Beating the Back To… Blues: Finding Joy After Summer

The end of summer holidays always seems to sneak up on us, doesn’t it? One minute you’re paddling your toes in sandy shorelines, thinking this is what life should always feel like and the next you’re panic-buying school shoes or realising your “out of office” has overstayed its welcome.

It’s what I call the Back To… Blues. Back to school. Back to work. Back to normal routines. And back to wondering how on earth the summer vanished in a flash.

The good news? Feeling a mix of emotions; sadness, nostalgia, even a touch of anxiety, is completely normal. A season is closing and like any ending, it stirs things up. The even better news? Those same emotions can become fuel for something new, comforting and confidence-building.

Allowing the Sadness (Without Getting Stuck in It)

Instead of brushing off that “ugh” feeling about darker mornings and shorter days, try welcoming it. Think of it as proof you soaked up summer fully. Sadness is often just love for a season that gave you something special.

The trick is to let yourself feel it, while also asking: How can I carry some of that summer joy forward? Maybe it’s booking a cheeky October mini-break, maybe it’s simply keeping a weekend walk in the diary, rain or shine.

A Season for Cosy Confidence

Autumn doesn’t have to feel like the party’s over; it can feel like a fresh invitation. Instead of long evenings outside, there’s the glow of lamps and cups of tea. Instead of BBQs, it’s soups and blankets. Rather than a loss, what if we treated this seasonal shift as a reminder that life has cycles and each one brings its own form of comfort and joy?

Confidence grows when we learn to embrace change, even in small, everyday ways. So why not see the shift into autumn as practice for that skill?

Want More Support?

I’ve created 3 exclusive journal prompts to help you ease the Back To… Blues and carry the glow of summer into the autumn months.

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Closing Thoughts

So yes, the summer holidays are drawing to a close. Yes, you might feel a pang when you notice the sun setting earlier. But you can also treat this change like a gentle reset. Allow the sadness but also lean into the cosiness, the new rhythms and even the chance to book yourself something to look forward to.

The end of one season doesn’t mean the end of joy, it just means joy is arriving in a different costume.