How to Get Rid of Post Summer Blues

We have reached that dreaded moment where September has commenced and we have to face that summer might just be behind us...

Pub gardens, warm evening walks, and crisp Aperol Spritz's might not hit the same, and that's okay! 

The transition from summer to autumn affects countless people, sometimes triggering what feels like full-blown seasonal depression. Drawing from personal experience with winter blues that left me feeling numb and disconnected, this episode unpacks the reality of seasonal mood changes and offers practical strategies to maintain your emotional wellbeing as the seasons shift.

Enjoy!

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome Back After Summer Break
• 3:45 Recognizing Seasonal Depression Signs
• 8:50 Creating Your Autumn Reset Routine
• 11:34 Preventing Winter Blues: Practical Strategies
• 14:45 Embracing Winter's Positive Aspects
• 17:33 Final Thoughts: Life Beyond Summer

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:17

Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of the 20s survival guide. This is your host, emily. We are back from summer. I took a summer holiday, the podcast took a summer holiday, you hopefully took a summer holiday and now we're back and I hopefully remember how to podcast because, god bless, it's been a while. I think the podcast needed a break, needed to touch some grass, needed to take some time off of spamming you guys with talking, but now we're back and I'm so glad we're back because I missed it.

Speaker 1: 0:47

You can tell that I'm slightly out of the podcasting groove because I have actually just spent 20 minutes starting this entire episode, only to realise that I didn't press record. Now, that's a rookie mistake, but it still happens to the best of us. So here we go again round two, take two for this episode, kill me now. Anyways, I am back and I was actually on a nature holiday. So whether you were sipping margaritas in Greece or going to Canada and hiking like I was, or maybe you you were working, making money for yourself, you're thriving in London or wherever the hell you live, we're back because it is currently September now and I don't know what happened, but I just woke up one day and it was September. I didn't ask for this, I didn't sign up for this, I didn't say I was finished with summer, like it just came for no reason and I'm kind of mad about it. With summer, like it just came for no reason and I'm kind of mad about it. But there's nothing we can really do about it, apart from adjust and change and get used to the fact that winter is on its way and that's okay. But last year during this time I was really really down and I think I had borderline seasonal depression. And I think it's really common that I can't be the only one who is feeling slightly down about summer being over and I'm. It's really common that I can't be the only one who is feeling slightly down about summer being over and I'm just worried that you know seasonal depression is going to kick in. The bad weather, it's going to make me feel down and like we we can't avoid it. So we need to talk about it and how we can actually get over our summer blues and avoid that sort of seasonal depression, whether you feel like you have it or you feel like when the weather changes, you just get down during the different seasons and that's also so normal.

Speaker 1: 2:28

But last winter I had the worst as close to what I could call seasonal depression as possible, because I'm not gonna label myself to be someone who has seasonal depression. I've never been diagnosed, I don't really know, but what I do know is that it was awful, awful, and I think a huge part of it changed when it was summer and my mood lifted instantly. But this weather really took a toll on me. Like I just felt so numb each day, just felt so mundane and the same, and I couldn't really find a highlight throughout my day, like nothing really stood out to me. Everything just felt numb and I kind of got in a really bad rut with myself. And I know how I felt. I know I remember that feeling and it was like the worst feeling ever. So I will not be getting back to that and if it has any link to seasonal depression, we need to find a way to put a stop to it, because I don't want to be back there. There's so many amazing things about winter and we need to find a way to put a stop to it, because I don't want to be back there. There's so many amazing things about winter and we need to embrace that. So we're going to talk about how to avoid those summer blues and those seasonal depression moments that you feel like might be coming your way, and how we can get back into our routines and smash autumn and winter without feeling stressed.

Speaker 1: 3:42

So, without further ado, let's get into the episode. One thing I want you to know and I want you to remember is that, when it comes to like feeling down because it's darker days and winter is on its way, we need one thing to ground us, and what is going to ground us other than our routines. Because when we're feeling low, when that feeling of seasonal depression kicks in, we're going to have that routine which is going to completely pick us back up like our best friends and I know it sounds cringe, but it's true. So I don't know about you, but during summer I tend to like throw my routine out the window and live spontaneously, and you might be the same. But now that September is back, we're kind of just going to have to bring that routine back in, slowly creep it back into our lives and figure out how we can use it to our advantage. We can kind of create an autumn reset. So create a reset to your routine, because if you're kind of like come back from summer, not really sure you like your routine anymore, not really sure what your routine even is in the winter, as things change, then create this autumn reset and use this reset to be like a reset of your routine. See what is gonna work for you in these next coming months. Maybe you know those early morning runs where you were able to catch the sun because it was great light isn't gonna work if you hate getting up and running in the dark before work. Seasons change and your routines do too.

