I don’t know about you, but as soon as I start to need my sweater when drinking my morning coffee, I know that I need to make my ‘end of summer activity’ list FAST before the summer fades away! As a school-based SLP, the transition from summer to fall is an amalgam of emotions as we prepare with excitement to get back into the school year routine while not quite being ready to let go of the summer. Part of our work-life balance series here at A to B Speech is to try to find the joy in each moment, even those tough transitions, so we are starting NOW! Let’s find small ways to enjoy the end of summer and make our very own activity list. We are going to be listing out 5 simple activities to add to our schedules to make sure that the end of our summer creates memories that will last!
“A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows” -St. Francis of Assisi
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End of Summer Activity #1: Visit your ‘summer happy place’ and practice a moment of gratitude
The very first thing that we are scheduling in for our end of the summer activity list is to visit what I liked to call your ‘summer happy place’. This is a place that makes you happy/brings you peace that you might not have an opportunity to visit during the other seasons. Not sure where that place is? Make a list of all of your favorite summer memories and identify if any of them are close enough to you to visit! For me, this is any body of water…but especially the open ocean! If you can identify a place that brings you peace, schedule in a time to visit, even just for an hour or so after work one day or on the weekend. When you go, find some time to practice a moment of gratitude (not sure how? I made a cheat sheet below). If you can carve out this little bit of time for a place that brings you joy, you are able to remind yourself that you matter and your joy and moments are a priority. This can be hard to remember in the midst of the back to school season, but finding small moments of awareness and gratitude can help you reset and make memories.
End of Summer Activity #2: Plan in a relaxing summer night & watch the sunset
Some of the most special moments to me are the simple ones! The next thing we are adding to our planner is a NIGHT OFF. Our second end of summer activity on our list is segmenting a whole evening off to enjoy it however you choose (with family, by yourself, with your kiddos). I absolutely love sitting outside as the sun sets and enjoying the sounds, smells, and soft breeze that only the end of the summer can bring! Whatever these sounds and sights are near you, plan to spend an evening just being present in the moment, no devices, no working, no multi-taking, truly just living in the memory that you are creating! Take a picture of the sunset or, if you are hosing family and friends, take a picture with them and add it to your work-life balance workbook scrapbooking pages. PS: if you haven’t grabbed the freebie yet, you can hop over HERE to get your copy!
End of Summer Activity #3: Discover a new area by finding a hiking/walking trail
The very last thing we are adding to our end of summer activity list is to find a local hiking or walking path and have a mini adventure! One of the best parts about the end of the summer is that we can still enjoy the summer but it is a bit cooler and more manageable to be outside without the sweltering heat! Walks and hikes are such an easy thing to add to your busy schedule without having to dedicate a lot of time. There is so much research about the positive effects of movement on how we feel and our stress levels. This is the perfect activity to plan into your schedule to make a memory and try out a new place while also easing some of the stress that is sure to accompany the start of a new year! Try to take this time to enjoy yourself and find peace in having the set aside the time for yourself. Another tip that I have tried, and loved, in past years is to mark all of the hiking/walking locations that I test out on my desk calendar. This would also be a fun activity to do with your family or spouse and then at the end of the year you have a travel log of all of the places that you have been each month. Some of the calendars that I have used and loved for this are linked below!
Desk Calendar
Wall Calendar
Pocket Calendar
Final Thoughts…
I hope that these end of the summer activities are just enough to give you joy and help you ‘stop and smell the roses’ as the summer comes to a close. Each of the activities on this list is intended to help you make memories while keeping the activities simple and do-able as the busy schedule of back-to-school begins. Remember that YOU are so worth these moments and this ‘end of summer 2023’ only exists once…so let’s vow to enjoy every last bit!
