4 Ways to Show Gratitude Before the Summer Officially Ends

4 Ways to Show Gratitude Before the Summer Officially Ends

If you are like me, you are probably wondering what happened to June, July and August...this summer certainly flew by fast. When the seasons change, I love to reflect on where I traveled, what I accomplished, new experiences, time spent with family and friends, and look ahead to what’s coming in the next season. To help reflect on all of the things that happened in summer 2019 and make room for what’s to come this fall, I came up with four ways to show gratitude before this summer officially ends.

  1. Go for a nice long walk or hike. When is spending time outside ever a bad idea? Okay, I could probably come up with a few...in the middle of a heat wave, summer storm, when the mosquitoes are biting...okay, there’s a lot of times when it’s inconvenient, but one of my favorite times to venture outdoors is towards the end of summer when things start to cool down. What better way to enjoy the remaining summer’s warmth and reflect on all of the joy that being outdoors brought you this season. Oh, and don’t forget to show mother nature some love by picking up a few pieces of trash along the way.
  2. Plan a friend or family date. It could be as elaborate as going to a nice restaurant, a concert, or treating someone close to you to ice cream. Spending quality time is a great way to show gratitude to someone you care about and usher in a sense of community for fall.
  3. Treat yourself to something special like a pedicure, massage or fresh haircut. Need I say more? Show your physical body how much you appreciate it by finding some time to relax or refresh you look.
  4. Create new energy/vibes for your living space by cleaning, reorganizing, hanging up some new artwork or pictures. Sweater weather, anyone? Need to make room for some new fall clothes? Thank some of your old clothes (like Marie Kondo) and let them go through donation or consignment. That new piece of art you picked up while traveling -- find somewhere in your place to display it.

 

Sophia is a public health advocate that lives in Northern Virginia with her husband. She loves to write about public health and gentrification, is an avid dog lover and a wanna-be interior designer. When she’s not persuading her family/friends to get their annual flu vaccine, you might find her catching up on celebrity gossip, painting, trying out a new recipe or exploring a museum.