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Summer blues or depression? The onset of autumn, the lack of light, and the psyche: what helps combat low mood at the end of summer.

Summer blues: The difference between SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and melancholy at the end of summer

Change of season: Between gratitude and melancholy as autumn approaches

When the evenings get shorter, the damp air in the morning already smells like autumn, and it gets dark at eight o'clock, a peculiar feeling overcomes many people. A sweet melancholy, a diffuse sadness, as if summer had quietly packed its bags. There is now a name for this: August blues or end-of-summer sadness. This phenomenon has only a marginal relationship to classic summer depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD). It is a signal of transition – and it is worth understanding its complexity.

The transition from bright summer to gentle autumn not only brings cooler temperatures but can also affect our mood. Many people feel a sense of melancholy as summer draws to a close.

What it's all about:

·         The difference between this melancholy and genuine summer depression

·         the psychological aspects of summer melancholy and

·         the distinction from summer depression

·         a better understanding of our seasonal mood swings

The psychology of summer melancholy

What are the August blues?

Studies have shown that seasonal changes have a direct impact on our psyche.

Many people associate summer with time off, holidays, and carefree moments. The end of summer can evoke a range of emotional responses. As summer draws to a close, feelings of dissatisfaction and even anxiety can set in. Anticipation of autumn and the new season can be comforting, but often the melancholy of the past prevails at first. Overall, the end of summer evokes a variety of emotional reactions.

The August blues, also known as end-of-summer sadness, is the feeling of sadness that many people experience as the days grow shorter and summer comes to a close. It is a kind of sweet melancholy triggered by the knowledge that the carefree days of summer will soon be over. These feelings of sadness are usually short-lived and arise from the loss of summer activities and the associated light-heartedness.

Difference between melancholy and depression

It is essential to understand the difference between seasonal melancholy and full-blown seasonal depression. The August blues are a temporary and subtle, widespread feeling of sadness that often occurs at the end of summer. Depression is a severe mental disorder. Summer depression, also known as "SAD", is a form of seasonal depression that occurs in summer and differs from the more familiar winter blues.

What's behind the August blues: the neurobiology of transition

The influence of shorter days on mood

The influence of shorter days on our mood is a significant factor in the development of the end-of-summer blues. The amount of sunshine decreases. This lack of light affects the production of serotonin, dopamine, and melatonin, which influence our sleep-wake cycle. The transition to the new season requires our bodies to adapt to the changed light conditions, which does not always go smoothly.

Neurobiology: When the internal clock changes

Our body's most crucial pacemaker is located deep in the brain: the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). This tiny cluster of cells reacts directly to daylight falling on the retina via the eyes. As soon as the days become shorter, the SCN adjusts its rhythm.

·         Serotonin levels drop: Less sunlight means less activation of the serotonin system. Mood and motivation fluctuate more easily.

·         Dopamine shifts: While serotonin decreases, dopamine typically increases in autumn. That creates a peculiar tension – less serenity, more inner restlessness.

·         Melatonin levels rise: Darker evenings stimulate melatonin production—the result is more fatigue and a feeling of leaden heaviness.

Research indicates that these changes occur in response to the changing light conditions in August, well before winter begins. So the diffuse feeling of sadness is not an illusion, but a biologically understandable reaction.

Serotonin and its role in summer

Serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates our mood, is particularly important in this context. Studies show that serotonin production tends to be higher in summer. That increases our sense of well-being. When summer comes to an end and the days get shorter, serotonin production decreases. This drop can cause feelings of sadness, dissatisfaction, or even depression. The discrepancy between the increased serotonin levels in summer and the lower levels in autumn can trigger the onset of the autumn blues.

Neurobiology of seasonal affective disorder

Neurobiology also plays a key role in seasonal affective disorder (SAD), especially in summer seasonal affective disorder. Norman Rosenthal made pioneering contributions to this field. Studies show that people with SAD often have impaired regulation of serotonin and melatonin. The lack of light in autumn and winter can lead to increased melatonin secretion and reduced serotonin production in affected individuals, which may contribute to depressive symptoms. In contrast, people with summer SAD suffer from depressive symptoms during the summer months, possibly due to heat sensitivity or other factors. The term"" is also regularly used here. The psyche of those affected is severely impacted.

Psychological mechanisms: Why the end of summer makes us sad

Psychologically, too, the end of summer marks an apparent change. Months of freedom, long evenings outdoors, socialising, and travelling come to an end. The calendar fills up again with appointments, school, work, and everyday life.

Psychology refers to this as situational grief: we lose something – not only light, but also the lightness that accompanies it. This form of melancholy is similar to the small goodbyes in life: the end of a journey, the completion of a project, returning home after an intense period. The feeling seems vague because there is no tangible loss to mourn. But the psyche clearly registers the change.

Important: August melancholy is not depression

Here follows the crucial distinction.

