Summer Looks Fine From the Outside: What Happens When School Ends but the Anxiety Doesn’t

Summer Looks Fine From the Outside: What Happens When School Ends but the Anxiety Doesn’t

By Denise Takakjy, LPC | July 2026 | Healing Hearts Healthy Minds

School lets out and for a lot of families it feels like a time everyone can exhale…Especially for young adults - no homewor, no late-night studying, no rushing out the door every morning. For a while, it even seems like things are getting better. Then July rolls around, and you start noticing something doesn’t feel quite right.

You might notice your teenager is sleeping all day, staying in their room more than usual, or getting irritated, or isolating. Your teen may say they’re “fine,” but they don’t seem like “themselves”.

Every summer, I hear parents wonder, I thought school was the problem. Why are they still struggling?

Sometimes school wasn’t the problem, other times it was just the thing keeping everything else in your minds chatter busy.

Why Summer Can Be Hard on Teen Mental Health

School brings stress, but it also brings structure. Even teenagers who complain about waking up early benefit from having a routine, seeing people every day, and knowing what comes next. That rhythm can help keep anxiety and depression from taking over. When summer arrives, that structure disappears almost overnight.

Some teens recharge at this point while others become anxious without routine, causing thoughts to get louder, motivation drops, or feelings they’ve been pushing down begin to surface.

That’s one reason summer can be surprisingly difficult for teens who are already dealing with anxiety, depression, or emotional overwhelm.

Research from the Kids Mental Health Foundation found that about 50% of parents worry about their child’s mental health just as much during summer break as they do during the school year.

If you’ve been wondering whether you’re reading too much into your teenager’s behavior this summer, you’re probably not.

Why Summer Is a Good Time to Start Teen Therapy

One thing summer offers that the school year doesn’t is time.

Without a set schedule, many teens have the space to begin therapy without feeling like it’s another obligation. They can build trust, have a reason to have a routine, learn coping skills, and settle into the process before school starts again.

By September, you aren’t starting from scratch, but instead, already have support in place.

If your teenager has not seemed like themselves this summer, it’s worth having a conversation. You don’t have to wait until the school year begins to get help.

At Healing Hearts Healthy Minds, I provide virtual therapy for CBT, DBT, & EMDR for teens and young adults ages 13 to 24 throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Connecticut.

If you’d like to learn more, schedule a free 15-minute consultation by calling (484) 302-7298 or visiting healingheartshealthyminds.com.