As finals and the end of the academic year approach us, around the campus there has been almost a subtle change in the air as the countdown begins. Like many students, I can not wait for the summer to relax and spend time with friends and family but in the back of my mind, there is this funny feeling about the end of this academic year.

When we were kids the end of the academic year gave us time to relax, sleep, and hang out with people. Now some of that child-like idolization of summer is still there but now we met and made connections with so many people, there’s now a sense of dread and sadness that looks over the summer, like the song “Summertime Sadness” by music artist Lana Del Ray. However, there are some remedies to managing the summer blues while still enjoying our time off.

Remedies for Summer Blues
Some of these remedies I have learned but they can be tailored to each individual so if some of these do not work for you, you can change them to your liking.
Plan Get-togethers :
If you have friends or connections who live in-state or on campus, try to plan small get-togethers. This could be you and a couple of friends sitting outside enjoying the sun and maybe having a little potluck or just enjoying the company
Practice self-care :
This might seem contradictory to the overall article but I promise you it has value. While we miss our friends it is very important to take care of ourselves. The summer is a chance to rejuvenate ourselves without having to stress about deadlines.
Live, laugh, Love
While this sounds like a cheesy slogan it does have some merit. During the break, take a moment to smell the rose and live in the moment. Laugh at some funny TikToks a friend sent you, or an old memory of you doing something cringey, and take a moment and appreciate and love the moments and memories you made this year.

Even with all these remedies, there will still be moments during the summer when our moods will dip and everyone will experience that differently. However, summer can have both happy and sad moments but no matter how you experience this summer and time off. I want you to take a deep breath, relax your body and muscles, and enjoy the summer because we can spend our whole lives trying to curb the sadness and focus on happy and sad but we only get one life. So spend some of that time just existing in the moment and feeling.