Summer Stress Relief: 7 Evidence-Based Stress Relief Techniques for Gen Z

It’s that time of the year again.

For some people, it’s time to chill, but for some, more planning means more anxiety. As a matter of fact, most teens and Gen Z have admitted that summer worsens their anxiety symptoms and causes an extremely high release of the stress hormone cortisol.

This article explores the seven best stress relief techniques for summer and how to stay stress free this holiday season.

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Understanding Summer Stress: Why Does It Hit Gen Z the Hardest?

Gen Z in the United States is presently experiencing a stress pandemic. A recent study reveals that Gen Z is the most stressed generation with an extremely low coping mechanism, even in the workplace.

And summer breaks are not helping. Especially with the rapid evolution of summer activities, the pressure keeps accumulating, and most individuals are subjected to greater anxiety. Let’s examine the five main factors that cause stress and anxiety for Gen Z during summer:

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1. Financial Barriers

Not everyone gets the same fun and exciting experience during summer. For some, there is enough time and structured events to explore and get the most out of socializing. For some others, it’s challenging to keep up with the pace of others, going on adventures, taking vacations, and attending diverse social events. 

Financial barriers like high student loans, school demands, work, and juggling internships hinder much of the population from participating in the summer. This inequality and inability to socialize during summer causes many young people to compare themselves and despair.

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2. Lack of Structure & Routine

Summer brings much free time and less routine, which can feel strange and disturbing. 

Because school activities don’t exist and regular day-to-day routines are off the charts, most Gen Z feel a deep void and are unsettled in making progress during this period. Research shows that a lack of structured activities accounts for 34% of the worries of parents for their kids’ mental health during summer.

Transitioning from an end-of-school-year to an unstructured summer can lead to burnout and overwhelming feelings.

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3. FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)

Seeing others enjoy all the best parts of summer can be heartbreaking, especially when you cannot go on trips and spend like them.

Summer breaks put more pressure on Gen Z via exposure to social media. Most people scroll through their phones and see how their friends, classmates, and acquaintances are cooling off during this period and feel missing out.

Social media presents perfect images, videos, and collages. This leads most young people to make comparisons, feeling left out and inadequate.

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4. Feelings of Loneliness/Isolation

Research proves that Gen Z experiences more isolation than other populations; about 73% of Gen Z report feeling lonely most of the time or sometimes. 

Holidays could feel incredibly isolating, especially when there are no real-life connections. This could mean you see your friends less, you don’t get to interact with your mental health support group frequently, and you also feel extremely isolated because the holiday routine feels odd.

Also, the obsession with social media during summer leads to reduced face-to-face interaction. 

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5. Career Uncertainty

When you're unsure about your career path, you become stressed, your anxiety level spikes, and overthinking slips in.

Generally, summer is viewed as an advantage for career navigation or finding a purpose for life in a particular field of interest.

Most Gen Z give their time to getting internships, job experiences, and learning skills that will position them as perfect candidates in the job market.

This period could have lots of stress and mental tension when you feel unproductive and face huge academic or career uncertainty.

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7 Evidence-Based Stress Relief Techniques for Gen Z

Do you frequently feel burnt out from summer stress? Or do you dread this season because of the rush of events that follow at times? It’s okay if you think that way; don’t be discouraged. 

We have compiled seven evidence-based stress relief techniques for you to enjoy the most of this summer. Let’s dive in.

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1. Mindfulness Practices

Summertime is sometimes rough, clumsy, and overwhelming. But you’ve got mindfulness and relaxation techniques to the rescue! 

These stress relief techniques significantly reduce stress, keep you focused on the present, and overcome anxiety and overthinking.

Meditation helps you relax and disengage from the noise of planning parties, travels, and even camp events. 

To meditate, take time to be in a silent place. Finding a quiet atmosphere could be difficult because family is around, the house is cluttered, outdoor events are unending, and the distractions continue. 

However, creating a relaxing atmosphere for yourself, even in a noisy environment, is possible and absolutely achievable if you are intentional enough about it.

After finding a still place, sit comfortably, close your eyes, and breathe. Breathe deeply but slowly, focus on your breath, and exhale slowly. 

This form of breathing is called Exclusive time for picnics, vacations, getaways with close friends, and summer camps. , which reduces high blood pressure and stabilizes mood. It’s also effective in enhancing relaxation and controlling the release of stress hormones.Let’s explore the practical stress relief techniques you can use to deal with stress this season.

Don’t wait till another stressful event or the next time you’re about to shut down before you practice deep breathing.

Pro tip- Practice deep breathing regularly; these relaxation techniques help you consistently release the tension in your mind and body. 

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2. Create a Summer routine

Imagine Lucy is the firstborn in her family, and since summer began, she’s felt completely disoriented. One day they’re off on a road trip, and by Friday, it’s a full day at the beach.

“Summer is supposed to be fun, right?” she thinks.

But for Lucy, it’s nothing relaxing. She's constantly tasked with watching over her younger siblings. There’s no time for herself. No room to breathe. Sometimes, all she wants is a quiet moment alone, but someone always needs her.

She’s drained. Overstimulated. And worst of all, there’s no structure to help her feel grounded. 

Because unstructured time provokes stress, creating a routine is essential for a structure that would accommodate all your activities through the summer period. 

This could involve assigning specific times for different activities throughout the day. For example, you might schedule personal development activities, physical fitness, family meetings, social events, or travel.

A routine is a perfect stress relief technique that creates an ideal symphony between relaxation, work, school, and summer activities. With this, you’re able to control your activities and their influence on your mental health. You can conveniently focus on work, go out on dates, or binge tv, and still de-stress.