·         Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a clinical diagnosis. Those affected suffer for weeks from a distinct lack of motivation and joy, changes in sleep and appetite, social withdrawal, and loss of function. They need medical and psychotherapeutic support.

·         August melancholy, on the other hand, is a transitional mood. It can make you sad, cause inner emptiness, and even trigger fears – but it is temporary, responds to conscious effort, and is part of the natural rhythms of human experience.

The melancholy at the end of summer is therefore not pathological, but a culturally deeply rooted part of our rhythm of life.

The transition from summer to winter in the past

Until modern times, the transition from summer to autumn in Europe had a profound impact not only on nature but also on people's everyday lives. The end of summer meant the end of the harvest season, when the fruits of labour were brought in. Without electricity, winter was dark and cold for most people, marked by short days, cramped living conditions in smoky rooms, and endless nights. ("Winter" contains the root *wed- = "wet, damp" – so winter was originally "the wet season".) What also resonates here is the reinterpretation of the sadness about the remembered bliss of summer into an inescapable experience of transience.

Harvest time was therefore a time of preparation for this season of scarcity and cold. Festivals and rituals marked this transition, often associated with gratitude for the harvest and prayers for protection from the dangers of winter. These rituals reflected people's close connection to the rhythms of nature and helped to cope with feelings of sadness and uncertainty.

These festivals strengthened the community, expressed gratitude for the harvest, and welcomed the onset of the dark season. Many religions have harvest festivals to celebrate the fruits of labour. Processions are held to pray for a good harvest in the coming year. Older customs include lighting fires to ward off dark forces. All rituals of transition help process feelings of sadness and farewell, and awaken anticipation for the coming season.

Summer in literature and art

Summer has always held a special significance in literature and art, representing a time of lightness, abundance, and joie de vivre. But the melancholy of the end of summer also finds expression in poems, paintings, and stories. Artists and writers have often used the seasonal transitions as a metaphor for human emotions and experiences. Summer then stands for rich abundance, following the youth and vitality of spring, while autumn stands for maturity, but also transience. These representations shape our perception of summer and its decline.

Autumn

Autumn has now arrived,

Has taken away the beautiful summer dress

Has been taken away from the fields

And scattered the leaves

To protect them from the harsh winter wind

It covers warmly and gently

With the colourful leaves,

Which are already tired and going to rest.

Through the fields you can see driving

A beautiful woman

And from her long hair

Golden threads in the meadow

Spin them and sing as you go:

Eia, my little flowers,

Don't always look for others,

Eia, sleep, sleep.

And the little birds high in the air

Over blue mountains and lakes

Fly far away to the ravines,

Where the tall cedars stand,

Where with their golden wings

On the blessed tomb

Angels sing hosanna

Through the silent air at night.

Romantic nature poetry loves the tension between beauty and decay. Joseph von Eichendorff's "Autumn" unfolds a quiet ritual of transition. Autumn takes the "summer dress" from the fields and covers the earth "warmly and gently" with colourful leaves. Transience does not appear as violence, but as a caring gesture.

Particularly impressive is the image of the woman driving through the fields and spinning golden threads across the meadows. This refers to Indian summer – the fine cobwebs that shine like threads of gold in the light. In Eichendorff's interpretation, they transform the landscape into a luminous fabric that preserves the memory of summer while also adorning autumn. Psychologically, one could say that nature itself spins threads of transition that link the past with the future.

The lullaby to the flowers – "Eia, meine Blümelein, schlafet ein" (Eia, my little flowers, fall asleep) – gives this transition a maternal, almost childlike touch. Summer does not end abruptly, but is gently sung to sleep.

And even the birds that migrate to distant lands do not represent loss alone, but also hope: they point to Jerusalem, where "angels sing hosanna".

The poem closes the cycle of nature, memory, and transcendence. Eichendorff thus shows that melancholy is more than grief: it is a continuum of transience and care, of loss and transformation. The delicate threads of Indian summer are the perfect symbol for this – inconspicuous and yet deeply comforting.

Across the heath

Across the heath

my step resounds;

The dull echo from the earth

wanders with me.

Autumn has arrived,

Spring is far away -

Was there once, then,

a time of bliss?

Brewing mists surround me

like ghosts,

Dark is the vegetation,

and the sky so empty.

Would that I had not

come here in May!

Life and love -

how they flew by!

Theodor Storm takes post-Romanticism one step further. His sober statement: "Autumn has come, spring is far away – was there ever a blissful time?" – is like a silent provocation. He rejects the comforting idea that everything that is lost simply repeats itself. Instead, he interprets the seasons as an existential memento: there is irretrievable transience and loss. This attitude sounds almost modern because it sets a limit on the idea of cyclical recurrence. While nature does indeed renew itself, the subject experiences loss as final. Storm thus articulates a truth that is also familiar in today's psychology: not all experiences can be repeated, and it is precisely their uniqueness that gives them weight.

