DIY Therapeutic Activities For August

Your therapy journey doesn’t have to take a pause during summer vacation, but it’s not the easiest time to stay focused. The sun is shining, the water is warm, and we can get so tangled up in the heat and the vacation of it all that we let go of the tools that normally serve us so well. Your journey is ongoing, your potential for self-improvement is limitless, and the future is as bright as the summer sun if you make it so. 

Your activities should be informed by who you are as an individual, and that’s why DIY therapy can be so powerful. This is an environment where you have the ultimate authority to self-analyze and self-repair the inevitable wounds of the human spirit. These activities are here to guide your journey this August, but only you can dictate how and when you embark on it. 

“August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time.”

Sylvia Plath 

Planning A Beach Day Has Therapeutic Benefits 

I actually used to hate going to the beach before someone taught me how to do it the right way. A good beach trip can seriously impact your mental health for the better. But going to the beach is more than just getting in the car with your swimsuit on. Here are some of our best tips for a mindful beach experience: 

• Plan To Go With Friends. Our friends can be one of our greatest resources when it comes to improving our mental health. Set a date and time to visit the beach with your friends and make a morning, evening, or afternoon out of it.
• Bring Food And Drinks. If you’re not a Florida native, you might not have been informed, but the beach is one of the best places to have a picnic! By bringing food and drinks, you can better regulate your temperature, stay hydrated, and have the best beach day you can imagine.
• Wear Sunscreen. It’s not just to prevent skin cancer, it’s for your mental health too! Wearing sunscreen can reduce the fatigue of being out at the beach immensely by preventing an irritating and potentially painful sunburn. 
• Go Early, Go Often. Finding parking is objectively one of the least fun parts of going to the beach. By going earlier in the day (usually between 8am and 9am is early enough), you can avoid the rush and find a good spot even on a busy Saturday. 

Connecting With Others In 2024

Human beings have an innate desire for social connection. We can use the fulfillment of that desire to empower our well-being and mental health. However, first we might have to learn how. You can improve your connections with others by: 

• Invest Your Time Into A Hobby. Our hobbies are an expression of our passionate interest, but they’re also a point of focus through which we can connect with others. The people who operate on your wavelength will appreciate you more for your passion, and potentially share your interest. 
• Putting Yourself Out There. As social creatures, it’s instinctual for us to seek out new people. Making new friendships brings novelty and connection into our lives while also helping us appreciate the relationships we already have.
• Making Plans With Your Loved Ones. It can be hard to communicate effectively, even with the people we’re the closest to. Even though at times it can be challenging, it’s worth it to put yourself out there by making plans with your friends and family. You could plan a visit to the park, share a home cooked meal with a guest, or even go hunting for cryptids in the Florida Everglades, but whatever the plan, make sure you’re doing it with the people you love. 

How To Write To Improve Your Mental Health

We have all collected coping strategies to make ourselves feel better when we’re upset, some of us more so than others. It can be a challenge to know which tool will help in the right situation. Putting together a comprehensive list of coping strategies can completely change the way you look at your coping toolkit. Even when times get really hard, you can return to this list in your mind and call upon the coping strategies that have worked for you in the past. This can include things like: 

• Using TIPP To Reduce Anxiety. When things are severe, it can be hard to pick up a pencil, keyboard, or even occasionally your cellular device. That’s why we should always keep an emergency distress tolerance tool like TIPP on our list, for when you don’t have the emotional standing to do anything else. 
• Self-Soothing To Improve Your Mood. When things are bad, sometimes you are the only one who can truly make it better. By knowing when and how to self-soothe, you can shake off the pains that might otherwise leave you depressed, anxious, or both. 
• Commit To Making Art. We love making art at Integrative Counsel, but we love what making art does for your brain even more. When things are fine, but you don’t want them to get worse, making art can help you to process your subconscious feelings and better enjoy the life you’re living. 

 If you feel stuck on your healing journey, working with a therapist can help. Based on your needs, our intake specialist will help you get matched up with your perfect therapist. Click here to schedule a consultation.

Sunny Ebsary is an educator, multi-modal artist, and writer specializing in the intersection of myth and mental health. Sunny’s writing walks the line between poetic and logical, giving readers a chance to interface with the mind and imagination. Sunny’s been putting pen to paper since he was a child, writing everything from albums, novels, and plays, to essays, interactive games, and of course, many articles! While studying both psychology and writing, he realized his real passion in life was helping others unlock their creative spark. Whether he’s leading a D&D game, directing a production, or diving deep into the brain, you can be sure Sunny will be ushering you toward finding meaning in your life.