Feeling All the Fall Feels

Autumn, a Perfect Time to Take Stock and To Let Go

By Susan M Vitale

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I don’t know what this time of the year is like on your particular corner of the globe. Maybe you live in Georgia where the “it’s fall y’all” greetings provide the only outward sign of the changing season. Or, if you’re in the already frigid climes of Northern Canada, autumn probably showed itself for a full minute and 45 seconds before you pulled out your parka and began hunkering down for winter. Perhaps you’re lounging on a Southern California beach wondering what all the fuss is about. Better yet, I ask my readers in the southern hemisphere to bear with me and think back six months to a time when your delightful summer weather took its graceful exit to make way for your autumnal equinox. (You might prefer to read my Spring Blog). But for me, seated lakeside in New Hampshire, the signs of the season are all around.

The admittedly cooler nip in the breeze compels me to wrap a scarf firmly around my shoulders. Meanwhile, as I write, my glance to the left and right reveals a smattering of “look at me” trees, sporting brilliant yellows, fiery reds, and vibrant oranges that render their dull green neighbors mute. On New England fall days like this one, even the sky seems to step up its game — breaking out its finest blues for the occasion — as if defining, once and for all, the word “cerulean.” This precious space in our year, wedged between the languid, furnace-like days of summer and winter’s inevitable descent into frozen stillness, provides us so much more than the chance to pick apples or carve pumpkins while we fasten the belt on our cardigans.

Because it harkens an end to the agreeable temperatures and abundant sunshine and heralds our forward march to the often-desolate days of winter, fall marks the time of harvest. It invites us to gather and take stock of the richness of what we have in order to allay our fears about what lies ahead. And, just like the trees must shed leaves to make way for future growth, fall is the perfect time to release what no longer serves us.

But Susan, “How do I do this?” you ask. Here are four specific ways to make the most of autumn, whether you like pumpkin spice lattes or not:

1. Quite literally, take time each day or at night before you fall asleep to make a mental (or physical) list of all the things for which you are grateful. Let your mind free-flow. No need to judge or edit your thoughts. See if it becomes easier, night after night, and how it changes the quality of your sleep.

2. When the people in your life make that list, take the time to let them know. Whether a phone call, a card in the mail, a bouquet of flowers, or a healthy, yummy meal, show them how you feel. Heck, buy them a pumpkin latte or bake an apple pie if that’s their thing!

3. Meanwhile, once per week (or once/day if you’re feeling ambitious) let go of one item that you no longer need. Take that stack of books to an assisted living facility, weed out winter coats and take a few to a homeless shelter, offer your old art supplies to a school teacher, or donate your old prom dress to a charity. Notice the combined sense of renewal and satisfaction that comes from purging and providing.

4. Symbolically, too, you can lessen your burden by letting go of beliefs, perspectives, and practices that no longer work for you. There’s no time like the fall to acknowledge and change habits to take better care of yourself and your relationships. For instance, you know that negative dialogue you have with yourself, about yourself? “You’re not ____ enough” or “You should be better at ____.” Letting that stuff go is a great place to start!

The you who emerges after practicing these four simple steps for the next 12 weeks might surprise you. As winter slides into place, you’ll likely sense a lighter and freer you, having unburdened yourself of the physical, mental, and emotional trappings that once had you feeling stuck.