Is the summer lethargy getting to you?

The glaring sun... the sticky sweat... a single fly buzzing relentlessly. Torpor exudes its own shroud of endlessness. The days are as lonely as the nights when the only thing you want to do is nothing. You''re bored sick, bored to death. Summer lethargy anyone?
The heat wave with its cramped and sweaty lifestyle is taking a toll not only in Andhra Pradesh but also in sadi city.Otherwise considered as a happening time what with holidays at cool spots, ice creams, melons and mangoes, over the years owing to the rising levels of the temperamental mercury summer now comes with the baggage of lethargy and low performance.
These are trying times even for the kids who irrespective of their boundless energy are finding it hard to keep up with this hopeless inertia.
Little Arush (9) is wondering what will he do when school begins in July and his teacher will ask for a paragraph on "How I spent my summer vacation". Says the small tyke, "I am blank... mein to bahut bore ho raha hoon. Its so hot outside that mummy doesn''t even allow me to go and play in the park. Tuition ma''am is also on holiday. What will I write in my assignment" is his constant worry. On the other hand, Swati, a college student narrates her tale of summer woes, "I don''t want to do anything. I feel sleepy all the time and just want to lie down in an air-conditioned room and drink cold drinks. The world may go to the dogs, for all I care" is the youngster''s refrain.
Lassitude is perhaps a mild word for homemaker Surinder Kaur, a resident of Mohali who says, "I seem to have developed an aversion to cooking and cleaning. Even my children''s voice gets to me. My family says I have become short tempered. I think it''s the weather which is sapping energy and making me gloomy."
Interestingly, although the West is waking up to summer lethargy with some researchers terming it as a summer Seasonal Affective Disorder, in India very little is known. Says Dr B S Chavan, head of dept, psychiatry, GMCH 32, "There are no known emotional or psychological reasons of summer lethargy but there''s no denying that impact of heat can affect a person. Since heat limits outdoor activities so people tend to feel more lethargic. Lack of exercise in turn results in irritation, loss of sleep and depression. The best cure is to start your day early and take a break in the afternoon."