I've always been a summer kid.

I love the heat, getting outside, fishing, hiking, and most importantly, not having to see a lineup of school buses down the block.

So when August rolls into September, the days start getting shorter and colder… honestly, I get a little sad…

Over the last couple of years I've recognized that sadness, honoured it, and slowly put together a list of things I do to ease the post-summer blues and welcome September with a bit more love and appreciation.

Here are my top 5.

1. Reflect on how summer went

One of the best things that's happened to me this year: I went down to the river, sat on a bench, and spent about 45 minutes recapping my entire summer.

I highlighted the best parts — meeting someone special, seeing people I hadn't seen in a while, and getting real time with them.

And I mourned the worst — like getting food poisoning in the third week of July. Still not over that one…

When I think about my age (I also turned 40 this summer), I think about how many summers I realistically have left, and that reflection let me cherish this one for both the highs and the lows, and actually say thank you for it.

This isn't JUST a nice feeling, either.

Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky's (author of The How of Happiness) research points to "savouring" — deliberately looking back and re-living good moments — as one of the simplest ways to boost how satisfied you feel with your life.

You don't need 45 minutes on a riverbank to get the benefit. Even a quick recap in your head, or a few lines in a journal, will do it.

If you're having trouble getting started, try this:

1. Set a timer for 5 minutes — no more.
2. Name three "best of summer" moments, out loud or on paper.
3. If you'd like, name one "worst of summer" moment, and let yourself laugh at it if you can.
4. End with one line: "Thank you, summer, for ___."

If reflection usually turns into overthinking vs. actually helping you, check this out: Why Reflection Is Hard (and 5 Ways to Make It Easier).

2. Create a fall self-care list

Self-care looks different for everyone, and if you're like me, it looks different season to season, too.

Sure, I can't hike or fish as much as I'd like once fall hits. But there's a whole list of things I can only do this time of year.

For me, that includes:

• a drive to the mountains to see the leaves changing,
• turning my closet over from summer to fall clothes,
• cleaning my place top to bottom,
• ramping up my gym time (slowly), and
• one more thing you'll see below in #3.

If you don't know where to start, try this:

1. Draw two columns on a piece of paper: "Only in Fall" and "Better in Fall."
2. Fill each with three things, even if they feel small.
3. Pick one and put it on the calendar this week.

I wrote a whole post on the self-care mistakes I see even trained mental health workers make — myself included, some days: 5 Self-Care Mistakes Even Mental Health Workers Make.

3. Create a fall bucket list

Like I kind of mentioned above…

Fall offers a plethora of things to do that no other season does.

Find a fall festival. Catch a hockey or football game (go Flames, go Stamps). Plan a walk once a week, or once a day. Learn something new. Join a book club. Or take on something you couldn't do in the summer heat and finally do it now.

Explore. Have fun with it.

If you don't know where to start, try this:

1. Write down five things that only feel right in the fall.
2. Circle the one that sounds most fun.
3. Pick a day and time and make plans for it before the season gets away from you. Text a friend to share the moment if you'd like!

Fall used to be the season I dreaded most, back when seasonal depression hit me hardest. I wrote about how I turned that around here: I Defeated Seasonal Depression.

4. Get outside often

As a Calgarian, fall really isn't that bad. I promise.

Getting as much sun as you can isn't a bad thing, even when it's colder. Fresh air and nature — am I right?

For an easy start, try this:

1. Pick one walk you already do and stretch it by five minutes.
2. Leave your phone in your pocket for that stretch.
3. Notice one thing you wouldn't have seen if you'd rushed it.

Be present, slow down, soak it in. Fall might become your second favourite season — maybe even your first.

If walking is already part of your routine, try turning it into self-care: Turn Your Walk Into a Self-Care Practice.

5. Give yourself permission to ease in

This one's less about doing something, and more about not doing something — specifically, not expecting yourself to snap into "fall mode" when the calendar flips.

This is something I see constantly in peer support work: nobody gives themselves permission to transition slowly.

We expect ourselves to go from summer energy to full routine overnight, then wonder why we feel behind by the second week of September.

Try this:

1. Pick one area where you'll lower the bar for the next two weeks — energy, output, social plans, whatever fits.
2. Say it out loud, to yourself or someone else: "I'm easing in, not snapping back."
3. Notice how much lighter that one sentence makes the transition feel.

I wrote about what actually happens when you give yourself real permission to stop, even for a day, here: Taking A Day Off Without Guilt.

Wrapping Up

None of this makes September feel like July again. That's not really the point.

The point is having a few small, honest ways to meet the season instead of just gritting your teeth through it.

For more mental wellness tools, check out thejeffturner.ca.

If the overthinking spiral tends to show up right alongside the seasonal one, my free guide walks through practical ways to manage it: The Front-Line Worker's Guide to Managing Overthinking.

Until next time, I'm Jeff — take care of yourself, however that looks for you.