If June is the Friday of Summer, then July is a carefree, socially-packed Saturday, and August is most definitely a lazy, leisurely Sunday. It starts off all “easy like Sunday morning,” with long steamy afternoons at the beach and bonfires and spritzes and evening dips in the warmed ocean. But as the days of August melt into one another, and we fade into Labor Day weekend, the Sunday Scaries start to creep in. No one wants the summer to end. Sure the leaves turning crimson then gold is picturesque — and who doesn’t enjoy apple picking and nibbling roasted corn on a hay ride at Hank’s Pumpkin Town? But we all know what’s coming: colder, shorter days. Even those of us who love the change of seasons and relish a good snow storm still dread the length and severity of winter.
As the beach season wanes and we trade our bikinis for sweaters and our rosé for cabernet, what can we do to stay motivated and keep our summertime glow? How do we march bravely into the darker, colder months? I turned to LaShonna Holloway-Johnson, senior Tracy Anderson trainer, and all-around-inspiring human who dances through life with power and grace, to help us find the antidote to the end-of-summer blues.
Here are her tips:
WORKOUT
“As a Tracy Anderson trainer, I make sure that I keep up with my own personal workout no matter how busy my schedule might get,” said LaShonna. “Moving my body definitely helps me transition easier into the winter months when our bodies naturally want to hold onto weight to stay warm.” Okay, so the first step is to keep moving and prioritize our sweat sesh — even when we would rather set our teeth on fire than put on sneakers and brave the cold.
MUSIC
“Music is such a great motivation!” LaShonna shared. “I enjoy so many artists and genres … but I always look forward to the empowering sounds of Beyoncé or the motivating tunes of Imagine Dragons.” Takeaway here? Start to take note of the music that makes you want to move your body and curate an energizing playlist for fall and beyond.
GLOW
“When the weather starts to turn cold, my skin gets extremely dry,” said LaShonna. Most of us suffer the same affliction, and dull skin just makes us dread winter even more. How do we return to the glow we radiate in summer? “I use Skin Sequence Got Physical Balm,” LaShonna said. “It’s all organic, and it really helps keep my skin moisturized like it naturally feels on a warm, sunny day.”
SNACK
“I’m a huge fan of matcha!” she said. “I personally enjoy it with almond milk and agave.” Good to know we can warm up and get going with some caffeinated, antioxidant-charged sweetness.
MEDITATION
“When it gets cold out, it’s hard to get out of bed, and I just wish I could click my heels and end up in the heated Tracy Anderson studio that feels so good,” LaShonna said. “To help with this I get up a little earlier to take a long warm shower before I leave the house. I also use this time to reflect on what I’m thankful for in life and to let go of anything that I don’t want to carry into my day.” Long, hot, meditative showers to warm the body and focus the mind. Roger that.
Bottom line: don’t feed the fears! Take the initiative and get moving, get dancing, get glowing even when your pool is sealed like a tomb, and cruising with the top down on 27 feels like a distant memory. One thing that has helped me survive winter is to book a trip to sunnier climates when I know I’ll need it most. Getting out of Dodge in February for even a few days can help boost morale and your Vitamin D level.
And here’s a fun fact: even the shortest day of the year, December 21, is the day we start turning back toward the light. So in our darkest and coldest days, we can rest in the awareness that summer is coming back toward us.
