8 Ways to Cope with the End of Summer Blues

3-minute read

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Early fall every year I get the end of summer blues. Just as soon as the temperatures start dropping at night my mood changes.

Then before you know it, it is dark when you get up in the morning and dark when you get off work in the evening.

When I start seeing less sunlight, in the Midwest, I get a little blue.

I know I am not the only one. Many people suffer from the lack of sunlight blues. According to the American Psychiatry Association 5 % of U.S. adults suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which is a form of depression from changing of the season or also known as winter depression. I am of this 5%. The shorter days and lack of sunlight triggers mine. That is why I know I would never make it living in areas that get less sunlight.

Over the years, I have found ways to deal with this. I am not saying I have the cure for the blues at the end of summer. I am saying I can deal with it a little better and you can too by doing these 8 things:

Sunshine is the Cure
Enjoy Fall Outdoor Activities
Get Outside Even if it is Frigid
Make Plans for Your Plants
Let in the Light
Change Your Decor Colors
Add Winter Plants to Your Collection
Plan Your Spring Garden

Sunshine is the Cure for the End of Summer Blues

You must get outside and get in the sunshine as much as possible, even if it is only for 10 minutes, do it! Because the chances of sunshine are going to get fewer. Sit back, relax, and research how to care for your new plant. Do some fall gardening. Or take your four-legged friends for a walk.

Enjoy Fall Outdoor Activities

Get outside and enjoy the fall harvest. Take the dogs for walks more frequently now that the temperatures are dropping. Just stop and enjoy the changes of the season. Go to a corn maze or a pumpkin patch. Have a fall party, roast some weenies over a fire and enjoy some delicious smores.

Get Outside Even if it is Cold

I have a tough time with this one. I do not like the cold. But I will get out if the sun comes out on a winter day. I make myself go outside and enjoy the sunshine even on frigid days. Even 10 minutes of standing in the sun will improve your overall mood.

Make Plans for Your Plants

I make a big to-do about bringing my plants inside too. I plan where I am going to place all of them and which ones I will hang and which room I will put them in throughout the house. Bringing in the plants is fun because now I can enjoy their beauty inside all winter long.

I also make notes of my growing season and plan for the next one. I document with photos so that I can see my progress each year with my plants. I really look forward to this project every year and it helps to make the end of summer a little more exciting to look forward to.

Let in the Light

I pay a little higher electric bill than most during the winter, but I am saving money on doctor’s bills, counseling, and prescription drugs. I open the curtains and blinds on days the sun is shining. The rest of the time I use lamps and overhead lights. I leave them on a lot during the winter to help brighten the gray days that make me depressed.

Change Your Décor Colors

Another trick I use to keep my depression at bay, during winter months, is to change my décor in my home to sunny yellows in my bedroom and bathroom. My living room is warm neutrals like browns and tans.

I lived in an apartment before, and every room was painted gray. It became very depressing during the winter months. My main linen and décor for my winter bedroom and bathroom is sunny yellow and it helps tremendously to keep my mood more positive.

Add Winter Plants to Your Collection

Be sure to check out the variety of plants that bloom and/or produce gorgeous foliage during the winter months.

Caring for plants in the wintertime is challenging but having a winter blooming plant thriving during these gray and cold months is like a breath of fresh air. Seeing a blooming plant in winter is a reminder that spring is just around the corner.

Plan Your Spring Garden

*I buy a lot of my seeds from Botanical Interests. Check out their website* *here*.

I look at all my seed catalogs and browse seed banks websites to start dreaming about my spring garden in late January to early February. This helps to make the winter months seem shorter and when spring emerges, I am prepared to get things growing. For more on planning your garden read 10 Things to Consider When Planning Your Garden.

I would love to hear your ideas for how you cope with the end of summer blues.

Thanks for reading!

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