Why I'm EXCITED For Summer

To most people, summer means beaches, pools, shorts and lots of social time. To those with psoriatic disease, those four things can cause major anxiety. It means not being able to hide our skin without either looking completely out of place or being extremely uncomfortable. Since I am back to being mostly covered with plaques, I expected to have this same pang of nervousness as the weather has heated up, but instead, I have found plenty of reasons to embrace the warmer days ahead.

Goodbye flannel sheets

I have a love/hate relationship with this cozy wintertime staple. They keep me warm on chilly nights without skyrocketing my gas bill, but they also hold on to every flake like a treasured friend. By morning, it looks like there was a snowfall in my bed. The worst part of these soft fibers is that they make it impossible to just brush off myself onto the floor. So, I reside to just letting them accumulate until laundry day, but by that time it is so scratchy and uncomfortable, that the coziness I once remembered is long gone.

Summer brings with it light cotton sheets. Not only do these let go of my skin easily, but I sweat less in the middle of the night. I don’t know if you have had the pleasure of having salty sweat make its way onto your cracked skin, but if you have, you know how it stings and can wake you up out of a deep slumber.

Free UV treatment

Suns out, spots out! UV treatment can be costly, especially if you need to be seen multiple times per week as I did. Fortunately, the sun offers the same clearing benefits for no cost all. Just be sure to follow special precautions before going out to your backyard in your birthday suit. Sunlight is not as controlled as the UV rays you get in your dermatologist’s office.

Fruits and veggies aplenty

Having psoriasis ups our chances for metabolic disease, so making nutrient-dense food choices are important for our health. Thankfully, summertime brings with it U-Pick berry farms, homegrown veggies, and salad weather. I do about everything I can not cook in the summer heat, and that usually means putting together a hearty salad. It also feels like the norm to eat more fresh produce in the summer. I’m not sure why, but what I do know is that I get about 75% of my nutrients between June and September.

I like to move it (move it)

Since I live in the Pacific Northwest, summer means more outdoor activities. We are cooped up due to rain or other bad weather eight months out of the year, so when that first show of sun pops out, we all run outdoors with joyful praise. This not only does wonders for my mood and mental health, but it makes my body feel so much better. Psoriasis is a full-body disease and taking care of my full body always seems to have a positive effect. I don’t necessarily see a clearance of my skin, but I do notice less fatigue and inflammation.

Instead of being scared of summer—let’s embrace it together! Sure, it might mean that someone is going to see your skin. But trust me, even those without psoriasis are self-conscious about parts of their bathing suit bodies too. Who knows...maybe your bravery will encourage someone else to not let another summer go by watching the fun from indoors.