A Season of Change

A Magical Time of Transition

Have you ever walked out of your front door on an Autumn morning and you just knew something was different? The air was crisper, the colors more intense, even the air smelled different? Autumn is a magical time when there change happening in every living thing. You can harness the unique energy of Autumn, too.

Autumn is the Perfect Time…

Fall is the time for living things to let go, close up, and find a warm, sheltered space to go within. As “living things” ourselves, Autumn also gives us the unique opportunity to move from outward-directed activity to more inwardly-focused ones. This season that ends with the advent of Winter and the holidays is the perfect time to do some reflecting, changing colors, and do some letting go yourself.

Changing Colors:

Like the Fall leaves, you can change from the lighter, more unfocused energy of Summer to the more intense focus of Fall. While playtime is still important, you can use Autumn for planning, learning, and organizing. Clean out your closets, go take a class, or make decorations and gifts for the upcoming set of holidays!

Letting Go:

Just like leaves falling from the trees in Autumn, you can let go of things when it “is time.” Consider letting go of what is dead and what has outserved its usefulness in your life. Look at habits, items, commitments and question whether it is simply their time to go now. Let them drop gently away.

Going Within:

Not only do some of us retreat to the actual warmth of our homes when the weather begins to turn chilly, but Autumn can also be a time to emotionally retreat within and do some “checking in” with yourself. As you prepare in the upcoming months to draw this year to a close and consider what next year may look like for you, take time to just sit in quiet contemplation and let thoughts, feelings, ideas, and inner nudges make themselves known to you.

Sipping a cup of hot spiced apple cider while you do this makes it a uniquely Autumnal activity!

Warming Up:

This is a great time of year to pull closer to friends and family after the frenetic activity of the Summer. Consider using the events of the Fall… football games, Fall festivals, or good bonfire weather… as motivation to enjoy these with your loved ones. And be proactive about the upcoming holidays… it’s not too early to think about what would be right and healthy for you as you begin making those plans.

Celebrate Autumn’s Gifts

Enjoy the gifts this season brings: apple cider (did I already mention hot spiced apple cider?!), pumpkin bread, breaking out your sweaters, and watching football. Outings to find the perfect pumpkin, baking with spices you haven’t used all year, filling your kitchen with scents of home and the past. Look, really look, at the trees and plants and how they are changing, and enjoy the colors. Feel a part of all the beautiful change that is happening around you.

Go within, let your changing colors show, and become centered as another Season will begin.

Dr. Anita Sanz, PhD, Psychologist