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08/18/2026  

Mental Health Check-In: 7 Signs It’s Time to Ask for Help This Summer

Summer is often associated with sunshine, vacations, family gatherings, and spending more time outdoors. While many people enjoy the season, summer doesn’t automatically improve everyone’s mental health.

In fact, changes in routine, increased social commitments, childcare responsibilities, financial stress, and even extreme heat can make symptoms of depression and anxiety more noticeable.

If you’ve been telling yourself, “I’m just stressed,” or “Things will get better after summer,” it may be time to check in with your mental health.

 

1. Mental Health Check: You No Longer Enjoy Things You Used to Love

One of the most common signs of depression is losing interest in activities that once brought you joy. Maybe you usually enjoy:

  • Going to the beach
  • Spending time with family
  • Gardening
  • Walking your dog
  • Exercising
  • Watching your kids play outside
Now, those same activities feel like obligations instead of something to look forward to.
 

2. Mental Health Check: You’re More Irritable Than Usual

Depression doesn’t always look like sadness. Sometimes it shows up as frustration, impatience, or feeling overwhelmed by small inconveniences. Maybe you’ve noticed you’re:

 
  • Snapping at your spouse
  • Losing patience with your children
  • Feeling annoyed more often
  • Having a shorter fuse than usual

These changes can be signs that something deeper is going on.

3. Mental Health Check: Your Sleep Has Changed

Sleep and mental health are closely connected. You may find yourself:

  • Struggling to fall asleep
  • Waking throughout the night
  • Sleeping much more than usual
  • Feeling exhausted even after a full night’s sleep

If these changes continue for several weeks, it’s worth talking with a healthcare provider.

4. Mental Health Check: Everyday Tasks Feel Overwhelming

Simple daily responsibilities can suddenly feel exhausting. Examples include:

  • Letting laundry pile up
  • Avoiding phone calls or emails
  • Skipping meals because cooking feels like too much work
  • Struggling to find motivation to leave the house
  • Not showering or bathing

Depression often affects energy, concentration, and motivation.

5. Mental Health Check: You Keep Waiting to Feel Better

Many people delay seeking help by thinking:

“I’ll feel better after vacation.”

“Once the kids go back to school, things will improve.”

“I’m just having a rough week.”

While temporary stress is normal, depression that lasts for weeks or months deserves attention.

6. Mental Health Check: You Feel Lonely Even Around Other People

Summer is filled with social events, but depression can make people feel isolated even while surrounded by family and friends may be smiling on the outside while feeling emotionally disconnected inside. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

7. Mental Health Check: You’re Beginning to Lose Hope

If you’re finding it difficult to imagine feeling better, or you’ve started believing nothing will change, it’s important to seek help. Depression is a medical condition—not a personal weakness—and effective treatment options are available.

When Should You Ask for Help?

If symptoms of depression or anxiety have lasted longer than two weeks and are affecting your work, relationships, parenting, or quality of life, it’s time to speak with a qualified mental health professional. Seeking help early can make a meaningful difference.

Treatment Options for Depression

Treatment is different for every individual and may include:
  • Individual psychotherapy
  • Lifestyle modifications
  • Medication
  • Regular exercise and improved sleep habits
  • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for individuals with treatment-resistant depression
 
TMS Therapy at SEPA TMS

At SEPA TMS, we proudly provide multiple FDA-cleared Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatment options for adults living with depression. TMS is a non-invasive treatment that uses gentle magnetic pulses to stimulate areas of the brain involved in mood regulation. Unlike medication, TMS does not circulate throughout the body, does not require anesthesia, and patients can return to their normal daily activities immediately after each treatment.

 
Standard TMS

Standard TMS is FDA-cleared for the treatment of depression.

  • Treatment sessions take approximately 15 minutes or less
  • Most patients complete 36 treatments over approximately 9 weeks
  • Covered by virtually all major insurance plans
 
Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS)
Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS) is another FDA-cleared treatment option for depression.
  • Treatment sessions take approximately 3 minutes
  • Typically 36 treatments over approximately 9 weeks
  • Provides a significantly shorter treatment time while delivering similar clinical effectiveness for many patients
 
Accelerated TMS Protocol

SEPA TMS also offers an FDA-cleared Accelerated TMS Protocol for qualifying patients. This innovative protocol includes:

  • Approximately 50 theta burst treatments delivered over 5 consecutive days
  • Approximately 9 minutes per treatment
  • No anesthesia
  • No recovery time

Insurance coverage for accelerated treatment varies by individual plan. Our experienced team works with each patient to determine which treatment option is most appropriate based on their symptoms, medical history, and insurance coverage.

 

You Don’t Have to Wait to Feel Better

Mental health challenges can happen during any season. If depression or anxiety is affecting your daily life, know that effective, evidence-based treatments are available. At SEPA TMS, we’re proud to help patients throughout Randolph, Brockton, Braintree, Quincy, Taunton, Canton, and surrounding Massachusetts communities explore personalized treatment options for depression. You don’t have to face it alone.

Book a Free 15-Minute Consultation

Choose a day and time that works for you and speak directly with a TMS therapy coordinator.

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