Fall Self-Care: How to Slow Down Gradually and Flow With the Season
Fall Self-Care: How to Slow Down Gradually and Flow With the Season
Summer is such a unique season… one that can be filled with so much activity, light, brightness, gatherings, accomplishments, travel, and intense movement... but it can also bring us some unbelievably hot days that remind you almost daily of the need to plant more trees. =)
I love summer, but toward the end of it… all that intensity also makes me love the moment when everything begins to change little by little, the temperature starts to drop, the days become shorter, the sun shifts its position in the sky, a certain quiet begins to settle into the spaces around us, there is a desire to spend a little more time at home and go out less, and a longing for more rest and fewer stimuli… that moment… when the energy of Fall slowly begins to arrive… aaahh, I love that too. Sometimes, it comes as a relief…. Like a long exhale, you know? aaahhhhhh! =)
All of these sensations may begin to appear during February and March in the Southern Hemisphere and during August and September in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the time of the interseason and the beginning of Fall’s arrival… and of your Fall self-care.
Fall begins slowly…
And it is during these months that Fall’s first invitation begins to arrive, which is simply this: notice what is beginning to change within you… just notice… without needing to change everything right away. Yes, yes, slooowly! =)
You have probably already come across articles online talking about letting go, endings, and “releasing” things when Fall arrives. And yes, all of that is part of the symbolism of this season. But when we think about Fall self-care… maybe… BEFORE you start clearing things out, organizing, and bringing things to an end… it might make a lot of sense to simply allow yourself to pause for a moment after all the movement of Summer, observe yourself, and notice (when you have some time, answer these questions if you wish):
- How is your energy feeling these days?
- Do you feel any desire to slow down?
- Do you still want to be as available to others?
- Have some commitments started to feel tiring?
- Is your body asking for more rest?
- Does your home seem to be asking for more coziness?
- Or are you still feeling a strong desire for movement and expansion?
All of these questions and answers may give you clues about how you are feeling right now…
- Are you really feeling this shift?
- Are you still trying to stay in—or still living in—the rhythm of Summer?
- If so, does that still feel good for you, or is it beginning to wear you out?
Notice. Your body, your rhythm, your routine, what still makes sense right now.
And yes, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fall is associated with the Metal element, with turning inward, retreat, and the ability to distinguish what is essential from what we no longer need to carry.
And you have the entire season (and future Falls) to gently explore these questions and bring this much-needed clearing into your life, so move slowly and at your own pace.
What is asking to be simplified?
When you are already feeling this shift, and it feels like the right moment for that clearing and renewal Fall can invite, then perhaps some of these questions can support you during this phase. Ask yourself:
- Is there any area of your life where you would like to slow down a little?
- Do you need more time for yourself?
- Is something taking up too much of your energy?
- Is your body asking for more rest or coziness?
- What has started to feel like too much for you?
Fall can naturally bring up these questions and this desire to clear, let go, and bring some cycles to a close. And it can also accompany you and help you flow with this movement.
And when sadness appears…
And yes, we all know that sometimes letting go isn’t quite as easy…. as it may seem…
And in this context, it can be interesting to know that, within Traditional Chinese Medicine, the emotion associated with Fall and the Metal element is sadness. But… that doesn’t mean you will necessarily feel sad during Fall, nor that, if you do, it is a sign of imbalance. Sadness may simply arise as an invitation to notice your feelings.
It may come as a tender sense of longing, an ending that you realize has not yet been fully processed, a change that you know needs to happen, or simply the awareness that something is no longer the way it once was… and that perhaps something could be different.
Welcoming this emotion can open space for deeper reflections on the new cycle that will be nurtured during Winter, and may help you with your choices.
So, gently welcome your sadness, if it appears. And try to understand what it may be bringing you, if that feels comfortable for you.
What goes and what stays
And as you begin to flow with this gentle movement of Fall… you can let go of what has already fulfilled its purpose. In your own time. At your own pace. Within your own limits and possibilities.
And there is another movement, just as beautiful and important, that emerges from this process of choosing: knowing what you want to keep in your life. What stays. What truly matters. What you want to keep close to you because it feels good for you.
And it is this gentle, flowing exchange… that brings even more beauty to Fall.
Fall self-care possibilities
I want to end this article by leaving you with a list of cozy and enjoyable things you can do during Fall. See what fits you and the moment you are living, and try what you can… this Fall, you might:
- create more cozy moments at home;
- reduce the number of commitments in your schedule a little;
- review your schedule and notice what still makes sense for you;
- organize or simplify a space;
- donate things you no longer use;
- take walks outdoors and notice and feel the changes of the season;
- take longer pauses;
- write about what you want to preserve and what you feel ready to let go of;
- reduce some of the excess stimulation around you;
- return to a more structured routine;
- cook warmer, comforting meals;
- spend some quiet time by yourself;
- breathe with more presence;
- finish a project before beginning another;
- create more space between things.
Pause, breathe, and feel what makes sense for you, what can truly make a difference in your life, even if it happens in a very small and gentle way.
No big gestures. No need to do everything. Follow your own pace. What matters most is still noticing what makes sense for you and for the moment you are living, and flowing with Fall through this movement of coming and going, welcoming and releasing, making space and keeping what is meant to stay.
Gently simplifying your life so that, in Winter, you can nurture your foundations and what remains essential.
Want to flow through Fall with more presence?
If you’d like a little space to notice these changes throughout the season and care for yourself more deeply, I invite you to discover the Waves of Fall by Inmersivas.
Over three months, the Waves accompany you through different moments of Fall with quizzes, journals, in-depth guides, meditations, affirmations, and self-care practices.
They offer different paths for you to observe your body, your energy, your emotions, and the moment you are living… and, from there, experiment with new forms of self-care that make sense for you.
So that you can move with this gradual inward shift, understand yourself more deeply, gently choose what you want to keep and what you may be ready to let go of, and settle into your new rhythm with more presence, care, and lightness.
If you’d like to discover the Waves of Fall, click here.
I wish you a Fall filled with space to breathe, gentler choices, coziness, rest, and letting go as you flow through the season with calm and lightness.
With care,
Ananda & Inmersivas
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