When Summer Ends: Adjusting to a Change in Routine

by Talia Bina, MSEd, MPhil, MHC-LP

When Summer Ends: Adjusting to a Change in Routine

There’s nothing quite like the start of September to remind you that summer is over. The school-related traffic alone seems to make that pretty clear.

For many of us, summer comes with a completely different rhythm. We may stay up later, sleep in, have fewer obligations in the morning, spend more time outside, travel, see family and friends, or simply have more time to do the things we actually enjoy.

Then September comes around and suddenly we’re expected to be back on a schedule. And that can be a bigger adjustment than we realize.

Why is Getting Back into a Routine So Hard?

It’s easy to think, “Okay, summer’s over. Time to get back to normal.” But our bodies and minds don’t necessarily switch back that quickly.

Think about sleep. During the summer, you may have gotten used to staying up later and waking up later. Maybe there wasn’t a reason to set an alarm for 6:30 every morning. When school or work starts again, suddenly you’re expected to wake up much earlier and function at a time your body hasn’t been used to for months.

Our circadian rhythm, or our body’s internal sleep-wake clock, can shift based on our routines and exposure to light. So getting back to an earlier wake-up time isn’t always as simple as deciding to go to bed earlier one night. It can take some time for your body to adjust.
And sleep isn’t the only thing that changes.

During the summer, we may have more freedom over how we spend our time. We can take a long lunch, spend an afternoon outside, make plans during the week, travel, visit family, or see friends without worrying as much about tomorrow’s schedule.

Then September arrives and suddenly a lot more of our day is dictated by the clock. We go from “What do I feel like doing today?” to “What do I have to do today?”
That shift can be hard.

It’s not just that we have more things to do. We have less flexibility around when we do them, and often less time to do the things that help us recharge.

So if you’re feeling more tired, irritable, overwhelmed, or unmotivated as September gets underway, it may not be because you’re doing anything wrong. You’re adjusting to a different pace, schedule, and set of expectations.

The Emotional Side of the Transition

Another part of this transition is the feeling that we have less control over our time. Anxiety often shows up when we feel uncertain or out of control. During the summer, we may have had more say in how we spent our days. We could decide when to sleep, when to make plans, when to travel, or when to simply do nothing.

Once September starts, there are more things that are decided for us. You have to be somewhere at a certain time. You have deadlines. You may have less flexibility to change your plans or take a break when you want one.

That loss of control can create anxiety, even when the things filling your schedule are things you actually want or need to do.

And sometimes, our response is to try to regain that sense of control by planning everything, over-scheduling ourselves, worrying about what could go wrong, or feeling like we need to have everything figured out. But trying to control every part of a transition can sometimes make the anxiety worse.

Instead, ask yourself: “What is actually within my control right now?”

Maybe you can’t control your work schedule, your child’s school schedule, traffic, or everything that will happen over the next few months. But you can decide what time you go to bed, what you prioritize, when you take breaks, how you structure the time you do have, and what you say yes or no to.

You may not be able to control the transition itself, but you can have some control over how you move through it.

Give Yourself Time to Adjust

We don’t always give ourselves enough time to adjust to a new routine. You can know exactly what your schedule looks like and still not feel completely comfortable with it yet. Your body and mind may need some time to catch up.

Try not to immediately interpret that discomfort as a sign that something is wrong.
Ask yourself: “Am I struggling because this isn’t working for me, or because I’m still adjusting?”

Those are two very different things. Not every uncomfortable transition means you’ve made the wrong choice. Sometimes, it’s just uncomfortable because it’s new.

You Don't Have to Get Everything Together at Once

September can also bring this feeling that you need to get your life together. Maybe this is finally the month you’re going to exercise regularly, eat better, get organized, fix your sleep schedule, reconnect with friends, and become the most productive version of yourself.

And then you look at that list and wonder why you’re already overwhelmed.

Instead of trying to change everything at once, choose one thing to focus on. Think about what is most realistic and what would actually make your day-to-day life easier—not necessarily the goal that is furthest out or sounds the most impressive.

If you want to start exercising, what’s the first step? Maybe it’s not committing to five workouts a week. Maybe it’s taking a 15-minute walk twice this week.

If you want to improve your sleep, maybe the first step isn’t completely changing your nighttime routine. Maybe it’s moving your bedtime 20 minutes earlier and gradually working from there.

You can also try habit stacking, which means attaching a new habit to something you already do consistently. For example, if you want to take your vitamins every morning, keep them next to your toothbrush so you can pair the new habit with something you already do every morning.

The goal isn’t to completely overhaul your life overnight. It’s to make one small change, make it part of your routine, and then build from there.

Sometimes we get so focused on where we want to end up that we forget to ask, “What’s the first step?”

Don't Forget to Leave Room for Yourself

One of the first things to disappear when life gets busy is usually free time. You may start thinking, “I’ll see my friends when things calm down,” “I’ll exercise when I have more time,” or “I’ll relax once everything is done.”

The problem is that everything is rarely completely done.
During the summer, you may have naturally had more opportunities to do things that helped you recharge. You may have spent time with family, traveled, sat outside, or simply had an afternoon with nowhere to be.

You may not have that same amount of free time in September, but that doesn’t mean those things need to disappear completely.

Try to intentionally keep some of them in your routine. Maybe it’s getting dinner with a friend, taking a walk after work, watching your favorite show, reading before bed, or simply leaving some time in your evening with nothing planned.

Your routine shouldn’t only make room for everything you have to do. It should also make room for the things that help you feel like yourself.

You Don't Have to Find Your Rhythm Immediately

Getting back into a routine doesn’t happen overnight.

Your sleep schedule may need time to adjust. Your days may feel busier than they did a few weeks ago. You may need to figure out where your downtime fits now that your schedule is more structured.

Give yourself some room to adjust rather than expecting yourself to immediately fall back into a perfect routine. Start with one realistic change. Focus on what you can control. Keep making room for the things that help you recharge.

September doesn’t have to mean starting over or suddenly having everything figured out. Sometimes, it’s simply about finding your rhythm again.

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