07/06/26 -WHY SUMMER FEELS SO OVERWHELMING: A CHINESE MEDICINE PERSPECTIVE
Every July, I start having the same conversation in my clinic.
Someone comes in and says:
“I don’t understand what’s going on. It’s summer. I should feel good. We just got back from vacation. We’ve been spending time with friends and family… but I feel exhausted.”
And honestly?
It makes sense.
Because we have this idea that if something is fun, relaxing, or something we looked forward to, our body should automatically experience it as restorative.
But that’s not always how the body works.
Summer is beautiful.
Longer days.
Pool days.
Family gatherings.
Vacations.
Travel.
Barbecues.
Late nights.
More memories being made.
But summer is also a season of more.
More activity.
More stimulation.
More disrupted routines.
More social energy.
More heat.
More demands on your body.
And even when those things are good things…
They still require energy.
This is something Chinese Medicine has recognized for thousands of years.
Summer is connected to the Fire element.
Fire represents joy, connection, movement, expansion, and expression.
Think about what happens in nature during summer.
Everything grows outward.
Plants expand.
The sun stays out longer.
Life becomes louder and more active.
Humans naturally follow that rhythm too.
We want to gather.
Explore.
Travel.
Create memories.
There is nothing wrong with that.
But here’s the part many people miss:
Expansion requires recovery.
You cannot constantly pour energy outward and never bring anything back in.
Your body keeps track.
One of the biggest misconceptions I see around stress is the idea that stress only comes from bad things.
Your nervous system doesn’t categorize life that simply.
It responds to demand.
A vacation can still create demand.
Hosting family can create demand.
A full social calendar can create demand.
Staying up later and changing routines can create demand.
You can love something and still need recovery from it.
Both things can be true.
In Chinese Medicine, we also talk about excessive heat affecting the Shen — which is often described as the mind, spirit, and emotional center.
When that system feels unsettled, people often notice:
They aren’t sleeping as deeply.
They feel more reactive.
Little things bother them more.
They feel restless but tired.
They feel disconnected from themselves.
From a modern perspective, we can look at similar patterns through nervous system activation, inflammation, hydration, sleep changes, blood sugar shifts, and lack of recovery.
Different language.
Similar observations.
And this is why I love blending ancient wisdom with modern medicine — because when you listen closely enough, the body has usually been telling the same story all along.
So if you’ve been wondering:
“Why do I feel off when I’m supposed to be enjoying myself?”
Maybe the answer isn’t that you need to completely restart your routine.
Maybe you don’t need another extreme detox or another plan that makes you feel like you failed.
Maybe your body is simply asking:
“Can we replenish some of what we’ve been spending?”
That looks like getting back to basics.
Drink your water.
Get morning sunlight.
Eat food that actually nourishes you between all the celebrations.
Protect your sleep when you can.
Create quiet moments.
Give yourself permission to have days where you’re not constantly doing.
Health is not about controlling every season of life.
It’s about learning how to work with the season you’re in.
Summer is meant for joy.
It’s meant for connection.
It’s meant for expansion.
But even fire needs balance.
So ask yourself:
Where have I been spending energy that I haven’t been replenishing?
That answer might be exactly what your body needs for the rest of this season.
→ Book a consultation and find out what your system has been compensating for.
- Dr. Ava
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