’re creatures who are influenced by the forces of nature.

This makes us prone to lower emotional states and physical symptoms during seasonal transitions.

This perspective is a foundational teaching in Chinese medicine. In that system, each season is associated with one of Five Elements:

It’s common for a season’s associated element to tip out of balance during the transition from one season to the next, making it extra important to take seasonal-specific actions that nurture the season’s element.

Why some people seem different in summer

The element of summer is Fire.

You may notice yourself having more energy and ideas, feeling more social and extroverted, or experiencing all-around better moods. This is because Fire energy peaks in summer.

However, not everyone’s Fire energy gets expressed this way.

How you feel during summer is largely determined by your constitutional expression of the Fire element.

You probably know someone (maybe it’s you!) who can run around on 90-degree days with plenty of energy to spare. Often, this same person is enthusiastic, charismatic, communicative, and optimistic. They have a playful attitude, enjoy intimacy, and are quick to connect with others.

This is the profile of a Fire type who’s expressing the strengths of their Primary Element.

You also probably know someone who hates the heat, who spends June through September feeling lethargic and fatigued. They may be perceived as selfish, distant, and introverted, becoming easily overwhelmed by too much socialization or noise.

This is the profile of either a Fire type whose Primary Element is out of balance, or a non-Fire type who’s struggling with the seasonal change.

In both scenarios, since it’s easy for elemental strengths to tip toward excess in their associated season, it’s important to be aware of how you’re showing up.

Summer is a time to allow your Fire qualities to flourish while remaining mindful that the flames sometimes need taming.

4 ways to stoke your Fire energy this summer

Here are some pointers for maintaining a balanced Fire element this summer.

Be active

Activity is a great way to access the extra energy that’s available this time of year. And since the Fire element is associated with the Heart system in Chinese medicine (which includes but is not limited to cardiac function), summer is a good time to pay attention to your heart health.

Exercise keeps blood and oxygen circulating so proper nutrients can make their way to the rest of your body. Fire types should be cautious about overdoing it with exercise, especially on very hot days or at signs of excessive sweating or face flushing.

Be social

Fire qualities include connection, intimacy, communication, and joy. Have that BBQ, hit that pool party, organize a day at the beach. Even connecting with strangers is good—strike up a conversation in the elevator, smile at someone in the grocery aisle, spend a few extra minutes chatting up the delivery person.

Nurturing connections during summer not only makes the season more enjoyable, it also helps ease the transition into fall and winter, when we tend to pull inward and spend more time alone.

Be funny

Every element has an associated emotion and expression of that emotion. Fire’s emotion is joy and its expression is laughter.

When you're hanging with friends or strangers this summer, crack jokes, appreciate theirs, tell funny stories, then tell them again. Keeping the laughter flowing will keep your Fire energy burning bright.

Be near water

All Five Elements keep each other in balance, but the complementary relationship between Fire and Water is especially important.

Fire and Water represent opposite ends of a continuum: Fire is responsible for the way you interface with the external world while Water is about your internal life.

In summer, there’s a natural exaggerated expression of Fire qualities, so being physically near water can be a grounding experience that reminds you of the interconnectedness within and around you.