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RESETTING

After a Summer of Connecting

Jennifer Hadley

As we wind down from summer, it’s a great time to reflect and reset before the fall leaves start to turn brown. The fall is usually a time of restarting and refocusing our lives and going “back to normal.”

With all the NEW normal being so NOT normal, finding your place in what life has become in the last two and a half years might be tough. Kids are going back to school, we’re going back to work, some are still studying or working from home and as we cling to those last warm nights and fire-roasted marshmallows.

What is normal is feeling the end of the summer blues. We work so hard all year long, saving up and planning for our summer getaways, vacations and family time –eventually, it comes to an end, and it can definitely feel sad. So how do we reset after a summer of connecting, or in this year’s case –reconnecting – and get ready for the inevitable colder weather, the routines, and the structure?

Two words – gratitude and perspective.

It’s easy to fall into the negative mindset of “summer is over” and feel like it wasn’t long enough, or that you could have used just one more day at the lake. However, if you flip the script and think about how much fun you’ve had, the connections you’ve made and the much-needed slower pace you’ve enjoyed, it’s way easier to transition into the fall. Go back through the photos you’ve taken over the last 3 months, read through your journal entries, and reminisce with your family and friends you’ve spent time with. These are great ways to remember the good times and maybe even relive them for a little while. Living in gratitude for those moments and memories gives you back those summer feels

We all know that having something to look forward to is also important to stay motivated and excited for the future. This is where the concept of perspective comes in. Instead of being upset that summer is ending, get excited about the great things coming up in the fall! I for one, LOVE the weather in the fall, cozy sweaters, pumpkin-spiced everything, the colours, the smells… I can feel it just writing this!

Growing up I used to love school supply shopping, it was so fun going up and down the aisles finding the perfect colour of pencil case for my brand-new pack of HB#2’s! Now I make it fun for my kids too. I want them to get excited about school starting so instead of taking the easy route of online shopping, we head out and they pick out what they want. Then we get together in the living room, dump it all out and sort it all by subject getting their school bags ready for the first day of school. Turning things into an adventure and a game makes it more exciting! We talk about the new friends they’ll make, the old friends they’ll see, the stories they’ll share with their classmates about what they did over the summer – and that brings us back to gratitude and remembering the good times.

Settling into a tighter work routine is also less challenging when you get excited about it. It’s a great time to rearrange your desk, get yourself a new mug or make small changes to your workspace. Switching things up bumps up your creativity and gives you a fresh outlook on whatever tasks you have coming your way. Maybe refresh your branding, build new templates for your presentations or even just add an interesting tagline to your email signature – small changes make things more interesting.

What’s the best way to get over the end-of-summer blues? Start planning your next trip! Even if it’s a one-day getaway, get planning! You can even take the ideas you might have come up with as you reflected on this passing summer to incorporate into your plans for next summer! Didn’t get enough time at the lake? Plan an extra day for next year! Hated the restaurants you tried? Do some research and plan for new ones for next time! Loved the boat tour you went on? Reserve it again and add an extra excursion to it! Knowing you have more fun things coming up is a great way to get excited for what’s to come and to get serious about making that happen.

Whatever you do, make sure you take the time to reflect and enjoy the memories. Then block the time for your next adventure to create momentum moving forward. It doesn’t have to be extravagant or expensive, it can be trying a new coffee shop or inviting a new group of friends to enjoy it with you. For me, I’m continuing to plan some sort of getaway once a month. It recharges me, keeps me looking forward and ensures that life is lived while I’m able to live it.

How are you going to reset and get excited about the next season?

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