Whoever hurt Summer, come to the front immediately! Because right now she’s almost all packed up. Her bags — overspilling with flip-flops, beach days, and late sunsets — are at her feet, and fall (autumn) is already waiting, eager to be tagged in. Now, I know, especially here in Maryland, that a few of those 650-degree weeks were a little sizzling, shall we say, but it wasn’t all bad… right?
I don’t hate the cooler temps wafting in — when you can actually be and sit outside without the frenzy of a thousand bugs or the need to take 15 showers to find relief from that sticky feeling. But damn, does it feel a little too early to be thinking about flannels, fleece, and fuzzy jumpers. Cozy, yes, but just too early. Yet for me, the fashion side of this isn’t the deeper shift I’m thinking of.
And while I’m about to leap to another season, bear with me for a sec.
For a long time, I thought of January as my reset. You know the whole “New Year, New You.” And even earlier than that, I’d stopped all ideas of New Year’s resolutions. They felt too fake and just something you did because you kept hearing about it or seeing it over and over again on a poster or out and about in the world. Instead, I chose to follow the animals and nature. Funny really, as I’m not the ‘sleeping under the stars’ type, but spring always rang more true as the true new beginning. Spring cleaning. Spring reset. It just fit more.
So autumn (fall) and winter, those became the kind of start to my reset months. Not the sleepy do-nothing months, I’m not a hibernating bear, but—the ones where I do actually hunker down to recharge, and plan… or even re-plan. Yes, I’m letting myself slow down a little, but I’m definitely not stopping. It’s to think about where I’m headed, what I want to do or not do. Big and small things alike, they all matter.
With the shift in the seasons comes my own shift.
Summer knows when it’s time for her to bounce, even if it’s a little hasty in 2025, but if she’s ready for a change then I guess so am I.
The cooler months mean a cooler head. I can take stock of what went well in the earlier months, or what didn’t. Accept this invitation to look over what’s weighing on me and actively decide, choose, what doesn’t get to come with me into the colder months. Just thinking about having to deal with temperatures rolling further down and at some point, hitting a negative has me scrunching up my lips and forehead. I’ll need all my wits to woman-up, and rally my energy just to keep my extremities warm and not add to my stress.
But I need to calm down. Winter is still a way off, and fall is no winter.
This is the time for a little more mental decluttering. Of dropping the stale, heavy, already-needed-to-be-gone things and thoughts. But at the same time, starting, resuming, or rebuilding better things and habits, that may not show results as quickly as we’d like (we = me). But you plant seeds now to see how they grow later, right?
And in the world we’re all stuck existing in right now, dumping an excess of anything, unless it’s happy, should be a billion percent avoided. I’m not saying we’re helpless newborn babies, but unlike Summer, who clearly had somewhere to be, leaving like a hurricane as she did, we can at least ease into some of these changes and mindset shifts.
The switch-ups
Sometimes my switch-ups are as simple as preempting the drier air and so changing up my skincare. Or being more mindful in giving myself an earlier night or realizing I need more rest and downtime. Others might be bigger, like reworking boundaries that I’ve let slip, making sure I’m protecting my energy or adding in some more guardrails. It might feel dramatic to some but to me these small adjustments add up to a steadier, healthier, and more me version of me.
And a more me version of me, practices gratitude in new ways. It’s easier to be out and about and doing all the things in summer. Summer flicks on that sunny glow, that Hot-Girl-Whatever, and makes it seem easier. You kind of just fall into things and events without too much thinking, or mind changing. But now, I feel like we all become a little more intentional with our space and time. Now as we settle into those shorter days—at least for me—I find I get to really enjoy the good in people, the moments, and the comforts I’m choosing to make time for. So, while the sunnier days are fading fast, I’m still excited about entering this new era.
Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere!
Besides Trader Joe’s pumpkin bread, I’m not one for pumpkin anything else–don’t kill me. I don’t do a whole closet turnover either; I just swap out pieces here and there, so that’s not quite my thing, though I know it is a ritual for others.
So, what else are you embracing or rejecting in this new season?
- Are you moving into your villain era? Or upping your villain energy?
- Spending more time with people who really see and accept you? Even if they may be new to you?
- Planning far ahead for things you keep thinking of doing? While also slipping in some local quick hits to keep you amped until then?
- Maybe you’re resetting right now on a random September morning, re-writing your to-do list to suit you, not anyone else?
Whatever your shift is, or needs to be, do it. Go for it!
Let go of what’s draining and choose what’s nourishing as quickly as we want and whenever we want. We can also set aside time, no matter how small, to be intentional with ourselves so our good habits can bloom later.
And take a lesson from Summer. That Chick never asked anyone’s permission if it was okay to leave like she did. I know she’ll pop her Diva head in here and there for a few, but the point is, she’s on her own time. Makes her own choices and for her own reasons.
