Summer is fabulous. Not many will disagree. And by the time fall comes it can be a bit difficult to get back on track and in the swing of things. It isn’t always appealing to fall into order.
For months we’ve enjoyed longer days, easier commutes, and often shorter work weeks. And we’ve vacationed. Summer is the time when it seems everyone takes some time off.
Fall is the time to re-ground yourself, get back into a routine, and breathe a new kind of energy into your space and life.
I often suggest people put great effort in spring to lighten the load, and clear out the cobwebs (literally and figuratively) so you can fully enjoy summer, and not feel overwhelmed by too much stuff.
We lighten in spring to free ourselves for summer. That way, we have more time to enjoy all the activities that bring us outdoors.
And in fall we should lighten to prepare ourselves for the closed-in winter that will follow.
I like to think of this spring-cleaning-in-fall as a way to breathe a bit of life into what will be colder, shorter, darker days. The transition from summer to fall can be a stark one — not only with the change in temperatures and length of sunlight. But our routines have to shift to accommodate our growing priorities. Schedules get full in a different way. And clutter makes it harder to shift and recover and get back on track.
Less cluttered spaces actually breathe. They have life in them! They welcome in clarity and let creativity and joy flow.
It’s almost like inviting a warm summer breeze into you living room in the dead of winter.
Try these tips to get back on track, fall into order, and breathe energy into your space and life:
1. Create a healthy morning routine.
Developing a routine of any sort is a great way to get back on track. Prioritizing having a good morning routine will get you on track more quickly. How you start the day often dictates how the day runs for you. I like to start with my Morning Pages, an easy way to do just brain dump all that is on my mind. If I leave it there on the paper before I start my day, I have less of a chance of carrying it with me throughout the day. Other healthy morning routines: getting up before the rest of the house to read something inspirational, stretching to open up your body physically, drinking warm lemon water, or a combination like this to wake up your insides and prepare you for the day. I also find setting a positive intention sets a good tone for the day.
2. Create a healthy evening routine.
Creating a healthy morning routine often comes from creating a good evening routine. We don’t put enough emphasis on the evening as a way to help us regroup and reset for another day. In fact, a healthy evening routine might be the most important thing you do. By now we all have heard of how and why technology is affecting our sleep and why we need to shut off electronic stimulation at least an hour before bed. It’s better to read something uplifting to set a good tone, than watch the nightly news. Before bed, I find it helpful to read something positive, and then quickly journal 3 good things that happened in the day. That reminder of what was good leaves me feeling good. And going to sleep feeling good can help assure a better night sleep. I make sure my room is dark – no light sources. It signals the brain to start the work of healing and rejuvenating the cells of your body. And I diffuse Young Living‘s lavender oil to lull me into state of relaxation. Getting a good night sleep makes it more feasible to get up early, refreshed, and eager to do your healthy morning routine.
3. Rejuvenate your command center.
In summer, this area of your home (it can be a desk, an area in the kitchen, or a part of a shelving unit in the den) doesn’t get as much use. Our schedules are more open, routines are looser. But with fall, comes the need to get back on track. More comes in whether in the form of a child’s school work, or work obligations that tend to gear up in fall. Schedules fill up, more activity happens and as a result, we have to juggle more. When you have a clear space to manage, and “see” the obligations, you’ll juggle them more easily. Purge and file appropriate papers, and be sure the flat surface in the area is clear of clutter, unfinished projects, or homeless knick-knacks. Then take a look at your calendar and schedule in your non-negotiable, need-to-be-done tasks and appointments so you can see your time clearly, how it will be spent, and prepare properly.
4. Tidy up consistently.
You know I believe this kind of task should be done every day, no matter the season. But in summer because routines tend to be more lackadaisical, we tend to be looser with this important task. Fall is the time to get back to a routine of tidying up: clean the sink after every meal, straighten up the living room after use, and in general always put things back where they belong, in the correct home. When the home is tidy and neat, there is one less mental hurdle you have to leap toward feeling sane.
Fall into order. Get grounded and back into a routine. Declutter, get organized and breathe life into your space.
You’ll find more ways to embrace the goodness of the next season when you do.
