Beat the End-of-Summer Blues

For many, Labor Day marks the official end of summer. While that may mean fewer impromptu gatherings in the long evenings and less time at the lake, it is a great time to explore something new. This year, why not see the post-Labor Day lull as a time for renewal and the rediscovery of personal interests before the winter holidays hit?

Get Outside
During the summer months, there’s a natural expectation of getting out and enjoying the weather. Although if you live in the Midwest, summer is more likely the time of quickly moving from air-conditioned home or office into an air-cooled car. Fast forward to mid-September and the weather is typically at its most beautiful. Cooler days make the effort of being outside enjoyable for an impromptu lunch on the patio, a noon-time walk and any number of weekend-warrior activities. Making time to get outside has many side benefits including better mental and physical health, improved concentration and more creativity.

Expand the Mind
Feeling the need to explore? Maybe this is the time to take a cue from the back-to-school crowd to learn something new. Even the tiniest change like driving a different route to and from work or parking in a different place can challenge the brain. Additionally, having a leisure activity you look forward to can broaden your world through meeting new people and hearing different perspectives. Learning a something new can also shift the way you look at your job and could even make you more willing to try out new tasks or build the courage to search for new employment.

Find a Side Hustle
If the current 9-to-5 gig isn’t hitting high on the passion meter, now is the time to quietly explore other options though a part-time job. A temporary position in the evenings and/or the weekends can be a great way to try out different jobs and different industries. It’s also an easy way to earn extra money before the holidays arrive. This two-for-one means additional skills to boost your resume and Linked In profile, and you never know when a part-time gig could turn into something more permanent or facilitate the discovery of a long-lost or hidden talent.

Realign Priorities
One of the unexpected benefits of the latter half of the year is a slower pace, making it a good time to re-assess priorities. Use these months to evaluate what’s currently working in your life and what could use a change. Maybe that means finding new ways to manage stress, to challenge the status quo or to dedicate time to focus on where you want to be next year.

One of the best things about personal reinvention is that there’s no perfect or one-size-fits-all roadmap. Instead it’s a process of discovery where one new thing or one new idea has the potential to put you on the path to something that could be bigger, better or just different. Give yourself permission to explore and most importantly have fun with it.

This article is brought to you by Staffing Kansas City, a Kansas City employment agency that provides contract-to-hire programs and direct hire placements, in addition to contract employment services.