iStockphoto
If you believe commercials and popular wisdom, summer is the best. According to basically everyone, summer is when you go on vacation, drink way more than any other time of year, and generally, live like a European.
This party-all-the-time lasts until approximately from Memorial Day until Labor Day. And then we have to face the hard truth that Fall — shorter days, pumpkin spice everything, and Veteran’s Day– is upon us.
It can end up feeling like we’re being handed a big helping of letdown, and that is a bitter pill to swallow.
The truth is that we’re pretty much hardwired to embrace summer as our chance to cut loose.
Think about it: most of us spent 12 years eagerly awaiting the last day of school and the freedom that followed after that final magical bell rang.
We were brought up to believe that the words “summer” and “vacation” are inextricably linked.
Is it any wonder, then, that most of us throw ourselves into the season like we’re cannonballing into the pool?
Or that, as the season wraps up, we’re feeling a little less than overjoyed? The answer is no, it’s not surprising: letting go of the lazy, hazy, crazy days and their attendant sense of freedom and possibility stings a little.
How, Lord, how do we mere humans survive this painful transition?
Reframe The Season
Therapist Laurie Leinwand told GoodTherapy that using a sowing/reaping analogy can make progressing into fall feel less harsh and more rewarding.
“The fall represents the harvest,” she said. “Consider the figurative seeds you planted in January and what you’ve since reaped, and how you might improve on your personal “harvest” next year.”
If you’re a new runner, how much faster have you gotten or how much more distance can you cover now?
Or if decided in January that you’d travel more in the coming year, where have you gone and what have you experienced?
Moving from summer to fall is a great time to hit pause and reflect on where you are.
The Fun Doesn’t Have To End With The Season
Yes, you might be back in work mode, but that doesn’t mean you can’t hold onto the essence of the best life mentality that characterizes summer.
Building in tastes of the relaxation and hedonism that we associate with the warmer months can keep the party going into the fall and beyond.
There is no law stating you can’t get away for the weekend or kick back on a Saturday afternoon after August.
Incorporate Summer Favorites Moving Forward
Discovered a love for CBD-laced soda? Found a great club? Learned a new workout?
Bring that discovery into the fall with you– you’ll remember the feeling you had before and carry your enjoyment over into the colder weather.
Hell, you might even find a new spin on it to go along with the new season, like signing up for a Hot Cider Hustle if you now love running.
Like it or not, once you’ve reluctantly allowed summer to be pried out of your grip, the next step is acceptance of what comes next.
While you’re working on this step, refrain from hitting anyone who tells you that fall is cozy or that they love the smell of leaves.
It’s not their fault that summer is gone and, in fact, fall does not have to be awful.
iStockphoto
1. If you’re stressed about fall– there’s a name for that: It’s called “autumn anxiety,” and it might be more than just a passing feeling. Dr. Mike Dow told Healthline that symptoms include “stress, nervousness, dread, trouble sleeping, and panic.”
He primarily chalks this up to shorter days and colder weather, decreasing activity, and social interaction.
Making an effort to sustain summer levels of activity, both physical and interpersonal, may help. In other words, resisting the urge to hibernate can benefit both your mood and your body.
2. Go to the light : Yeah, it’s going to start getting dark earlier (thanks, Daylight Savings Time).
You can adjust for this by incorporating more light into your day.
Maybe it’s going outside for lunch instead of eating at your desk.
Maybe you can add another lamp or two around your home and switch them on when you’re longing for the days of 9 p.m. sunsets.
Whatever works for you, actively setting out to lighten up has real physical, emotional, and psychological benefits.
3. Avoid FOMO: Fall seems to usher in a fresh wave of social media-induced inadequacy, particularly once the holiday machine starts up.
RESIST.
Psychology Today recommends looking for experiences that are meaningful for you, rather than experiences you think you should have because everyone else is.
What does that look like? “Don’t give in to pressure. Do the things you really enjoy and forget about the rest.”
So, sign off from summer knowing that it’ll come around again and that it doesn’t have to be the only bright spot in the year.
Besides, if there are Christmas in July sales and people who do mid-year holiday celebrations, then you are totally justified in keeping a little bit of July in your heart throughout the months to come– or even hosting a December cookout, if that makes you happy.
***
Mariah Douglas has written about sexy stuff for Playboy and Men’s Health. She mainly tweets about lingerie and burlesque at @halfbuttoned1.