“There comes a day each September when you wake up and know the summer is over and fall has arrived,” said the writer Ann Rinaldi. The ineffable change is immediately recognizable, and unlike any other change of season throughout the year. The temperature is different, the clarity of the air is different and even before they change colors and drop from their branches, the leaves start to sound different.
Autumn is a season many celebrate, with pumpkin-spiced…everything on menus and in candle shops, and the fall leaves providing a joyous opportunity to marvel at the ever-changing nature of the world we live in.
It is also the end of the growing time of year. These early September days—when the turn toward the cooler months is just beginning—can leave some yearning for languid summer days and outdoor gatherings that lingered long into the dusky evening.
How you greet each new season sets the tone for how positively you are prepared to enter into a new time of year. If you are someone who knows you’ll be challenged by the early sunsets and cold temps of the fall and winter, setting a positive mindset at the beginning of the season can set you on solid ground to face the months ahead.
1) Celebrate Rest
“Autumn is springtime in reverse,” says the writer Terri Guillemets. That means that the natural world that reached upward toward the warming sunlight of spring is now quieting down, preparing to store its energy reserves the summer brought. So, too, can you see the turn toward autumn as the chance to slow down, to shore up what you’ve been able to enjoy this summer and know that this quieter time of year is building toward a fresh, new spring on the other side.
2) Make Meaningful Traditions for Yourself
One of my favorite fall tasks is putting the garden to bed. While I typically am still enjoying tomatoes and herbs from my veggie beds into September, it is a time of year when I start to cut back and rip out plants whose season has passed and tuck new bulbs into the ground for next spring’s flowers. Other early fall rituals I enjoy include a walk in a favorite nearby tree-filled park, and the first sip of hot apple cider on a chilly evening. Whatever your favorite way to step into fall, make a moment of it and take the time to relish the crisp newness of autumn.
3) Make a New “School” Year’s Resolution
If you’re like me, September gives me a “back-to-school” zing of excitement that makes me want to learn something new, practice a skill, set a goal or gift myself the fresh-start feeling of a new season of learning. You can set your intention or resolve toward a goal of your own this fall—and who knows, by the time January’s New Year’s Resolution season comes around, you might be well positioned to move even further along your path toward personal growth and positive living.
How do you greet the fall?
