In the past week or two, I’ve heard countless people bemoan the coming end of summer. “The nights are already getting chilly,” we say, disbelieving. We quip “May as well start digging out the snow boots!” Most of all, we repeat this refrain: “I can’t believe summer’s over already!”

Meanwhile, it’s only mid-August. How can we prevent our minds from leaping forward to autumn and missing out on the glorious remaining weeks of summer?

Try these three tips for mindfully appreciating August:

1) Bite into something seasonal.

Before getting carried away by fall’s root vegetables and hearty soups, take a bite out of something currently in season. Pick up some Canadian blueberries or peaches and make a pie. Cull the basil from your balcony and make pasta with pesto. To ground yourself in the summer, try literally taking a bite out of August.

2) Get back outside.

July may be the perfect month for camping, swimming, and lounging on the beach or the terrasse, but the season for outdoor activities is far from over. In Montreal, city pools are still open, kids are still off school, and BBQ weather is still with us. Don’t let back-to-school advertising and an evening chill send you inside until next May. This weekend, eat brunch in the yard, take the kids to the park, or take a day trip to swim, hike, or canoe. It’s not too late.

3) Appreciate the changes in weather.

Often we greet any the change in temperature or the sight of leaves beginning to turn in August with resignation or alarm. This year, what if we instead greeted the signs of the seasons changing with openness and non-judgment? An August evening chill in the air is lovely if we aren’t grasping for the hot nights of July. A red maple leaf is stunning if we don’t interpret it as a sign of good things coming an end.

There are almost two weeks left until Labour Day: which of these tips will you try out?