September Is Here- How Are You Actually Feeling and how is your Mental Health?
The kids are back at school. The lunchboxes are packed, the uniforms are on and the house is quiet again. For many adults this moment brings an enormous sense of relief, but for others it brings something unexpected. A flatness. An anxiety that doesn’t quite lift. A realisation that the chaos of summer was actually keeping you distracted from something that’s been quietly building underneath. If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. September is one of the most common times adults reach out for counselling.. and there’s a very good reason for that.
Did You Put Your Own Mental Health on Hold This Summer?
The summer holidays have a way of pushing adult mental health firmly to the bottom of the list. When you’re juggling childcare, entertaining the kids, managing work, dealing with the financial pressure of six (seven realistically) weeks off school and running on very little time for yourself.. there simply isn’t space to think about how you’re really doing. Many adults spend the entire summer telling themselves they’ll deal with it in September. They’ll make that appointment. They’ll finally talk to someone. They’ll take some time for themselves once things calm down. Well.. September is here. And now is exactly the right time to make that call.
Why Anxiety Can Feel Worse in September
September brings a change in routine, shorter days and the quiet return of all the things summer was keeping at bay. For adults who struggle with anxiety, low mood or low confidence, this shift can feel really unsettling, even if on the surface everything looks fine. You might notice feeling flat or low without really knowing why, a sense of dread about the week ahead, difficulty sleeping or switching your mind off, irritability or feeling on edge, or a creeping sense that you’re not coping as well as you should be. These are not signs of weakness. They are signs that you’ve been carrying something heavy for a long time and your mind and body are asking you to pay attention.
The Back to School Transition Is Hard for Adults Too
We talk a lot about how children find the back to school transition difficult, but adults struggle with it too. New routines, new pressures, the end of summer and the reality of autumn settling in can trigger anxiety and low mood in ways that catch people off guard. If you’ve got a child who has just started school or nursery for the first time, that transition brings its own emotional weight. The worry about whether they’ll settle, missing them, adjusting to a new schedule- all of this has an impact on your own mental health that often goes unacknowledged. And if your own mental health has been difficult for a while, adding a major routine change on top of that can tip the balance in a way that’s hard to ignore.
You Finally Have Some Time — Use It for Yourself
Here’s the thing about September. For the first time in weeks you might actually have a window. A moment in the day that isn’t filled with somebody else’s needs. Whilst it can be tempting to fill that space immediately with work, chores or catching up on everything the summer disrupted, this is also your opportunity. Counselling sessions typically last 50 minutes. It doesn't even have to be weekly. We offer fortnightly, three weekly, even monthly. That’s it. And for many people it becomes the most valuable 50 minutes of their week.. a space that’s entirely theirs, where they can talk honestly without judgement and start to make sense of how they’re feeling.
Counselling for Anxiety and Low Mood in Christchurch BH23 and West Moors BH22
At BCW Counselling we work with adults across Christchurch BH23, West Moors BH22 and the surrounding areas who are struggling with anxiety, low mood, low confidence, ADHD
and more. Sessions are face to face in calm, specially chosen private therapy rooms- all of which have excellent parking nearby. We also offer online if that works better for you. There’s no waiting list, no referral needed and no pressure. Most clients are seen within a couple of weeks of getting in touch. If September has arrived and you know something needs to change, this is your sign to do something about it.
Book your free 10 minute telephone consultation today- no commitment, just a conversation.
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