Craving A Fresh Start? Here’s How To Do A Holistic Seasonal “Reset”

Unpopular opinion, buuuuuut..... I really don’t LoOoOOovE the season of fall.🤭 **don’t throw your pumpkin-spiced latte at me plz!!!!**

.....okay, okay it’s not that i *don’t* like fall on its own (those leaves! cozy sweaters! hot tea 24/7!), but its just that i LOVE summer so. much and always grieve its ending a bit 😢✨

My barefoot, solar-powered summer soul is already missing the sunset swims, barefoot walks, picnics by the shore....

but!

even though i will miss these sacred days, i know the reason summer feels so magical *is* because it is temporary— and that i am able to tap into the innate wisdom + energy + pace of each season in its own way.

Because i may resist the ending of summer, i can already feel my body and mind innately getting ready to root down into the more grounded energy of fall, feeling inspired by that organized “back to school” feeling, the urge to cozy up into the chillier weather— and remembering there is purpose in this season too.

Because, whether it’s the external shift from summer to fall, fall to winter, winter to spring, spring to summer…. there is a subtle internal energy shift that happens as well. The changing of the seasons & the turn of the calendar gently urge us to root down into the unique energy of each season & make the most of that specific time of year.

…with time, I’ve learned some concrete ways to transition smoothly into each unique season— body, mind, and soul— to set myself up for success.

In this post, I will outline CONCRETE ideas on how to have a mini seasonal “reset” and embrace each season. I will break it down body, mind, and soul by offering practical, doable ideas to help you transition with FRESH ideas into a new time of year.

first things first, let’s take inventory of your life this season…

HERE'S HOW IT GOES:
1️⃣Write down a list of things, people, activities, etc. that GAVE you energy in this past season
2️⃣Write down a list of things, people, activities, etc. that DRAINED your energy in this past season
3️⃣Take a look at those lists & take a mini inventory of your life and where your time/energy is *actually* going.... and adjust in this new season as needed!

This simple exercise allows you to take a mini audit of your life, time, and energy in the present moment. 👀 (because, so often, we don’t even *realllllly* KNOW where our time & energy is going😬)

SOME THINGS TO REFLECT ON:
➖How am I *actually* spending my time in the last season?
➖Does that^^ time spent feel aligned with what I say my priorities are?
➖Where is my energy going? (And is it primarily on things that uplift me or that drain me?)
➖Any specific area of my life that I can adjust? Upgrade? Prioritize? Spend less time? More time?

It seems simple, right? But, ooooof, it can be so. dang. clarifying. to WRITE OUT and truuuuuly reflect on what *actually* gives you energy (...annnnnd what doesn't😅✌🏼). Doing this exercise seasonally can be a a reminder to BREAK OUT of that "autopilot" mode us humans so often find ourselves in & instead *reconnect* with the things that make us feel present, calm, and aligned✨

ideas to reset your MIND each season

• do a quick closet purge: with the changing in seasons likely comes a changing of your closet needs! each summer/spring and fall/winter, I swap out my tank tops for sweaters, my sundresses for parka, and switch up my closet. I take this chance to go through every item and get rid of any item that no longer serves me or that I didn’t wear this past season. This can be a great opportunity to organize your closet in a way that makes all your clothes easy to find & maintain. It may not soooound like “self-care,” but it will FEEL like self-care when it’s all said and done 🙏🏼

• clean out your fridge: similar to above, take a chance to CLEAN OUT and have a fresh, blank slate for your fridge. Get rid of expired condiments, clean out the drawers, get organizational bins. A clear fridge will allow you to fill it up with intention!

• meditate daily: mmmmm, this one is HUGE. Take this “fresh start” of a seaon as a chance to start a new meditaion habit. If you want to meditate more but don’t know where to start, struggle to stay consistent, etc., i could NOT recommend this specific app any more highly. It is my fav fav fav meditation app (and I’ve tried… um, a LOT. hahaha.). Click this link & enter coupon KATE for 6 weeks totally free!

• read more: go to the library, grab your kindle, or head to the book store. Pick out a book that you’ve been dying to start — then take a long bath, relax, & start reading!

• learn a new hobby: sourdough making in fall, snowshoeing in winter, planting flowers in spring… is there a hobby you’ve been wanting to try? maybe THIS season is a perfect time to start!

• organize for a sense of clarity & calm: this one is a bit more general, but you can apply it to however YOU need. Maybe deep clean your car, buy organizational bins for your closet, tidy up your bathroom drawer. However you do it, I recommend going through your home and organizing to start the season with a clear, organized energy!

• use a habit tracking system to stay diligent on your health goals: with a new season can come a desire for new goals, habits, and rituals. While this is beautiful, it can be HARD to start new habits and stay consistent. I really recommend using a simple habit tracking system (shown below) to organize your main intentions for the new season AND a reminder to be consistent with them!

• change up your technology habits: while technology can be a great source of inspiration, connection, and creativity… there also CAN be too much of a good thing. below are some ideas to help improve your realationship with technolgy and do a mini technology “reset” each season:

  • not checking your phone first thing in the morning (game. changer.)

