Prof Fatima Zaman
After more than two decades working alongside adults living with some of the most complex and challenging mental health conditions, I have witnessed time and again how profoundly the changing of seasons can affect a person’s wellbeing. Winter in the United Kingdom is particularly unforgiving for those already navigating depression, anxiety, psychosis, or trauma. The long months of darkness, cold, and isolation can quietly compound symptoms drawing people further inward, away from connection, movement, and light. By the time spring arrives, many of the individuals I support have spent months largely confined to their homes, their world having grown smaller and their distress deeper.
This is why I regard the arrival of summer not simply as a change in weather, but as a genuine clinical opportunity one that is too often overlooked.
Sunlight does something no medication can fully replicate. When natural light reaches the skin, it triggers the production of Vitamin D, a nutrient we know to be closely linked with mood regulation and the reduction of depressive symptoms. Simultaneously, exposure to daylight helps regulate our circadian rhythms the internal body clock that governs sleep, appetite, energy, and emotional stability. For individuals living with conditions such as bipolar disorder, major depression, or anxiety disorders, disrupted sleep cycles are frequently at the heart of their difficulties. Getting outside into natural light, particularly in the morning hours, can help recalibrate these rhythms in ways that even the most carefully managed medication regimes sometimes cannot achieve alone.
Beyond the biological, there is something profoundly psychological about stepping outside into warmth and openness. In my clinical experience, the simple act of feeling the sun on one’s face can interrupt cycles of rumination and withdrawal that are so characteristic of depression.
One of the most important things I tell the people I support is this: going outside does not need to look like exercise. It does not require a gym membership, a fitness plan, or any particular level of physical ability. Sitting on a bench in a local park, walking slowly along a quiet street, tending to a small patch of garden these are all legitimate and genuinely therapeutic acts.
There is strong evidence from environmental psychology that exposure to natural settings trees, open skies, birdsong, flowing water reduces cortisol levels, lowers blood pressure, and calms the nervous system. Green spaces, in particular, have been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and improve concentration. For adults managing psychosis or severe anxiety, the gentle sensory stimulation of the natural world can provide grounding and a sense of safety that indoor environments often do not.
I have seen individuals who had not left their homes in weeks take their first steps outside to sit in a garden, and that moment however small it may appear — can mark the beginning of a meaningful shift in their recovery.
Summer also creates natural and low-pressure opportunities for social engagement. Loneliness is one of the most significant and underestimated factors in poor mental health, and yet for many people living with mental illness, the prospect of planned social activities can feel overwhelming. What summer offers is something more organic a neighbour chatting across a fence, a family gathering in a local park, a gentle walk alongside a friend. These interactions do not demand much, but their impact can be considerable.
I frequently encourage the people I work with to begin with small, manageable social goals a short walk with a trusted person, a visit to a local café, sitting amongst others in a public garden without any obligation to interact. Gradually, these small steps rebuild a sense of belonging and connection to the wider world that mental illness so often erodes.
For those in recovery, routine is everything. I always encourage the people I support to try to introduce a simple daily outdoor habit during the summer months even ten to fifteen minutes at a consistent time each day. Routine and predictability are stabilising for the mind, and when that routine is attached to something as naturally rewarding as fresh air and sunlight, it becomes easier to maintain and build upon.
I would particularly encourage carers, support workers, and family members to gently facilitate this where possible. Sometimes, for a person living with severe depression or anxiety, the barrier to going outside is not unwillingness it is the weight of the illness itself. A quiet invitation, a companion, and a short and achievable outing can make an enormous difference.
I must also acknowledge, from experience, that summer is not universally positive for everyone with a mental health condition. For some individuals, the heat, noise, and social expectations of the season can bring their own pressures. Longer days can disrupt sleep for those with bipolar disorder. Busy outdoor spaces can be overwhelming for those with anxiety or sensory sensitivities. It is important, as always, to listen to the individual and to take a personalised approach rather than prescribing a one-size-fits-all solution.
That said, for the majority of people I have worked with over the years, summer represents an extraordinary natural resource for healing one that is free, accessible, and available right outside the front door.
This summer, I would encourage everyone in Britain whether you are personally affected by mental illness, supporting someone who is, or simply looking to protect and nurture your own wellbeing to step outside. Let the light in. Walk in a park. Sit by water. Share a meal outdoors with someone you care about.
In twenty-five years of this work, I have never once heard someone say that fresh air made them feel worse. Start small, be consistent, and trust that nature in its quiet and unhurried way has something genuinely healing to offer.