The folk song, on the other hand, chooses a different language. "Autumn, autumn, autumn is here" sounds cheerful, almost defiant, as if it does not want to acknowledge the heaviness of farewell: everything follows a cycle. Only the form of expression changes – instead of elegiac melancholy, the folk song focuses on shared cheerfulness. It channels the wistfulness by transforming it into a shared ritual. The psychological function is clear: what is difficult for the individual becomes easier when shared and sung in a rhythmic manner. The melancholy dissolves in the communal experience.

Perhaps that is precisely the point: between Eichendorff's wistful return, Storm's sober doubt, and the cheerfulness of folk songs, there is a cultural arc that is still viable today. It shows how societies have learned not only to endure the changing seasons but also to interpret them as a mirror of their own transience, as a reminder of irretrievable moments, and as a community-building ritual. Melancholy thus becomes a school of life, teaching that beauty is always bound to finitude, and it is precisely this duality that makes summer immortal in our memories.

Societal perception of sadness in summer

This is why society's perception of melancholy at the end of summer is so divided. On the one hand, summer is idealised as a time of happiness and carefreeness. Feelings of sadness do not fit in with this. On the other hand, there is also an understanding of the melancholy that accompanies the end of summer.

People who suffer from the summer blues or summer depression may therefore feel misunderstood or isolated if their complaints are not taken seriously. It is crucial to create an open and accepting environment in which those affected can express their feelings of sadness without feeling ashamed or guilty.

August blues: how it feels

Unsurprisingly, reactions to the transition from summer to autumn are very individual. While some welcome autumn with open arms and look forward to cozy evenings and the colorful splendor of nature, others experience a significant deterioration in their mood.

Many people describe the August blues as a feeling of sadness that creeps in with the end of summer. They feel tired, listless, and less motivated to pursue their usual activities. Some report sleep disturbances or an increased need for withdrawal. The psyche suffers from the impending change of season.

Some develop symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), while most simply experience mild melancholy. Not everyone who feels sad as autumn approaches is suffering from depression. Studies show that there is a wide range of reactions to the change of seasons.

Recommendations for dealing with the summer blues

Practical tips for coping with melancholy

Several practical tips can help you cope with the melancholy of the end of summer. In general, the following applies:

·         Ensure you eat a balanced diet and get sufficient sleep to enhance your overall well-being.

·         Meditation and relaxation exercises can help reduce stress and improve your mood.

Take advantage of the remaining sunny days to stock up on vitamin D, as a vitamin D deficiency can contribute to depressive symptoms. Even if it's hard to look forward to autumn, you can focus on the positive aspects of the new season.

Five strategies to combat the blues: light, structure, exercise

Research clearly indicates that suppression increases stress, whereas conscious planning facilitates the transition more easily. Those who accept melancholy and at the same time use small levers in everyday life can transform it into a source of strength.

1. Soak up light – especially in the morning

Just 20–30 minutes of bright daylight after getting up stabilises your biological rhythm. Going for a walk early in the morning or using a light box gives your serotonin system the boost it needs – visible brightness, as well as inner brightness, if you will.

2. Consciously introduce structures

August marks a return to routines. Establishing daily schedules in good time – fixed bedtimes, clear work blocks, small break rituals – reduces the shock of the transition. Psychologically, structure strengthens the feeling of self-efficacy.

3. Exercise as an anchor

The lower, yet still pleasant temperatures invite you to exercise – such as running, cycling, or dancing. Exercise has an antidepressant effect and prolongs the summer energy. It is even more effective in nature: a walk in the park, a bike ride through the fields.

4. Building social islands

Melancholy intensifies withdrawal. Consciously planned social encounters – such as dinner with friends, a concert, or a walk together – create a counterbalance. The folk song shows how singing together used to transform melancholy into joy.

5. Mindfulness and reframing

Short exercises are enough: a mindful walk after lunch, a brief breathing sequence, or a reframing sentence, such as "transition = opportunity." This way, sadness is not suppressed, but framed as an experience that gives depth.

More on this topic: long-term strategies for lifting your mood

In addition to short-term measures, there are also long-term strategies for maintaining a positive mood over time. They tie in with the five strategies:

·         Developing a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise, a balanced diet, and sufficient sleep.

·         Social contacts and meaningful activities.

Note: However, if you notice symptoms of depression, consult a doctor or psychotherapist.

Conclusion: take August melancholy seriously, but don't pathologise it

The diffuse feeling of sadness at the end of August is a neurobiologically measurable, historically and psychologically understandable phenomenon – but it is not depression. It is a transitional experience that has been culturally reflected and artistically expressed for centuries.

Summer depression and August melancholy are distinct phenomena. The former belongs in the hands of professionals. The latter is part of the human annual cycle – a sweet melancholy that reminds us that every ending also prepares us for a new beginning.

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