Don’t Let August Steal Your Joy and How to Flip the Thoughts That Keep You Stuck
Jenny Gaynor, author and founder of Calm Education, teaches SEL tools to help kids, families, and teachers build confidence, connection, and calm.
There is something about August that changes the air. The calendar hasn’t officially declared the end of summer, but somehow we all know it is coming. Store shelves fill with backpacks and notebooks. Emails begin arriving. Calendars start filling up.
Conversations shift from vacations to schedules, sports, homework, and bus routes. For many parents and educators, August doesn’t just bring a new season. It brings big feelings. Maybe you’re excited to return to routines. Maybe you’re grieving the slower pace of summer. Maybe you’re wondering if you’re ready for another school year. Or maybe you’re feeling all of those things at once.
If any of this resonates with you, you’re not alone. One of the greatest misconceptions of emotional wellness is that we should simply “stay positive.” But emotional intelligence teaches us something different. Every feeling deserves to be noticed. We don’t have to ignore sadness to experience joy. We don’t have to pretend we aren’t nervous to feel hopeful.
Instead of pushing our feelings away, we can learn to examine the thoughts that are fueling them. Our thoughts shape how we experience the world. While we can’t always control the first thought that pops into our mind, we can choose whether we continue believing it. Or we can gently replace it with one that is more balanced, compassionate, and helpful.
Notice I didn’t say “more positive.” Helpful thoughts aren’t about pretending everything is wonderful. They’re about seeing the whole picture. Here are a few thought flips you can practice as August unfolds.
Thought: “Summer is over already.”
It is easy to focus on what is ending. But when we stay there, we miss everything we’ve gained.
Try this instead:
“I am grateful for the memories we made this summer, and I am looking forward to making new ones this school year.”
Gratitude doesn’t erase sadness. It allows both to exist together.
Thought: “I’m not ready.”
Whether you’re a teacher preparing your classroom or a parent trying to get everyone back into a routine, this thought can feel overwhelming. Instead of waiting until you feel completely ready, you can remind yourself of the truth.
Try this instead:
“I don’t have to have everything figured out today. I only have to take the next step.”
Confidence often grows after we begin rather than before.
Thought: “Everything is about to become stressful again.”
Busy schedules are real. School mornings are busy. Meetings, homework, sports, and activities all demand our attention. But stress doesn’t have to become the entire story.
Try this instead:
“There will be busy days, and there will also be moments of laughter, connection, and calm. I can intentionally create those moments.”
You can create those moments with one deep breath before walking into school, one family dinner together, one bedtime story, or one cup of coffee enjoyed without rushing. Small moments have a big impact.
Thought: “We didn’t do enough this summer.”
This might be one of the most common thoughts parents and educators carry into August. Social media has a way of convincing us that everyone else squeezed every ounce out of summer, while we somehow fell short. But children rarely measure summer by how many vacations they took or attractions they visited. We don’t measure summer by how much we got done, either.
We remember how we felt. We remember the laughter. We remember making memories together. We remember the little things, like catching lightning bugs, watching movies on the couch, or having conversations over a nice dinner.
Try this instead:
“We made meaningful memories, and that is enough.”
Enough really can be enough.
Thought: “The school year has to be better this year.”
Teachers, parents, and students feel it. The pressure to get everything “right” can steal the joy from the very experiences we are hoping to enjoy.
Try this instead:
“Perfection isn’t the goal. Presence is.”
Children don’t need perfect adults. They need adults who apologize when they make mistakes, who model resilience, who show them that feelings are normal, and who prove that hard days don’t last forever. These lessons are far more valuable than perfection could ever be.
A simple practice for August
Take five quiet minutes this week to write down the thoughts that keep showing up as school approaches. Then ask yourself if these thoughts are true and if they are helping you. Then try to find a kinder and more balanced way of looking at the situation.
You don’t have to force yourself to feel differently overnight. Just becoming aware of your thoughts and feelings is often enough to begin shifting them.
One final thought
As parents and educators, we spend so much time helping children manage their emotions that we sometimes forget to take care of our own. This August, permit yourself to feel whatever comes up. Celebrate the beautiful moments summer gave you and grieve the ones you wish had lasted longer. Don’t forget to also look forward to the opportunities a new school year will bring.
Most importantly, remember that while we can’t always choose our first thought, we can choose the one we hold onto. Sometimes, making that small shift in our thinking is enough to change the way we experience an entire season!
Read more from Jenny Gaynor
Jenny Gaynor, Social-Emotional Learning Coach and Founder
Jenny Gaynor is the author and founder of Calm Education. She teaches children, families, and teachers essential SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) skills. Her mission is to help others build confidence, resilience, and healthy connections. Jenny is a former educator with over 20 years of classroom experience. She holds certifications in both elementary and special education. Jenny also has training in yoga, meditation, and SEL facilitation. She lives in Barrington, Rhode Island, with her family and therapy cat, Tiller.