Speaker 1: 5:25

Now, I was just talking about it getting darker outside, which I know might scare the shit out of some of you guys, because it scares the shit out of me too. However, it's something that is out of our control. How are we going to fix this in our routine? I think a great way to do this is by having morning rituals, so having things in the morning that you can do to energize you when it's dark outside, because a lot of the time when you've got work and when you're waking up early in the morning, you're not really going to see the sun and I'm preparing you guys for this, but the sun won't really be up if you're kind of getting up at 6 37, you know it might still be pretty dark and you need to do things that are gonna give you that energy when the sunlight isn't there to do that. Obviously, this can be coffees, but this can be other little things that sort of energize you, whether that's listening to your favorite podcast, exercising or doing something that sort of energizes you in the morning when it's darker outside. It could literally be calling your best friend in the morning and having that with her or him as a routine to do when you're feeling like you're going to struggle in the winter months. I think that's a really good one, because friendships energize you. You know that's a huge one for me.

Speaker 1: 6:37

Another thing when it comes to having this autumn reset and adding in new things for your routine is schedule things that you can look forward to. Having things in the diary that you know are coming up and you can look forward to them will help you so much if you feel like seasonal depression. Coffee dates, workouts or creative projects with your friends. Little things that you just have to get you through the weeks, because sometimes weeks aren't supposed to be huge and they're not supposed to be groundbreaking and they're not supposed to be packed with excitement, but you just need to get through them, and that's the reality of life. Sometimes weeks are more mundane than others and they're just about getting through. And in order to get through those weeks, have small things to look forward to, favourite things Monday pizza night or a Monday bi-weekly pizza night with your best friends, and you always know you're going to have it, and it keeps you grounded and it keeps your routine grounded. I think that's a great idea.

Speaker 1: 7:32

Now, another thing other than our routines and our autumn reset, which we need to focus on coming into these winter months, is the seasonal depression thing that I've been talking about. I think we need to talk about this because it's really sad, to admit, and I don't really know if it's something that I can self-diagnose, but I know that when the seasons change, it really makes me have an impact on my mood, on my work, on absolutely everything, and it's just not sustainable. I feel like it's just. How are we living like this when it's so dark all the time? We need to kind of have a way to keep us as energised and revived as we do in the summer. So, when it comes to preventing seasonal depression or feelings of that. I've come up with some great ideas and I'm going to share them with you guys because I don't want you to go through it.

Speaker 1: 8:27

I really saw those signs of seasonal depression when they kicked in during the winter months and I was so down. So what's the signs? What are they? That tend to be low energy, like withdrawals from normal things that you just like to do or have energy for that you just don't anymore. Like disrupted sleep is a huge one. You would normally work out every other day and you have no energy to do that, or you have no energy to see your friends. You have no energy for anything. So we need to avoid that as soon as possible, and some of the things that I really found helped me during that tough time last year was making sure that I got up before I worked, even if I was working from home, and I went outside.

Speaker 1: 9:15

So light therapy in a way, getting outside and getting fresh air. Even if it was dark, even if it was gray, even if it was raining, it was just in the morning I need to get fresh air. Once I have that in my system, my brain can switch on, and that's quite a common thing for everyone. But I think it's even more important in the winter because we're less likely to even want to leave our houses when it gets gross and rainy, but it's going to help you if you get some fresh air, so remembering that fresh air in the morning is a non-negotiable. Another thing is vitamin d. So vitamin d is obviously what we get when we have sun, but we don't have sun in the winter. We're deprived of sun, so we need to get vitamin d in other ways. I'm going to try to take some vitamin D supplements and I know that everyone has their own opinions and thoughts around whether that's a smart thing to do or not, or whether they even work, but I'm going to take some because anything to get me some good vitamin D. I'm going to check in with you guys once I've done that and let you know how it's going for me.

Speaker 1: 10:22

What we can do to help this is movement, and I talk about this all the time because exercise is key. Guys like exercise is everything, so moving your body is going to solve so many more problems than you even realized. Going outside and exercising or going to the gym or doing whatever you need to do to get your body moving is going to change your whole brain. When it comes to the seasonal depression stuff. Like you're releasing those endorphins, you're remembering that the sun will come back, you're gonna be okay, like life isn't bad. It's just the seasons changing which is making you feel down. I also have tips when it comes to the seasonal depression stuff about socialising.

Speaker 1: 11:08

How are we going to make sure that in social situations we can still cope and we can still even socialise? Because I can't be the only one that when it gets dark and when it gets wintry, the last thing I want to do is actually go outside and see friends. The saddest thing I'm gonna miss when it comes to summer is going to pub gardens. I'm gonna miss the pub gardens, summer evenings when you absolutely have no plans and call up a friend and are like let's go to the pub and you just have the best apple spritz in a great pub garden because it's sunny. You just can't really go and hang out as easy as that because there aren't really spots outside, because it's not good weather anymore. I'm gonna miss that so much. But that means that sometimes I'll just say no to plans when I can't really be asked to make the effort to go out because it means I have to be in the rain and be in the cold and whatever.

