By Health & Wellness Editor Kathy Whelan
It’s not official yet, but summer as we usually think of it is over. For some of us, that feels sad. Biological reasons help explain this: With shorter days and cooler temperatures, we naturally generate less serotonin, the “happiness hormone.” Psychologically, as we see the end of summer activities and vacations and the beginning of a more rigorous schedule, our levels of dopamine, one of the feel-good hormones, can also decline. Socially, we might have to say goodbye to summer friends.
Together these factors may lead to a noticeable downward trend in our mood. Fortunately, there is much we can do to keep negative emotions in check. Here are some suggestions:
Acknowledge your feelings. Attempting to resist unhappy feelings about summer’s end, as well as dwelling on them, will only prolong them. Simply observing our feelings as they come and go, and realizing they are normal and impermanent, will help keep them in perspective. Try to let fall unfold without pre-judgment about the weather. With the climate those of us in New England experienced this summer, it wouldn’t be hard for fall to be the more pleasant season.
Memorialize memories. Preserving favorite summer photographs in a photo book or other memento for ourselves or others will help keep special moments alive throughout the year.
Host an end-of-summer gathering. Since relationships and social connections are a powerful force for bringing happiness into our lives, consider throwing a party to savor summer memories and share upcoming plans. If you make it a tradition, this will give you and your guests something to look forward to as each summer ends.
Let food lift your mood. The food-mood connection is a strong one: We really “are what we eat.” Two-way communication between our gut and our brain means that what we eat affects our feelings, and our feelings affect what we eat. At least 90% of our receptors for serotonin are in our gut, so what we consume is especially important this time of year. Harvard Public Health’s Healthy Eating Plate spells out easy-to-follow guidelines for a diet that supports both physical and mental health.
Get outside. Sunlight is not only a source of serotonin but also our body’s main source of vitamin D, which helps with mood regulation and preventing depression. Getting outdoors for some natural light can provide a mood boost we can’t get from artificial light, and exercise compounds the effect.
Prioritize Sleep. Sleep is closely related to mental health. While we can’t make ourselves sleep, we can help ourselves sleep by practicing sleep hygiene. If these measures alone are not enough, doctors can recommend other treatments.
Make fall resolutions. The start of a new year is a common time for people to embark on habit change, often through New Year’s resolutions. Katy Milkman PhD explains that people feel especially ready to change at that time because “they have the sense that they’ve been given a fresh start.”
Why wait until January first? The start of a new season can also feel like a new beginning. Consider doing something now that you keep meaning to do but haven’t yet. Choose one of those things you say are “on my list,” where they have probably been for years. These things are important enough to be on your list of to-dos, but for some reason, they have lacked urgency. For me, one is learning a foreign language, something I think I should do, and want to do – I even downloaded an app – but just haven’t.
Set a 3-to-6-month goal, making sure it’s something important to you. Make it specific and measurable. For example, if you want to eat healthier: “By January 1, I will be eating three healthy dinners at home each week.” Then start working toward your goal in small steps, something as simple as finding a few new recipes. Your next step might be to use one of those recipes for dinner once a week.
Being busier won’t feel so bad if you’re moving toward a meaningful goal. Fall will seem more purposeful, and by January you can feel proud of having narrowed the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
If, despite all your efforts, you can’t shake end-of-summer blues, it’s possible you have Seasonal Affective Disorder, a form of depression that arises most often in fall and winter, in which case your doctor may have treatment recommendations for you.
Start fall 2025 with an eye to your health and an open mind: It could prove to be the best season you’ve had all year!
Kathy Whelan left a successful Wall Street legal career when her doctor warned that her lifestyle of overwork and lack of self-care were not sustainable. She had always been interested in the relationship between lifestyle and health, so eventually Kathy returned to her undergraduate alma mater Duke University to become a certified Integrative Health Coach, with additional training in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. Integrative Health Coaching is based in the neuroscience of behavioral change. Kathy calls it the missing link in addressing individual and national health crises. It’s the foundation of her unique health and wellness coaching for corporate and individual clients. Kathy’s work has been featured in media including The Boston Globe. Learn more at www.whelanwellness.com