5 ways to help you cope with the end of summer

Although summer isn’t officially over yet, you can feel those end of summer blues starting to creep in. It’s almost like your fun summer clothes are getting ready to put themselves in storage while your autumn cardigans are all but ready to be worn outside for weeks on end.

But this time of year doesn’t have to be one you dread. And you’re not going to want to stay under a rock until summer rolls around again, are you? Instead, you can embrace it. Here are a few Vancouver-tested ways to survive the incoming months of grey with a smile on your face.

Take the good times with you

Summer/Shutterstock

If you start to think of all the amazing things that you did in the summer as a distant memory, you might actually feel worse about the fact that the season’s almost over. Why not take the best bits of summer with you into fall and winter? Maybe you played soccer outdoors with a group of your friends for the last couple of months — the fun doesn’t have to end. Find a group, join a casual soccer league, and stop letting the sun define how much fun you’re allowed to have.

Stay happy

Crispy zucchini blossoms/Italian Kitchen

What better way to stay happy than with one of the many happy hours in town? Italian Kitchen on Burrard recently launched their new happy hour menu, available from 2:30 to 5:30 pm daily. Select items are only available during this time, such as their various crostinis, blistered Padron peppers, sardine toast and crispy zucchini blossoms. Everything for less than $10, you’ll be sure to find a new favourite here.

Limonata/Italian Kitchen

And if you fancy a drink to go with these bites, they have Peroni, a limonata cocktail as well as red or white wines and sangria for just $5. With these deals and hearty dishes, you’ll breeze through winter with ease.

Plan a winter getaway

Zao Hot Spring and Ski Resort, Japan/Shutterstock

It’s always a good feeling knowing you’ve got a trip coming up and there’s no better time to start planning than now. If you’re someone who absolutely detests the cold, book a vacation somewhere with endless sunshine and palm trees. Alternatively, if you’re an avid winter sports lover, plan a trip to one of the many ski resorts in BC because you can make a road trip out of it and you’ll get to shred that fresh powder.

Get organized

Productivity/Shutterstock

If all of the summer antics and time at the beach caused you to lose focus on any personal or professional goals, you can use the coming of fall as the perfect opportunity to get back on track. This includes everything from your fitness goals to working towards that promotion at work. Make a list of everything you want to achieve in the coming months and keep referring back to it. You’ll be surprised by how much you can get done (and the weather might just work in your favour).

Try something you’ve never done before

Tandem skydiving/Shutterstock

When you’re living a full life, you’re not going to be focusing too much on the seasonal changes. Keep things interesting and try something you’ve never done before over the next few months. You’ll feel good challenging yourself and achieving something you never imagined yourself doing before. This could be trying skiing, snowboarding, skydiving, writing poetry, doing standup comedy, or starting a business. The possibilities are endless!