7 Ways to Practice Seasonal Living in Autumn

(Adapted from Julie's YouTube video)

Do you ever wonder why everyone seems to go crazy with fall vibes? People love decorating for fall. People love sharing videos on social media that try to capture the look and feel of fall.

As we talk in this video about the slow living way to embrace this season, I think we’ll begin to uncover the answer to this very question.

1. Notice What is Happening in Nature

It’s been beginning to feel like fall here in Kentucky. And it’s had me thinking lately, that there is so much more to fall than the trees changing colors and losing their leaves. I think that is what we frequently notice, but in recent years as I’ve been paying closer attention, I’m noticing the host of other changes that are taking place as well. 

I’m here visiting with my mom for a couple of days and I was unloading a few things from the car and into the camper last night when I pulled up to her house, I really noticed the smell of fall in the air. I didn’t know until a couple of years ago that there is a good explanation for this. I learned that there are certain microbes that live in the soil that give off an earthy smell - especially after a rain and it had rained here last night. Also, as the leaves on trees begin to break down they release organic compounds that have the aroma that we typically associate with autumn. 

I’m already seeing quite a few fallen leaves here and at home. Beyond the trees, you can notice a lot of plants beginning to die off (or at least what is above the ground is beginning to die off too.) I noticed this old log covered with moss on my walk and was thinking that we have a tendency to think as things get old and begin to fall apart that they are no longer as beautiful.

But if you set aside the cultural shared belief of this, and look with really curious eyes, it seems you may often find that many things become more interesting—that the weathered look becomes beautiful in its own way, more complex, more nuanced and perhaps, even while the life is fading, in some ways more alive. It’s a belief that aging things lose their beauty.

 2. Take an Inventory of your Beliefs

This reminds me that this is a good time of year to take stock of your current belief system - seasonal check-in, if you will. I think it is really wise to do this from time to time, as our beliefs are the lens through which we view our lives. If those beliefs are positive and encouraging, we are more likely to be happier and feeling like we are making progress in our lives.

As an example, when I thought about this, I asked myself, what are my beliefs about money? The first thing that popped into my mind is “It’s hard to get.” That is a belief that I currently am holding that can’t be serving me well. I know there are many people that think money is easy to come by and those are the people that it is flowing easily into their life. 

If taking stock of your current beliefs and finding any limiting ones is an exercise you would like to go through at this time, you may want to watch this video where I talk about a few ways you can do this, give you some journal prompts to assist with the process and also share how you can get rid of the beliefs that are holding you back. You can also find a free guide for getting rid of limiting beliefs in the description for the video here.

3. Physically Slow Down

Anyway, getting back to noticing what is happening in nature, I also love to hear how the sound of the crickets always start to slow this time of year. I often wonder, how do they know to do this. To me, it is one of the signs that nature is slowing down and it is time for me to think about slowing down as well. 

What can you do to encourage yourself to enjoying slowing down in the home. Maybe it’s bringing out the warm cozy things in the house so that you can savor the cool mornings and evenings that are coming. I like to light candles more often this time of year as well. 

4. Fall Cleaning

I mentioned a moment ago about how plants are beginning to shut down for winter - this is nature’s process of cleansing and renewal. It can be a reminder for us to spend time doing this as well. This might look like cleaning up the gardens and putting them to rest for winter. It’s a great time to take time to consider what no longer serves you inside your home - clear clutter, make space, make the home a place that feels good to relax and linger.

I always find that after getting rid of things that no longer serve a purpose in a space that the energy of the space feels so good. We did this in the laundry room last weekend, and every time I walk in there now it’s like I take a deep breath and I smile because the space just feels good.

Do you ever notice this as well after you’ve cluttered or deep cleaned. Let me know in the comments if you are with me on this. On the other hand, if decluttering is something you struggle with, start with a small space like a closet or even a drawer.

5. Let Go 

Fall is a time I like to think about what I could be letting go of - not only physical things like we just talked about, but emotionally as well. Or even projects that I’ve been working on that I may no longer have the same drive passion or reason for doing. Sometimes we just keep doing things because we get used to doing the things. I think we can use the fall season as a time to reassess what we really WANT to be doing in our lives. What do we value most? What makes us feel happy and alive. Both of these would be good journal prompts for this time of year.

6. Reflect on What you Harvested This Year

Fall is the harvest time of year, so it’s also a great time of year to take stock of what you have harvested this year as well. I like to reflect on what I’ve learned, the progress I’ve made  and then use this as a reset for considering what’s next. Where do I need to improve? Who do I want to become? What opportunities should I seek out that will help me grow in this way? Again, these are some good journal prompts. So maybe what I’ll do here is go ahead and add a list of the journal prompts from this video into the description for you. 

7. Shift What You Eat

The last thing that I’ll mention that I like to do as the season changes is to begin to shift what I am eating - I’ve been noticing some winter squash pop up at the farmers markets, but I’ve held off on buying any, because I like to enjoy the last of the foods I associate with summer while the weather is warm - melons, green beans, summer squash. But I think this week, I’ll go ahead and get some of the winter squash. I like to think of moving toward warmer, denser, foods - you can contrast a summer squash with a winter one if you think about it. I kind of like soups year round, but this time of year, I like them to begin to be a littler heartier. Roasted root vegetables or baked sweet potatoes are other things I begin to really crave this time of year. 

All the things that we talked about feel nurturing, warming from the inside out, and I think that perhaps this is the reason why so many people go crazy with the fall vibes. We spend way too much time being busy and doing things. I think we can use a lot more slowing down and nurturing in our lives.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you crave the fall vibes as well? I hope after watching this video, you take some extra time for slowing down and reflecting this year. A quick reminder if you’ve enjoyed this to subscribe and to help me spread the word by sharing this with your friends. I’ve been getting some steady growth on this channel recently and I know that is because of your help. For that, I’m extremely grateful, as I do enjoy this. Have a great week my friend!