🍂 A Gentle September Renewal.🍂
Hello!
We are officially in September, which offers us a natural point to pause, notice where we are and gently realign.
Autumn is a magical time of year. Clear blue skies, golden sunsets, vibrant colours and cooler weather bring a noticeable shift in energy. It may be a cliché, but there really is something about September that feels like a fresh beginning, inspiring us to return to familiar routines, start new projects and revisit things we may have neglected.
Do you remember what it felt like to go back to school in September, especially if you were lucky enough to have new shoes, a lunch box, a knapsack, fresh pencils and notebooks? There was something exciting about walking into a new school year with a little extra skip in your step.
A lovely way to tap into that feeling is to borrow some of the freshness without making September about productivity or self-improvement.
Rather than seeing September as a time to overhaul our lives, perhaps we can use it as an opportunity to check in, reset where needed and consider what balance might look like as we move into autumn.
🍂 Check In
September offers a lovely opportunity to reflect before deciding how you would like to move through the rest of the year.
Take a moment for a simple check-in and ask yourself:
How am I feeling physically and emotionally?
What has been working well lately?
What has been draining me?
What have I neglected that I would like to return to?
What do I need more of this autumn? What do I need less of?
Perhaps what mattered earlier in the year no longer resonates, or a few helpful habits have slipped along the way. Once you have checked in with yourself, you can decide what deserves your attention over the next few months.
🍂 Reset
Sweeping changes are not necessary and often set us up for disappointment. Instead, focus on what feels most important. Maybe it is returning to yoga, getting back to regular walks, establishing a better bedtime, cooking more often, spending less time scrolling, connecting with family and friends, picking up a book again or clearing out a cluttered space.
We may no longer be heading back to school with a new lunch box and freshly sharpened pencils, but we can still borrow some of that sense of possibility.
A reset can begin with one small choice that makes everyday life feel a little better.
🍂 Find Balance
There was a time when I would create a long, unmanageable list of things I wanted to accomplish in September. I often did the same in January. These lists were ridiculous and impossible unless I found a way to function without sleep.
They included learning to play an instrument, learning a language, writing a book, running a marathon, refinishing old furniture, working out every day and meditating for an hour every morning. I get exhausted just thinking about it, and I am grateful that I have mostly overcome the urge to do everything.
Thankfully, I can now acknowledge that I have zero desire to learn an instrument or a language, so those have finally been removed from the list for good. I also like and need sleep. These days, I see September and January as built-in opportunities to check in with myself. That is enough.
What I have learned is that a reset does not need to involve a long list of goals.
Long goal lists = chaos and frustration.
Instead, choose one or two things you would genuinely like to focus on between now and December. You might pick one practical project, such as sorting out your finances, getting your taxes organized or finally tackling a cluttered area in your home, along with something creative or enjoyable, such as taking a pottery class, joining a book club or returning to a hobby you love.
For me, one priority is figuring out a new morning routine. I used to get up at 5 am, meditate, journal and head to the gym. I am fatigued from a Lyme relapse these days, so I need a lot more sleep, and my mornings look very different now. I would also like to establish a regular writing practice and, once and for all, organize the two large containers of photos that my family have been asking me about for years.
That’s it! No music or language classes or marathons.
The point is not to fill the next few months with another list of things to accomplish. It is to make room for a few things that would genuinely add something to your life.
That sense of renewal can also come from slowing down and noticing the season itself. I enjoy seasonal rituals and connecting with what is happening in the natural world, what I like to call celestial delights. September brings us the Autumn Equinox and the Harvest Moon.
You might mark these occasions by participating in a community celebration or seasonal event, or simply by taking some quiet time on your own to connect with the season's rhythms.
With its nearly equal hours of daylight and darkness, the Autumn Equinox offers a lovely reminder to consider balance in our own lives. The Harvest Moon invites us to notice what has grown, what has come to fruition and what we may be ready to carry into the next season.
The Autumnal Equinox will occur on Tuesday, September 22nd at 8:04 p.m. EDT. The Harvest Moon will peak on Saturday, September 26th.
Balance does not mean that everything in our lives needs equal attention. Our needs, priorities and energy are always shifting.
By September, it can be tempting to think the year is already winding down. But there are still more than 100 days left! This is plenty of time to finish something you started, return to something you have neglected or make progress on something that matters to you.
September does not have to be about reinventing ourselves. A few thoughtful choices may be all we need to move into autumn feeling a little more grounded and balanced.
Share in the comments below what you love most about autumn and how you plan to make the most of it.
Savour every moment of this beautiful season!
Anita 🙏💟🍁
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