Feeling Anxious? It's Not Just You—The 'August Scaries' Are Very Real

Newsweek

a day ago

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August may be all sunshine, vacations, and long days—but, for many, it also brings a sense of end-of-summer dread.
Across TikTok, people are sharing their thoughts on what has been dubbed the "August Scaries," a creeping sense of melancholy and anxiety that arrives as the season draws to a close.
TikTok poster Regan Sweeney (@regansweeney) captured the feeling in a viral post that racked up more than 13,400 likes and over 72,000 views. "June is Friday. July is Saturday, and August is Sunday," she said.
Sweeney said that June still feels busy with work and school—like the anticipation of Friday. July is "the most-perfect month of the year," just as, in her opinion, Saturday is the most-perfect day of the week.
Stock image: A sad woman buries her head in her lap on the beach.
Stock image: A sad woman buries her head in her lap on the beach.
EyeEm Mobile GmbH/iStock / Getty Images Plus
But then comes August. The weekend is technically still here, but the end is looming. Sweeney captioned the video: "August is the world's longest Sunday scary."
The 'August Scaries' Take Over TikTok
TikTok user @lmoneyy222 agreed, posting: "Chat, I'm getting the August scaries, I hate this feeling every year."
Kaitlyn Gale (@kaitlyngale) shared a similar sentiment in a TikTok video, lamenting the month's bittersweetness.
"August is like an entire month of Sunday scaries. The last month of 90C weather, going to the pool, one month to the sun setting at 5 p.m., one month closer to seasonal depression kicking in. It makes me violently ill to think about summer ending," Gale added.
Others chimed in with their own takes in the comments.
"September is Monday, October is Friday, and November is Thursday. I don't make the rules, I just follow them," posted one user.
"Early June is like early Friday morning and middle June is 3 p.m. Friday and end of June is Friday night," commented Madi.
"No because August feels like Sunday night but yet December feels like Sunday morning?" wrote Gracie.
"I was saying this to my mum. August every year I feel so flighty!" one user added.
Why August Feels So Heavy
Ingrid Radford, a clinical hypnotherapist and mental-health first-aid champion, told Newsweek that our brains are wired to prefer predictability.
"When our routines shift, such as at the end of summer holidays, the start of a new school term, or a return to a busier work schedule, our brain's threat detector, the amygdala, may decide to sound the alarm and mark these changes as potential danger," Radford said.
This can lead to anxiety, overthinking, and a quiet grief for summer's end.
Joseph Conway, psychotherapist and workplace mental-health trainer at Vita Health Group, told Newsweek that even positive changes can feel mentally taxing.
"In the workplace, this late-summer transition can create a double whammy. For many, the 'August Scaries' mean the holiday headspace is colliding with the reality of inboxes, deadlines, and commutes," Conway said.
He recommends easing back into routines with short bursts of work and intentional breaks, plus simple personal rituals—such as taking the long route home after school drop-off—to smooth the shift.
Dr. Hannah Nearney, a clinical psychiatrist and medical director at Flow Neuroscience, told Newsweek the August Scaries are "stress forecasting."
"Neurologically, there's a tug-of-war between the prefrontal cortex, which plans and regulates, and the amygdala, which scans for threats. You can think of it this way: in August, the amygdala comes back from vacation, too, and often wins; not because there's danger, but because the brain interprets upcoming demands as risk," Nearney said.
"It's the same circuitry that made our ancestors restless before a harsh season; only now the 'fall' or 'winter' we're bracing for is meetings, school runs, and deadlines," she said.
Nearney suggested gradual reintroduction of structure before September hits, maintaining at least one spontaneous activity, and, for more-severe seasonal mood dips, considering noninvasive brain stimulation therapies.
Leslie Davenport, climate psychology educator and therapist, added that August blends the pressure of transition with the loss of summer's ease.
"The first step is to understand that it's normal. To acknowledge that this is happening, maybe even remember that you've been through this before and it's temporary, begins to ease the tension. It also doesn't need to be seen as a final end to enjoyment and adventure," Davenport said.
Planning small joys in early fall—like a weekend getaway or embracing fall traditions—can reframe the experience from dread to anticipation.
Adina Babad, a licensed mental-health counselor, told Newsweek that seasonal transitions can stir up existential feelings because they mark the passing of time.
"Summer especially is associated for many of us with freedom, whether because, growing up, we always had summer breaks and now associate summer with that free time, or because we get more daylight, which often positively impacts our mood," Babad said.
She recommended reflecting on summer's highlights, listing things to look forward to in the coming months, and actively planning events or activities that bring joy and connection.
Beating the August Blues
Experts agree that the key to tackling the August Scaries is preparation. That means:
Plan ahead for enjoyable activities well into fall.
for enjoyable activities well into fall. Reintroduce routine gradually before summer officially ends.
before summer officially ends. Preserve some spontaneity to offset the loss of freedom.
to offset the loss of freedom. Acknowledge and normalize the feeling instead of resisting it.
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