\u201cTransition and the uncertainty that comes with it is the root of a lot of anxiety,\u201d says Dr Susan Brannick, clinical director at Aware and an adjunct professor at University College Dublin<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cIn summer, we get used to one way of doing things for a while, but then it changes and there\u2019s discomfort in that. For a lot of adults, September and October can feel like particularly big transitional points, because of the return to school and college [and work] routines.\u201d <\/p>\n End-of-summer sadness isn\u2019t only about the dread of swapping seasonal spontaneity for old rhythms, or tackling the life admin we\u2019ve shelved in favour of beach days and barbecues. It\u2019s often rooted in regret that summer wasn\u2019t all it could or should have been.<\/p>\n When social media<\/a> is awash with images of people sipping sangria by infinity pools, it\u2019s easy to feel you\u2019ve somehow squandered your own summer. Like Christmas, our expectations for the season can be impossibly high, with the reality sometimes falling far short. <\/p>\n \u201cIf someone is already struggling with their mood or mental health<\/a>, then the images on their social media and the sounds of barbecues outside can be difficult, because that\u2019s not their experience,\u201d Brannick says. \u201cIf you\u2019re suffering, it can be hard to imagine feeling happy and fulfilled. Depression tells you the lie that you\u2019re on your own, that things are never going to get better and that no one else will ever understand.\u201d<\/p>\n Beating the September scaries has a lot to do with being intentional about how you ease into autumn. \u201cI\u2019d ask myself: how well do I manage transitions? What do I know helps me? What\u2019s helped me in the past and what could help me on this occasion?\u201d says Brannick. She also advocates taking a pause when your thoughts begin to run away from you. <\/p>\n \u201cIf you notice that your mind is racing off into the future, just stop and ask, \u2018Okay, hang on, what\u2019s going on here? I\u2019ve now projected on to the whole of next month.\u2019 Or, \u2018I\u2019ve been thinking about this problem for an hour; what can I do differently?\u2019\u201d The aim is to interrupt the cycle of worry by becoming more aware of your thoughts rather than being pushed around by them. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd crucially, take action that is in line with what matters to you, rather than being driven by worry.\u201d<\/p>\n There is also a particular pressure we\u2019ve attached to September. For years, it\u2019s been framed as the new January: a moment to reflect, reset and reinvent. September is no longer the month where our routines shift, it\u2019s become a cultural touchpoint for personal reinvention, another deadline by which we\u2019re expected to have ourselves all figured out.<\/p>\n While this narrative can feel motivating for some people, for others it can simply add to the pressure and stress of a new season. \u201cIt\u2019s difficult to say whether these kinds of narratives really impact people,\u201d says Brannick, \u201cbut there\u2019s a broader issue around comparison that can emerge. \u2018Am I where I should be? Am I succeeding as well as other people my age? How am I doing compared to others in my cohort?\u2019 <\/p>\n \u201cIt ties into a narrative around achievement, happiness and contentment,\u201d Brannick adds, \u201cbut the nature of most people\u2019s lives is transitory; things fluctuate and you\u2019ll have a whole range of different experiences. In clinical practice, I see a lot of perfectionistic striving, and that can lead to shame later on when things don\u2019t go to plan.\u201d <\/p>\n [\u00a0This autumn could see the return of remote learning. We need to start planning for it nowOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n Sin\u00e9ad Kennedy is familiar with the end-of-summer dread. The mental health and wellness coach and host of wellness activity breaks has never liked summer\u2019s slow retreat. Having hated school, August was tinged with dread. \u201cThe weather is changing, the air is getting cooler and the leaves are dropping off the trees. It\u2019s as if nature is telling us the good times have come to an end,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n \u201cAutumn is synonymous with hunkering down,\u201d she adds. \u201cEverybody is home from their holidays. Your annual leave is spent and you\u2019re living for the next bank holiday. It\u2019s back to school, it\u2019s the end of the financial year and the pressure is on.\u201d<\/p>\n Kennedy\u2019s practical advice for letting go of summer begins with refusing to let autumn simply happen to you. Instead begin making plans now that give you something to look forward to in the months ahead. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be proactive about getting out and about, staying socially connected and protecting your physical health. A lot of people sit around and wait for invitations and then complain when the invitations don\u2019t come,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n Kennedy worries that remote working<\/a> can make it easier to retreat from the outside world. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to become lazy about leaving the house when you\u2019re online all of the time, but it\u2019s so important to arrange a monthly lunch with friends or a walking challenge.\u201d <\/p>\n Kennedy describes herself as \u201ca doer\u201d, so organising comes easily to her. But you don\u2019t have to be a natural gatherer of people to put plans in place for the autumn. \u201cJoin a fitness class or a language class. Try playing bridge. Get the Couch-to-5K app.\u201d She believes maintaining the connection we forge with nature in summer is key to transitioning into autumn. <\/p>\n \u201cWrap up on a cold day, bring a flask to the park and just spend some time with a cup of tea on a park bench. There is so much research on how disconnected we are from nature these days. But we are creatures; we\u2019re supposed to be outside, getting our hands dirty, gardening and the rest of it. I\u2019m a huge advocate of getting into the sea or walking barefoot on the grass because you\u2019re physically in nature that way.\u201d <\/p>\n Kennedy acknowledges that there are times when there\u2019s no other choice but to stay at home on a cold, dark Tuesday night with the walls closing in. <\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t exercise yourself into oblivion or be outside morning, noon and night. But you can keep your hands busy and your brain busy. I always have a jigsaw on the go. It\u2019s a brilliant distraction from doom-scrolling and the feeling that you\u2019re missing out.\u201d Kennedy believes you have to be really intentional about staying connected, curious and active. <\/p>\n![\"'It’s](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/KUVCFRQ3HFGDXA5K5WZUDR46NE.jpg\")
‘It\u2019s so important to arrange a monthly lunch with friends or a walking challenge.’ Illustration: iStock <\/p>\n