Sometimes it feels like nobody knows how to act in August. Summer temperatures are still scorching, but Target has notebooks and lunchboxes at the front door, and half of my group chat is asking about fall weekend trip plans. It's the one month where you're supposed to be relaxing, but almost end up mourning at the same time as summer slowly begins to slip away.
I used to spend all of August in low-key panic mode, as if I had to cram in every "last" thing before September showed up and made me be a responsible adult again — the last beach trip, the last iced coffee on the porch, the last time I get to wear the same three sundresses on repeat without anyone commenting on it.
It's a confusing month full of distractions, but it's also a great time of year to take a mental inventory of where you are in life, as the end of the summer sort of feels like a reset moment.
Pssst... Here are a few printable planners I thought you might like!
This year I'm skipping the summer countdown. August doesn't have to be the last chapter of summer fun, it can just be its own weird, hot, in-between month. I don't need to squeeze the life out of it before it's gone, I just need to actually be in it while it's happening instead of dreading its ending the whole time.
That mental shift has made a bigger difference than I expected. It's a lot easier to enjoy a popsicle when you're not simultaneously eulogizing summer over it.
August is also a decent time to check in before the fall chaos starts pulling at mental to-do list again. Not a full life audit, just some honest questions: what actually worked this summer, what did you agree to that you regretted the second you said yes, and what's one thing you'd actually like to keep doing once the schedule fills back up?
Finding a sunny afternoon to treat yourself to an iced coffee and a journaling session is sure to do you wonders. You can answer specific journal prompts (like the ones below) or just brain dump whatever is on your mind and spills out onto a blank page.
Some of the best parts of this month happen when you just let a Saturday be a Saturday and don't overthink it. But if you're ready to answer some more concrete questions to help you reflect on the summer, here are a few thought-provoking journal prompts.
You don't have to have your whole fall planned out by Labor Day. August gets to be a little slow and a little unserious. Let the journaling match that energy — you're not fixing anything here, just noticing it.
Go enjoy the last of the long evenings. September isn't going anywhere.
Happy August!
