Autumn: Make Your Routine Your Rituals.
Today is the first of October, my favourite month of the year. Yes, I’m an autumn lover.
For me, autumn means warm herbal tea, warm comforting meals, cosy blankets and candles. It means colourful leaves and the air smelling like mushrooms, musk and rain.
The autumn energy can feel incredibly calming and comforting.
But autumn can also feel quite destabilising.
You might have a completely different experience of this season if your life situation right now is already unstable or overwhelming.
When the season changes, so do we
Autumn brings in the air element: the wind. Sometimes it can be a strong one, a storm.
The leaves are flying around. The days become colder and shorter.
There is less light and more time spent inside, forcing you to be with yourself and whatever you’re feeling.
And this can be quite confronting, especially if you are going through a tough period.
This is why, when everything around you starts to feel a little more unsettled, I believe it can be helpful to create some anchors.
Not by adding more things to your routine.
But by finding support in the things you already do.
Anchor to your routine. Make your routine your rituals.
Instead of seeing your daily routines as boring tasks you have to do every day, what if you allowed them to become the things that support your well-being?
The things that keep you anchored to yourself and help you feel grounded.
Drinking your cup of coffee.
Showering.
Brushing your teeth.
Cooking your meal.
Going for a walk.
Shopping for groceries.
These are very ordinary, familiar activities.
And when we do them with intention, they can become small moments of connection with ourselves.
You don't need to add another morning routine, another habit tracker, or another thing to optimise. Sometimes, the support you need is already there.
You don't have to start everything again
Autumn is not really the ideal time to start too many new things. And yet, that is usually what happens in September.
Everything starts again: work, school, activities, routines.
And we often feel that urge to pick up those resolutions we decided on at the beginning of the year but still haven't managed to put into practice.
Suddenly, we want to restart everything. But maybe this is not the time for it.
Maybe you could just pick one thing. One habit that matters to you.
And instead of trying to completely change your routine, focus on reinforcing what is already there.
Small, familiar things can be surprisingly powerful when we give them our attention.
Autumn is a season of reflection
For me, autumn is an invitation to pause and look back.
What has been working?
What hasn't?
What are my doubts telling me?
What am I ready to let go of?
These questions don't necessarily need immediate answers.
Maybe this is also part of the practice: creating enough space to listen to what is already there. You don't have to force a new beginning.
You can take some time to notice what this season is showing you, behind the doubts and the overwhelm. And allow that to guide what comes next.
A free seasonal practice
This is the theme we are going to explore in our next free online Balanced Practice on 30 October, from 9:15 am till 10:00 am.
We'll use movement, stillness, and self-reflection to explore what has been working, what hasn't, and what you might be ready to let go of.
If you'd like to experience this in your own body, I'd love to have you there.
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