JACKSON, Wyo. — By the end of a long tourist season, many locals feel exhausted from the crowds, the traffic, summer gapers and more. Patience can run thin. This atmosphere of general frustration and annoyance is known as “Angry August.”
Anne Ellingson, therapist with Teton Behavior Therapy, says she recognizes the phenomenon in patients and in herself. She attributes the summer burnout feelings to the difficulty of finding balance in life, which can be particularly challenging in ultra-expensive Teton County. Those hustling in multiple jobs to pay the rent can rarely indulge in a spa day.
“You can’t pour from an empty cup,” Ellingson told Buckrail. “It’s really important to be able to listen to your needs. Ask, ‘What feeds me? What feeds my soul?’ Some clients have no idea. If you don’t know, try different things: meditation, mindfulness, journaling, exercise, spending time alone, spending time with friends. How do you best care for yourself?”
Ellingson notes that self-care can help with creating a more sustainable long-term feeling of balance in life. But one can’t always drop everything and go for a hike, especially in the middle of a dinner rush restaurant shift, she acknowledges. In the throes of a stressful moment, grounding exercises can help.
“If you’re feeling like, ‘I’m really fried, I want to punch someone in the face next time they ask me for a drink,’ go into the bathroom and run some cold water over your hands, or splash it onto your face,” she said. “Try breathing exercises: breathe in for four counts, hold for four, breathe out for four, hold for four.”
She also says practicing mindfulness can help defuse tension in most situations. Mindfulness is the awareness of one’s internal states and surroundings, according to the American Psychological Association. It can help people avoid spinning out into anxiety attacks by focusing the attention on physical sensations and staying present in the moment.
“You can mindfully do anything,” Ellingson said. “Mindfully go outside and walk around the block, if you have a moment. Mindfully pick up the plates off of the table and put them in the dish pit. Use the senses: ‘What am I noticing about this? I’m feeling the plates, I’m smelling the food, I’m feeling my body walking.'”
If “Angry August” feelings persist even after work stressors slow down, it could be a sign that further help is necessary. Teton County residents can access online mental health resources CredibleMind and ManTherapy.org free of charge.
