At the end of every summer, I have a mix of feelings. I feel sad that the sunny days are ending because summer is one of my favorite seasons, but I also feel happy for the start of fall since that’s my second favorite season. I also enjoy the start of the holiday season, from pumpkin picking to hot cocoa to Diwali sweets, I love it all. However, for some reason, I get very sad at the end of summer.
Over the years, I started to do an end-of-summer reflection, to help me ease into the winter season. I’ve learned that it helps me keep a more upbeat mood during the colder months. I know many others may also struggle with moving from the warm to the cold. So, I thought to write a blog post about it! Anyway, without more procrastination on the topic, check out my end-of-summer reflection and tips on how to ease into the colder months.
Appreciate the Change of Seasons
Usually, at the end of each summer, I’m always sad since I am not a huge fan of the shortened winter days. However, I’ve learned that if I appreciate the change of the seasons, then I will have a much happier winter. While it’s easier said than done, it’s something that I’ve learned that has helped me appreciate the winter season over the years.
One way that I’ve found helps me appreciate the change of seasons is by doing seasonal activities. For the fall, I love to go to a pumpkin patch. So, I make sure to visit a pumpkin patch each year to appreciate the change from the hot summer into a cooler fall environment. I’ve learned that, doing seasonal activities that I enjoy has helped me appreciate the change of season:
Be More Mindful
Over the past couple of years, I’ve been trying to practice being more mindful. Mindfulness is not something that happens overnight – it takes time and a lot of effort. Personally, for me, I wanted to practice mindfulness in terms of yoga and self-care. I enjoyed yoga for a long time so I knew that if I used it more towards a mindful practice then I would be more at ease with myself.
In being more mindful, I also used these techniques to help me appreciate the colder months as well. Mindfulness comes in many forms and techniques. So, do what works best for you in your mindful practice. As long as you are positively using your mindful practice, you are helping yourself to grow. And you can use this growth towards appreciating the end of summer and the start of winter.
Continue to Stay Active
During the hotter months, I’m more active than I am in the whole year. I’m not sure if it’s more of a mental thing that I have that helps me to be more active or if I just enjoy the sunny days, so it helps me be more active. Whichever situation it is, I realize that I take care of my body more during the hotter months. For some reason, I don’t work out as much or eat as well during the colder months.
However, in the past couple of years, I’ve made it more of a habit to start to take care of myself during the winter months as well. I notice that I’m much happier when I eat well and exercise. Since I’m one of those people that enjoy exercising, I try to continue to stay active in the winter as well. I like to do more indoor/at-home exercises. But I make sure to continue to move my body since it can be so easy to be less active in the colder months.
Get Some Vitamin D
This may come as no surprise to most people but getting some Vitamin D- some sunshine- is essential for a transition to the colder months. Since there is not much sunlight, a lot of people develop Seasonal Affective Disorder, otherwise known as SAD. Since I’m not a professional or an expert on the disorder, I can describe it in simple terms. However, feel free to click on the link above for more information. Seasonal Affective Disorder is exactly how it sounds- it’s a disorder where you are affected by the seasons, mainly when you are in the colder months. Since you’re getting less sun (vitamin D), your body is more affected than others. There are many ways to treat SAD, however, the best way to do so is to go visit your doctor.
Anyway, having less Vitamin D (or the sun) can lead you to feel sad, lethargic, etc. To prevent feeling this way, make sure to get a Vitamin D lamp or spend as much time as you can outside. I like to make sure I take a wellness walk during the day, while the sun is still out so that I don’t miss out on my sun during the winter months.
Summer Appreciation
Last but not least, I like to reflect on the summer and appreciate all that I had accomplished every summer. I noticed this keeps my spirits high for the fall and winter seasons to come. I started this process a couple of years ago too and love that it helps me focus on the positive rather than the negative.
Also, you can take some of your summer accomplishments and move them into the fall. For instance, if you were prepping for a 5K in the summer then you can take that 5K prep and upgrade it to a 10K prep for the fall/winter. I notice that taking some of my summer accomplishments and moving them to the fall/winter helps me enjoy the colder months more than normal.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my blog post on my end-of-summer reflection as well as tips on how to enjoy the colder months. These tips have helped me get appreciate the colder months more and I hope they are helpful to you as well. Are you more of a warmer climate or colder climate person? Let me know in the comments below!
Much Love,
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