Every Summer, I experience a dark, albeit brief, depression. And I don’t mean I just get sad because I’m bored without the structure and responsibilities of full-time school and constant interaction; I get refuse-to-get-out-of-bed-for-days depressed. I get is-it-really-necessary-to-take-showers-more-than-every-three-days depressed. What’s-the-point-of-eating-when-I-have-to-eat-again-in-a-few-hours depressed.

And maybe it is because of the lack of structure; maybe the debilitating heat makes it impossible to go outside and enjoy yourself without taking an ice bath afterward; maybe it’s the lessened social interaction. But for me, Summer is the worst part of the entire year. So, for those of you who feel the same way, I’ve compiled a list of things that can be done about this.

1. Get a full-time Summer job

Now, listen, this doesn’t sound appealing to me either. But as the type of person who feels like she’s losing her mind without daily social interaction and responsibilities, this, combined with the actual need to get out of bed in the morning, and the money that can be used to spend on concerts and day trips to amusement parks to actually enjoy yourself this summer, would probably combat most of my symptoms and hopefully yours as well.

2. Create a portfolio of all your creative work

They say the creative types are more likely to get depressed. I won’t go into the “Am I depressed because I am creative or am I creative because I’m depressed?” interrogation, but for me at least, creating things tends to be very helpful. So, write and direct a short film, self-produce an EP, create a series of paintings about your dreams, whatever you have to do, get it done. Because not only will you feel better as a person but also as a creator, you’ll have something to show for your time off, and you’ll stand out as a job applicant with interesting submissions to show off your skills in your craft.

3. Treat your mental health with the same urgency you would treat your physical health

Trust me when I say that this is the most important thing you will ever learn to do as your teen-hood comes to an end. It’s very important to do a daily check-in with yourself: Do I feel okay about where I am right now? Is there any way I could be more honest with myself about my feelings? Am I making time for myself every day?

Additionally, keep a journal and/or talk to a therapist. Reach out to your closest friends about how you feel when you’re upset. Everyone is different, so figure out what you need to do in order to take care of yourself as much as possible.

Bear in mind that I am not an expert on mental health, I have just been dealing with my own mental health fluctuations for a long time. Everyone has good and bad mental health days, some worse than others. Make sure you take care of yourself and if nothing you do on your own seems to be working, seek professional help.