In partnership with
Lara here, Girlboss’ contributing writer. 👋
Today we’re broaching one of our most taboo topics yet… hating summer. 😱 It’s a controversial opinion that’s up there with hating puppies and Christmas, but today we’re breaking down why Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder could actually be the reason summer always gets you down.
Other stuff the Girlboss team is yapping about on Slack:
Ugh, tennis just became the first major women's sports league to require genetic testing.
Let this be your sign to start taking your side hustle seriously.
💼 Job of the day: Do you gobble up YA books like it’s your damn job? Well, it could be! Penguin Random House is hiring a Director, Young Adult Marketing ($100K–$110K) to work on their marketing campaigns for major authors like Ali Hazelwood and John Green.
🏝️ What if you aren’t burned out, but simply ripe for a vacation?
📱 Your lock screen deserves a glow-up. You're welcome.
🍑 Step aside, peptides. The hottest new wellness status symbol is… your coochie?!
❤️🔥 LOL, 38% of Gen-Zers want private spaces at work to hook up.
It's Here: Pique's New Caffeine-Free Afternoon Energy
I quit my afternoon coffee. Not because I wanted to — because I found something better.
You know that wall you hit every day around 2–3 PM? I used to just accept it as the cost of doing anything. Another coffee, a quick spike, then the crash — and somehow I'd still feel dehydrated by dinner.
Then I tried X·E Fountain, Pique's brand-new electrolyte energy drink, and I genuinely wasn't ready for how good "no crash" could feel.
No caffeine jitters. No 4 PM slump. Just clean, steady energy that actually hydrates me instead of draining me. It's built with a premium Vitamin B Complex for natural cellular energy, Magnesium Malate + Taurate for real focus, and a full electrolyte blend that makes it feel like a treat, not a chore.
The cucumber-celery-lime flavor is so crisp and refreshing — it's basically stolen my afternoon coffee slot completely.
OMG, Is Reverse Seasonal Affective Disorder the Reason You Hate Summer?!
Has summer been getting you down in the dumps lately? 🤔
Between nonstop heatwaves and wildfires wreaking havoc on our planet and our air quality, we can hardly blame you… It’s been a rough f*cking go! Plus, all the hotties on SSRIs are feeling the effects of the summer heat extra hard, since the meds make it even harder to cool down. Woof!
And because we’re conditioned to think of summer as a fun time to enjoy the sunshine and take time off, it can be even harder to reconcile your sadness and discomfort with the season… but it turns out Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is just as real in the summer as it is in the winter.
🤷♀️ Wait, WTF is SAD?
If you’re unfamiliar, SAD is a type of depression tied to changes in seasons (there’s a truly excellent Broad City episode on the topic that should be mandatory viewing, TBH). It typically starts in fall or winter when there is less sunlight, but can also occur in late spring when summer is just beginning.
🧐 Are the symptoms of SAD the same in the summer?
A lot of the classic SAD symptoms are the same across seasons: a persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood, a loss of pleasure in hobbies and activities, and decreased energy, to name a few. But there are some symptoms that are particular to summer:
Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
Poor appetite, leading to weight loss
Restlessness and agitation
Anxiety
Violent or aggressive behavior
😟 I’ve been feeling pretty anxious and grumpy lately. Does that mean I have SAD?
To be clear, having a crappy summer or hating the heat doesn’t mean you have SAD: it’s a recurring seasonal pattern. If you’ve noticed you feel the same way every year, it could be worth investigating with a trusted healthcare professional.
🤔 Either way, summer makes me feel sh*tty! What should I do about it?
You know how we give ourselves permission to lay low and rest in the winter? Consider offering yourself that same generosity in the summer: it can be as simple as saying no to that happy hour with coworkers or clearing your weekend schedule so you can lie in bed with the AC cranked and binge-watch Sterling Point (it’s so good, BTW).
Prioritizing the rhythm of your body over the rhythm of the seasons can help to reset your system. Plus, you might find you actually enjoy summer after all (when it’s on your own terms, that is!).
POLL: How do you feel about summer?
What Team Girlboss has been loving lately.
💍 Cool-girl jewelry brand Mejuri has its summer sale on right now! You can take 15% off when you spend $150, 20% off $300, and 25% off $500. We’re snagging the Organic Dôme Liquid Letter Pendant Necklace that’s been in our carts for ages.
📸 We're never receiving another "storage full" notification again! Proton Drive Plus gives you 200GB of encrypted cloud storage for just $1 your first month.*
💃 Contributing Writer Lara recently subscribed to the clothing rental service Nuuly, and she’s hooked! It’s $70/month to rent six items (if you use code TRYNUULY for your first month), and she scored so many cute things to wear on her upcoming Euro trip (like this adorable Lisa Says Gah pasta-themed top!).
💞 Season 3 of My Life with the Walter Boys dropped on Netflix last week, and if its perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes is any indication, there’s never been a better time to revisit your fave country-fied teen love triangle.
🍬 Lara recently swapped her boring fiber pills out for Trader Joe’s Sweet & Sour Gummy Worms Candies because they’re loaded with fiber (four pieces have 7 grams!) and they’ve turned a chore into the highlight of her day.
📺 Post Production Enablement Supervisor, CNN
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