Summer Time blues REmedies

Sweet Sweet Summertime– how does it feel for you my friend?

I made a vow at the beginning of the year to truly live in each season and embrace it.  I set the intention to not have a favorite season but to find my favorites in each season. It’s helped me be more mindful, stay more present and take advantage of the best parts of each season.  It has also helped me recognize and respect the “downs” of each season– the days you don’t stop sweating in the middle of the heatwave, the allergies and puddles of mud in spring,  the shortening of the days come autumn and the long, cold northeastern winters.  Each season has its up and downs. I think part of the beauty of each season is romanticizing it.  Experiencing the lows as presently as you experience the highs.  Finding the beauty if everything even if some things make you want to cry.

My recipe for seasonal living:

1.  Embrace the highs

2. Value the lows

3. Feel everything fully.

4. Embrace everything fully– it’s inevitable

And last but not least,

5. Seasonal self care.

Each season our bodies need a little something different, a little more of this, a little less of that. A little grounding, a little fun. Changing your self care rituals and your routines in general can help support our bodies through all season of life.  (and the year). We are not mean to be one thing all year round. We are not meant to do one thing all year round.  We are meant to shift and evolve and change.  Not just in self care or in what you eat, but in how you approach your life, your goals and your career.  

We are seasonal, cyclical beings.

Now, how do we embrace it?

Let’s talk summertime blues…..

As I write this, It is the end of August., the 29th to be exact. I don’t know how I got here, this far into the Summer of 2022.  IT feels like just yesterday I was closing on my first home and preparing to embrace a full Berkshire summer– filled with sunshine, hiking, new adventures and more.  And in a beautiful way I did that. But threw as also a lot of travel, traffic, moving, stress and figuring things out. It was beautiful and challenging all at once.

And now, it feels like the summer is slipping away.  I am not the first person to feel the pull of Fall or to wallow in the end of Summer.  It Happens every year at this time.  Kids start going back to school, vacations start to end (as do summer Fridays) and work starts to gear back up.

The Summertime blues starting slipping in.

Some signs you might have the summertime blues (some supported by research, some observed within myself, some shared by friendS)

1. A general of sense of restlessness

2. Loss of appetite

3. A sense of anxiety

4. You feel constantly cranky or upset about something

5. You’re having trouble sleeping

6. Trying to fit 1000000 things in one day

7. Wondering where are the time went and what you did

8. Worrying that you missed out on something this summer

We’ve all been there. Let’s dive into some self care.

Summertime Blues Remedies

1. SLOW DOWN: Slow the heck down. (sorry, I was saying that to myself).  Stop trying to do everything and start trying to do the things that really feel you up and feel good. Say yes, to your most cherished summer passions (even if you have already done them a million times this year).  It can feel almost necessary to try to squeeze out the last bits of summer and in my experience, that leads to burn out and exhaustion.  YES, fully, deeply embrace summer but not at the expense of your mind, body and sleep. Seriously, slow it down. Smell the earth around you. Hear the birds of summer. Watch the sunlight bounce of your partners face. Feel the fresh water over your skin as you dive in. Soak in the sensations and the emotions of summer. It’s worth it, promise

1. Watch the Sunset: Sunsets are pure magic and a good dose of medicine. Watching a sunset helps regulate your circadian rhythm so your body learns to properly regulate levels of melatonin and cortisol so your sleep/wake schedules align with mother nature and fuel your life. Watching a sunset also helps satisfy a phenomenon called soft fascination. Soft Fascination is when something is stimulating to the brain but not too stimulating. Take nature or watching a sunset is stimulating enough to gently engage the brain's attention without requiring too much energy to concrete it. This helps the brain restore and recover. Plus, watching the sunset is a good way to slow down.

2. Turn that restlessness into your power: I think part of the reason we feel so restless this time of year is it feels like we have a thousand things to do before the fall hits AND the summer lacks the structure and routine some require to get things done.  I don’t know about you but the end of Summer is a definitely slower season for my business and my life.  EVeryone is either taking last minute vacations or trying to organize them self before labor day hits.  I’m not in school anymore but that pull to get organized before the school year is still strong. And for those of you who are in your busy season (entertainment, vacation destinations, restaurants),  it can feel like you are working nonstop AND STILL have a thousand things to do which makes your time off feel frantic.Use this time to get organized a bit. For me, that means writing out lists, going over my calendar and looking a head a bit. For you that could mean, cleaning the house, organizing the kitchen or sitting and visualizing but your next steps are.  Whether you have 5 minutes or 50, setting some time aside to get organized and breathe.

3. Say NO to something: I recently was talking to someone and they said “Wow it sounds like there is a lot on your plate right now. Is there something you can say No too?”  My first thought was of course not.  But in my gut, I knew I could. For me, that looked like canceling my Fall Retreat for a better planned, better timed one in the future.  Summer can be FULL Of yes’s. Of social commitment, of parties, of travel, of sports, of BBQs and more.  It can be so beautifully, wonderfully jam packed with FUN and joy but it can also be exhausting.  As the summer comes to a close, take some time to say NO to things that you can so you can fully embrace everything else. At the end of the day, it’s your life and you deserve to do the things that make you feel good nad fill you up. In order to do so, sometimes you have to say NO

4. Plant Your Fall Garden: Embrace where you are now but prepare for what is ahead.  This is another double whammy.  Being in the garden now exposes your body and mind to sunshine, good bacteria, the scent of Mother Nature which in turn helps improve your immune system, mood, overall health and resiliency.  Planting your fall garden helps you prep to have resources for more seasonally appropriate foods, herbs and spices.  It’s a two for one. In August where I live (zone 5b), you should start from seeds carrots, lettuce, kales, peas and spinach. You should put in the ground: beets squash and cabbage. For more information about this, I would definitely recommend finding out your zone and looking up what grows appropriately when. I found this great website while doing my research.

Remember also, the Autumnal Equinox is also still 24 days away. You have PLENTY of time to embrace those last summer vibes. Even if you or your loved ones are heading back to School that doesn’t mean the summertime Vibes need to end. The weather is beautiful, the sun is still shining. Enjoy where you are, don’t forget about your summer self care AND get excited for what’s to come next.

While I love summer, I also LOVE fall. 

it’s not cozy season yet, but I have the sweaters ready;)

Namaste, Ker

P.S. Friends- LOVE this blog post and want to learn more about seasonal living, embracing your natural cycles and nourishing your nervous system. Join my Nourish Your Nervous System Waitlist – my next cohort starts in September with a UPDATED curriculum and even MORE to learn.