It’s fall. Time to re-ground yourself, get back into a routine, reset your home, and breathe a new kind of energy into your life.
I often suggest people put great effort in spring to lighten the load and clear out the cobwebs (literally and figuratively) so they can fully enjoy summer. And not feel overwhelmed by too much stuff.
You lighten in spring to free yourself for summer. That way, you have more time to enjoy all the activities that bring you outdoors.
And in fall you should lighten to prepare yourself 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.
Even though it can feel a little heavy, there are things you can do now to your home that will lighten up the space, and your mood. Because of the heaviness that can come with fall, you must do some things in your home to lighten up the space, and your life
Six easy tasks to reset your home and your life this fall.
1. Clean out the hall closet.
This kind of closet tends to get more use in the fall and winter with the use of more coats, and outside accessories to keep you warm. Likely, it hasn’t been used much in the past seven months so a purge will do you both good. Empty out the contents of the closet. Try on coats, mittens, and hats. Let go of things that don’t fit, have holes, and aren’t still your style. Then, move those light summer jackets to the back. {You can do this exercise with them once winter thaws.} And be sure what you will wear most often is in front and easily accessible.
2. Declutter a junk drawer.
This task can and should actually be done every month solely because so many unnecessary things end up there. The spare parts of a project you aren’t even finishing, spare change, extra keys (where did they come from?), and excess paper/pens/paperclips galore all gather and clutter the space. And over time, it becomes a chaotic mess you don’t even want to open. The more often you do a quick declutter of this space, the easier it is to keep in shape. Start now in fall. And put it on your calendar to give it another once over in a month. {As an aside note: I recommend you start calling this a utility drawer since what I assume you are storing inside is, in fact, being used. If you call it a “junk” drawer that is what you are more than likely to store in it.}
3. Do some fall cleaning.
The list below that Apartment Therapy put together has great suggestions on some easy fall cleaning tasks. Remember, cleaning anything forces you to address unmade decisions, clutter, dirt, or anything messy. It also gives you a wonderful feeling of satisfaction and even a little instant gratification – which you need from time to time.
4. Prep your kitchen for fall.
One of the healthiest ways to enter into a new season is by preparing your kitchen for the seasonal food change. When you purge your pantry and cabinets of any food that is old, stale, out-of-season (which usually means you won’t pull for it), you create space. Space for your favorite staples (hello, healthy pumpkin) and all the things you will eat. It also leaves room to change your meal plan rotation and add in items for new recipes. I use Pinterest to catalog recipes to make this change-up easier.
5. Embrace nature.
You might not think this has anything to do with resetting your home. But in fact, when you embrace nature, you reset yourself. And that boost of mental goodness affects how you treat your space, and the things and people in it. Fall is a perfect time to get outside before it gets too cold, check out the fall foliage, and maybe even go for a hike. Every change of season is a wonder. And one way to find deep appreciation for it, is by experiencing it.
6. Check in with yourself.
I have always said that September is the new January. It is a great time to look at your goals, acknowledge any wins, big or small, that you’ve had since the beginning of the year. And also journal about your goals for the upcoming season.
It is also a good time of year to check in on your mental health. Stay on top of seasonal stressors. Book appointments for massage or therapy, even coffee dates with friends ahead of time in order to make self-care the priority that it is.
These simple fall tasks will help you lighten your load mentally and physically. And help you take in fully all this new season has to offer.
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