Sunshine Guilt and Mental Health
Jessica Chang, MHC-LP
It is midsummer - the sun is shining, there is the slightest breeze, and it is 80 degrees outside, and for whatever reason, you are inside. If the thought of this scenario evokes a somewhat panicked feeling within you, you are not alone. Right before writing this article, despite having three loads of laundry to do (yes, I was completely out of all the important stuff) and an atypical schedule for the day which allowed me to work from home in the morning and afternoon and to have a few hours between sessions, I decided I needed to go outside and leave my apartment to go write in a setting that provided more sunlight than my building-facing window. It did not matter that I had gone on a run outside the day before and have spent every weekend of July soaking up sunshine and generally felt fatigue. I walked half a block before coming to reason (noticing I did not really want nor need to be working outside today), allowed myself to walk to the end of the block, turned around, and went straight back to my apartment to start my laundry and begin this post. The common seasonal phenomenon involving feelings of guilt, anxiety, sadness, and regret when you stay indoors on a sunny day is known as sunshine guilt.
Understanding Sunshine Guilt
Sunshine guilt arises due to a combination of societal and cultural expectations and personal beliefs about productivity and leisure. There is often a belief that we should maximize our time outdoors, a pressure to seize opportunities to be outside, and a fear of wasting a beautiful day. A sense of urgency and scarcity mindset is often present as well, feeling pressure from not knowing when the next ‘perfect’ day will be or how many more will follow. We may associate rest and staying indoors with laziness, contributing towards feelings of guilt in choosing to remain inside. A constant need to be productive also carries sociocultural and gendered significance. Largely, the perceived obligation to be outside as much as possible can lead to a sense of missing out and not making the most out of the day.
Sunshine guilt and mental health are intertwined. When we experience misalignment in our values and actions, anxiety, guilt, and sadness may arise and self-esteem may be negatively impacted. We may also feel distracted and have trouble focusing, interfering with our sense of motivation, productivity, satisfaction, and accomplishment. Additionally, there is an increased awareness that sunshine and being outdoors has positive impacts on mental health as well as a brighter spotlight on prioritizing mental health. When the sun is shining outside, we may feel like we owe it to ourselves to soak in the mental health benefits, a natural break from increased cortisol levels, anxiety, depression, and overall mental distress. Especially upon experiencing a pandemic and lock-down with a rise in remote work and indoor activities, there may be an increased perception of how much time is spent indoors and pressure to get outside.
FOMO (fear of missing out) is largely responsible for sunshine guilt. The outdoors are often associated with being active, socializing and connecting, and going on vacation… sunny weather = health and happiness, and if we are not seizing sunny weather days, then we are passing up on valuable experiences and opportunities. There is also a social and evolutionary component to feelings of sunshine guilt. Within social comparison theory, we all have a natural tendency to compare ourselves with others and in turn feel bad at times, which is escalated with social media. You may feel inferior, or that you have failed, when you perceive others as having better experiences than you, feeling like you are not where you should be in life. Evolutionarily, missing out on group activities could have jeopardized your survival.
How to cope with and combat sunshine guilt
Tune into what your body needs. Do a body-check or body scan to intentionally notice yourself and what you need in the moment. Sunshine guilt and FOMO are not all bad. It can be a sign that you need to prioritize more spending time outside. Or it can be an indication that you are bearing the weight of societal, cultural, and personal pressures. Practice distinguishing these feelings of obligation, expectation, and pressure within yourself and realign with your values.
Reframe your thoughts. Rather than focusing on what you may be missing out on, pay attention to what you may be gaining by staying indoors. Perhaps it is providing you a space with fewer distractions or a space to rest. Find balance - it is not all or nothing - find the ratio that works for you.
Practice self-compassion. It is okay if you are experiencing sunshine guilt. It is valid to feel like you are missing out on certain opportunities and experiences. You most likely will at some points in life, but there will be other opportunities and experiences that come along that you will not miss out on, and the feelings associated with sunshine guilt are only temporary. Remind yourself that you are making the best decisions for yourself at the time in the way you know how.
Check for signs of burnout. Paired with pressure to make the most out of NYC summers, a midsummer check-in with yourself can be especially helpful for your wellbeing. If you find that you are scanning the weekly weather forecast and feel disappointed that there are no clouds in sight, consider your state of mind and allow yourself permission to slow down when possible. Are you having fun still or are you succumbing to ‘hustle culture’ and prioritizing productivity, achievement, and success over happiness and wellbeing?
Bring the outdoors to you. Depending on what is feasible, incorporate outside-time into your schedule. Wake up early to stand outside for five minutes, take lunch outside, go for a walk on your phone call, join a gardening or hiking group, plan your next trip outdoors. Fill your space with plants and embrace the natural world within your home. Be creative in the ways you close the distance between you and being outside.
Sources
1. Blumberg, P. (2024). That sense of FOMO you feel on sunny days? It’s called “sunshine guilt”. Today.
2. Cherry, K. (2024). Is Sunshine Guilt Giving You FOMO? Verywell Mind.
3. Luppino, O. (2024). What Is ‘Sunshine Guilt?’ Here’s Why You Get FOMO When It’s Sunny Outside–And How to Cope. Women’sHealth.