Speaker 1: 12:10

But I realized that a huge part of why I was feeling really awful at the time was because it was a vicious cycle. I wouldn't socialize because it was cold and rainy and I didn't want to, and then I would feel even more down because I wasn't seeing my friends and I wasn't getting any dopamine and I wasn't like having any fun, and then I would feel even worse and worse and worse and it was just a vicious cycle. So a huge thing when it comes to preventing like feeling seasonal depression or feeling down when the seasons change is don't isolate yourself when the weather changes. I know you might be thinking, of course I'm not gonna do that, I would never do that, but it's much more common than you think and it's really hard because you don't really notice when you're doing it. You could be isolating your friends and you don't even know it.

Speaker 1: 12:59

Make the effort to go and see your friends when you're feeling low, when you're feeling like you just don't want to get outside. Invite them over, even if your social battery is low, honestly, keeping your friends around you and making sure that you have time to socialize is a huge, huge, important thing and a non-negotiable when it comes to the seasonal depression stuff. Now, another thing if you're actually someone who's sitting here and thinking I really get seasonal depression a lot and it stays throughout all of the winter months and I don't really have, you know, small lows and I can't ever get out of them, and I've tried all of these things and I just think nothing's working, maybe you actually need to go and see someone, and I can't prescribe that, but I can tell you that if your low mood is lingering and you're feeling like it's more serious than just a bad day or a bad mood or a bit of weather change that's just not suiting you, then maybe you need to go and think about actually getting diagnosed for seasonal depression, because it's okay and it's really common, but there are professionals who can help with that. I think that that's super important to know that if your low mood is lingering, it's okay to go and get a professional to help. So now we're going to talk about the good things that winter brings, because we're not going to dwell on the negatives. We're going to focus on the fun things because, although summer might be behind us. We have so much to look forward to.

Speaker 1: 14:34

Guys, if you're just getting back from holidays, something that you can do is go and reconnect with your friends after you've been traveling, after they've been traveling. You probably have so many stories to tell each other and it's going to be so nice to just connect and having to see each other after so long. This is what's great about autumn is everyone's back in the same place most of the time and you can all reconnect, and it's a great time to catch up with those people you've not seen in ages. Do the rounds, keep your friendships in check. These last few days of sun that we've been getting, every time there is a blue sky for a couple hours I will go absolutely feral. This could be the last time we see the sky this blue. For the next I don't even know how long. So I will just call anyone up and be like pub. Let's go like any time that it feels right before the sun goes for me to have an Aperol spritz. I will be there, best believe, or I will be outside like just worshipping the sun. I would suggest for you guys to enjoy every last bit of sun whilst it lasts. Now, I know that sounds sad, but when you're in your room and you're kind of feeling slumpish and lazy and you're not really wanting to do anything but it's sunny outside, just remember that when it gets cloudy and when it's dark and rainy and cold, you'll be wishing you went outside when it was sunny. Now, another thing I'm looking forward to this winter is all like the winter activities, and there's so many ones which are actually affordable and are really fun and I think we need to be reminded of them to cheer ourselves up from this slump of summer.

Speaker 1: 16:11

Christmas is so near. Guys, who doesn't love Christmas? Like good movie nights when it's dark and rainy and cold, sometimes that's the best time for movie night. Like, even if you're going to the cinema, it's cozy inside and it's rainy outside honestly, what's better? And game nights with your friends and dinner parties winter fashion. I'm looking forward to so much. I'm looking forward to Christmas food Sunday roasts because for some reason in my family we don't really have Sunday roasts in the summer and we have Sunday roasts in the winter way more, probably because it's just a heavier meal. But I'm looking forward to Sunday roasts. I'm looking forward to stuffing. The end of the year is such a festive time and there's so many events, so there is so much to look forward to. Guys. It is going to be a great winter and you don't have to just be outside in the pub drinking. I'm really looking forward to like the lasagnas and meal prepping and stuff like that.

Speaker 1: 17:09

So this is the end of the episode now, and I just wanted to keep it short and light, to come back and say we're back.

Speaker 1: 17:16

I wanted this episode to be a reminder to you that the world doesn't end when summer ends, and I know it might feel like it does, but it's okay, because there's so much to look forward to this winter and there is so much going for you right now. You're going to have the best next few months, and just because summer ends doesn't mean that your goals, your plans, your ambitions and all of the fun social things that you've been doing these past couple months have to go out the window. They are going to be right there where you left them, and you just have to readjust and focus on a new routine. Maybe don't be hard on yourself if you're feeling low when the season's changing, like it's very normal. I hope that you take away some of these tips, whether that's the seasonal depression stuff or whether that's changing your routine and implement them this week in September and see how it works for you and let me know what you think. I hope you guys have a great rest of your week. I shall see you next Wednesday. Bye.