Nonetheless, sticking to a schedule or a to-do list might be full of ups and downs. Maybe you easily forget when it’s time to go for a walk, or you get so glued to one activity that you lose track of time. The most difficult part is that you feel helpless and alone in fixing your schedule.

But with Brightn, you can easily set your intentions for the day and plan your activities all day. Brightn ensures you get constant reminders for your tasks and emotional support to accomplish everything.

Pro tip- Draft a time plan for all your activities and responsibilities, and follow through thoroughly.

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3. Reduced Screen Time

Gen Z has the highest rate of phone addiction, with about 6 hours and 37 minutes of daily use. Another study shows that 83% of Gen Z admit to having an unhealthy relationship with their phones. 

During summer, when it all gets hot, the climate, parties, and the overwhelming amount of events, the use of smartphones increases, and more young people spend more time scrolling through Instagram, exploring the perfect “summer” body. 

Interestingly, most people discovered a decline in their mental health due to excessive use of smartphones and social media exposure during this period. 

You must limit screen time and endless scrolling through social media for your mental wellness. This approach would help you keep a sane mind, disconnect from the social media illusion, and engage more in productive activities.

Controlling social media usage would keep anxiety and FOMO out of the way, strengthen your relationships, and enhance your sleep despite the hot weather.

Pro tip- Set a reasonable daily limit for screen time. Avoid using your phone at the most crucial times of the day. Practice social media detox.

4. Movement-Based Stress Relief Techniques

Move your body as much as you can. 

Exercise is another stress relief technique that enables you to attain better mental well-being. Staying fit and improving on physical activity has been proven to enhance the release of endorphins, which are responsible for feelings of happiness. 

If you are struggling with a stressful event this summer, depression, or anxiety, instead of zoning out and feeling lost, engage in movement practices and activities that will aid you in releasing stress and tension.

Exercise helps lift your mood and increase your energy, giving you the right daily boost. You can integrate activities like walking, juggling, or cycling into your daily life. 

Still, staying consistent and active can be a struggle, not because you don’t want to do it but because your mind feels cluttered and overwhelmed even to start. Determining the best fitness approach or the right knowledge could feel confusing.

Brightn can help.

Download the Brightn app to see how it supports physical fitness with numerous resources and actionable strategies to achieve your fitness goals.

Pro tip- Take time daily to move your body by creating a routine. More importantly, exercise regularly and consistently.

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5. Forming Connections and Social Bonds

Struggling with loneliness and isolation? Community has the power to transform your world; it is a powerful stress relief technique!

Free time during summer can come with many benefits, such as meeting new people, reconnecting with lost friendships, hanging out with friends, and forming deeper bonds with family members.

With family, you can connect deeper, see the details, share responsibilities, and reflect on family values. Due to the reduced level of activities during summer break, you get to understand your family members better, spend quality time together, and hold hearty conversations.

How about spending more time with an elderly family member, listening to them speak about what summer looked like when they were little and there was less commuting?

Or giving out time to giggle and share pure, unfiltered moments of joy with your siblings?

According to research, family relationships aid in coping with stress and anxiety.

Likewise, forming social bonds facilitates the release of the “happiness hormone”, endorphins. Summer allows you to attend more parties, festivals, coffee dates, pop-up events, travels, and many more, in which you’ll be able to socialize and ignite your heart with other folks. 

Socializing and bonding boost your mood and control anxiety and depression symptoms. From social connections and strong bonds, you are provided with emotional support, a sense of belonging, a strong community during decision-making processes, and more self-confidence.

Pro tip- Slow down and spend quality time with your loved ones. Prioritize making connections and networking during summer activities.

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6. Get Mental Health Education

Gen Z has witnessed more mental health challenges ranging from anxiety, depression, ADHD, higher levels of stress, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, suicidal ideation, and the list goes on. A recent report shows that of the population, Gen Z are more likely to go for therapy.

Being mentally aware and equipped with practical knowledge for emotional well-being helps you build resilience skills. It is equally essential that emotional intelligence is taught within the four walls of schools to help young individuals process their emotions better and learn adaptation skills and stress management. 

Mental health education would help empower you to manage stress when summer gets rough and prepare you for the next school year.

Brightn contains a vast collection of resources that span health, wealth, and purpose and support you every step of the way.

Pro tip- Read more books, blogs, and resources about mental health knowledge. Learn from other individuals who have learnt how to overcome mental health struggles.

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7. Journal Frequently

When your mind gets clouded and activities get a chokehold of you, your journal is your friend.

Trying to keep up with your routine could get bumpy and challenging. It doesn’t have to end that way. You can easily use your journal as a reflection tool to examine what you have achieved, activities you could not execute, and practical steps to take to have the best summer experience.

Journaling also helps when you need to offload your thoughts, reminisce about events you’ve attended, and enjoy memories from your trips. 

This form of writing brings you closer to yourself, helping you develop a deeper form of self-discovery giving you more direction in life and a greater sense of purpose. You can also enhance your journaling experience with prompts.

Pro tip- Discover a traditional or journaling AI app format that suits you. Use prompts as guides for your writing.

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Conclusion

In dealing with stress, you must practice the stress relief technique that matches the stress you’re dealing with. 

Don’t lose yourself to the pressure; allow yourself to be safeguarded from summer’s once-in-a-year, big blast anxiety. Start your Brightn journey today and kickstart a progressive journey tackling summer stress.

Summer activities won’t necessarily decline, but you should make time out of your busy schedule to practice stillness. Limit your screen time, make real-life connections, and find ways to move your body and exercise while at it. 

Spending quality time with your family and friends is a good distraction that shifts your focus from stress and allows you to embrace the benefits of relationships progressively.

Maximize this summer to gain resilience skills, reflect on your mental health goals, and restrategize for when summer is over.

Which of these stress relief techniques will you try first? Share it with a friend or journal about it today. 

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