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It’s one of those rare sunny days in the Pacific Northwest, where the sky is cloudless and the mountain is out. And it’s not even summer! You should really get out there and make a dent in that vitamin D deficiency, but instead, you’re inside, procrastinating, and you’re not even sure why.
Sometimes, pushing yourself to get out on nice days feels like too much pressure. And it’s not just you being lazy; the (unofficial) term for this phenomenon is sunshine guilt. As you would expect, it happens more often here in the PNW than in, say, Florida.
But did you know there’s a psychological reason why you feel this way?
Why does sunshine guilt happen?
Between your friends’ social media posts and your doctor’s recommendations that being out in nature is good for your health, there’s a lot of external pressure to go for that walk, run or hike on a sunny day so you can make the most of the good weather.
You might also feel internal pressure, because you know that tomorrow might bring the return of our characteristic rain and gloom.
“When there is strong social messaging around certain activities, like going outside on nice days, it can be easy for ‘should’ thoughts to pop up. Buying into these ‘should’ thoughts can create a sense of obligation and turn an otherwise enjoyable activity into just another to-do list item on an already-too-long list,” says Katherine Seldin, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist and acting assistant professor at the UW School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
Sunshine guilt can become a spiral of negative emotions. If you feel like you should go outside on nice days, it might seem like another chore, and you might find yourself reluctant to do it, the way you might get reluctant to clean those dirty dishes or mow the lawn. And then you might feel guilty about your reluctance.
“It's easy to get caught up in this cycle of thinking that can turn an activity that is supposed to be fun into a source of stress,” says Seldin.
How can you get rid of sunshine guilt?
Instead of blaming yourself and sinking deeper into a guilt spiral, try these things the next time sunshine guilt pops up:
Identify when “should” thoughts appear
Take an intentional pause and recognize what’s happening in your head, rather than just running with it.
Are you thinking you “should” go outside because you “should” take advantage of the weather?
Replace “should” with “want”
Instead of telling yourself you should go for a walk, tell yourself you want to go for a walk. Then reflect: Is the statement still true? If it is, why do you want to go outside? Maybe it’s because fresh air instantly boosts your mood or because you know that getting some exercise will help with that mid-afternoon slump.
“Identifying your own reasons for going outside can place the agency back into your hands, amplifying your own motivation and shifting the focus off of the external demand,” Seldin says.
If the allure of the outdoors isn’t strong enough …
If you realize that you don’t actually want to go for that walk, try to be curious about the feeling rather than judgmental of it.
Are you extra busy today and feel like you don’t have time for yourself? That might be an opportunity for a reminder about the importance of self-care. Or maybe you’re recovering from an illness and are really tired, and it would help you more to take a short nap instead.
Whatever the reason, try not to think of it as bad or wrong; simply investigate why you feel that way.
Sure, if you never go outside, that’s not great for you mentally or physically, but skipping one day here and there isn’t harmful.
Optimize your outside time
Want to make time in fresh air a priority, but are struggling to? Try scheduling short amounts of time outside (like a 10-minute walk between meetings) or bringing a friend along for accountability and social connection.
You can also make time outdoors into a two-in-one by doing a hobby you enjoy, like listening to your favorite podcast or birding. Maybe you bring a book with you and take a short reading break on a park bench after getting in some of your daily steps.
“Planning ahead and building up your toolbox of strategies for coping with sunshine guilt can help you respond more effectively when you are faced with it,” Seldin says.
And, of course, if you’re noticing that you’re getting down on yourself regularly — sunshine guilt or not — that’s a sign it’s time to consider talking with a therapist. They can help you learn how to show yourself more compassion and focus on the things in life you truly want to do.