  • utilizing airplane mode for focused work (my savior)

  • setting screen time limits (...AND actually honoring them *wink*)

  • and just some HONEST reflection— where in your relationship with technology are you wanting to limit, modify, or tweak? any area where you are wasting time? what types of screen time uplift you? and what types drain you? where could you implement better boundaries?

utilizing a simple habit tracking system can be a BEAUTIFUL way to start each season with intention and accomplish small tasks with CONSISTENCY. It’s a great way to be accountable to the mini promises you make to yourself . Let *this* be the season that you show up CONSISTENTLY for your goals!

ideas to reset your BODY each season

• eat seasonally: nature doesn’t make mistakes. I firmly believe there are sooo many adventages to eating WITH the seasons— a perfectly ripe berry in summer, a delicious, cozy squash in fall, the hearty, grounding potato of winter… nature makes these foods at a particular time for a REASON. Instead of eating the same small group of fruits and vegetables year-round, seasonal eating encourages a varied diet. Branching out from your “typical” selection of produce will give you a better variety of vitamins and minerals that you might not normally get. Not only can eating seasonally feel somewhat instinctual, it is often…

  • 1) MORE DELICIOUS: we ALL know the difference between a perfectly in-season piece of fruit and an off-season piece of fruit. Eating seasonally is a great way to have DELICIOUS nature treats!

  • 2) MORE SUSTAINABLE: doesn’t need to ship as far, easier to grow, doesn’t require as many supplemental waters, pesiticides, lights/electric to make it grow in off-season, etc.

  • 3) MORE AFFORDABLE: when there is an abundance of certain produce in season, the cost of the produce will go down.

  • 4) MORE NUTRITIOUS. Foods eaten in season are often healthier for us— some anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C, folate and carotenes can decrease rapidly when stored. by eating fresh, you are getting the PEAK of these nutrients and allows you to have a varied intake of vitamins and minerals by switching up your “normal” fruits and veggies

• embrace the natural rhythms of day/light and sleep: it’s no secret that the light and time switches with each season— allow yourself to ease into these changes, being mindful of how each season may impact your sleep. The dark, short days of winter— the long, bright days of summer. Be mindful of these changes and bring an awareness to how your sleep schedule may change with nature’s day/night cycle.

• embrace seasonal activities for physical activities: try nordic skiing in winter, do a long bike ride in the spring, get out on hikes in the summer, join a soccer league in the fall— whatever calls to YOU, find a seasonal way to be active & move your body!

• buy ingredients to make a special seasonal drink: whether it’s a bright & floral cocktail in summer, a homemade maple latte in fall, a peppermint hot chocolate in winter… intentionally pick out a beverage, make it mindfully, and *allow yourself* to just sit + relax + truuuuly savor every sip.

• consider doing a “cleanse” of food: now, I say this cautiously as I do NOT want to encourage restrictive eating in any way, but sometimes it CAN be nice to have a little “reset” with the food we’re eating. Perhaps we haven’t been nourishing ourselves as well as we would hope lately. Maybe we are feeling a bit blah, lethargic, bloated, etc. Take this new season as an opportunity to realign yourself with foods that make you feel GOOD! Consider taking a week or two to primarily eat nourishing, filling foods that make you feel like your best self! (this looks different for all of us!)

• take this as a chance to change up your work out regimen! are you happy with your current work out set up? perhaps you want to try yoga, walk more, implement some more strength training… take this seasonal “fresh start” as a chance to mix things up if you want!

• Pick out a healthy seasonal recipe: similar to the drink suggestion above, pick a seaosnal food (for example, squash in fall) and do a pinterest search online for a recipe that you’ve been wanting to try. shop mindfully, pick out each ingredient, and make it!

• get outside in some way every day: Alfred Wainwright once said, “There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing”. Whether you need to bundle up in winter, dress lightly in summer, have rain gear in spring— find some chunk of time to get outside most days! If you dress for it, 97% of the time, it’s a GREAT idea to get outside! Nature is soooo healing & grounding & I firmly believe experiencing each season out in nature can help you feel more present to nature’s cycles.

• set a health intention for this season.

  • how do *you* want to take care of yourself this season? be specific! setting aside a moment at the beginning of the week to pause, plan, & prepare sets us up for success. when we start our season with a purpose, we are much more likely to follow through.👊🏼

  • so, let's do it right now! how about we take this moment to set 1-3 health goals for this season.📝

  • …and i want you to get muuuch more nitty gritty than just "i will be healthy this season". HOW will you "be healthy"? WHAT specifically will you do? For how long? How often? progress often comes from being CRYSTAL CLEAR on what you are actually working at!

eating seasonally can be a POWERFUL way to nourish yourself & get a wide variety of vitamins and minerals in each unique season. do a quick google search of “seasonal foods in [insert season here]” and look at some examples of how you can eat more mindfully and seasonally.

SOUL reset for each season

• make a seasonal playlist: mmmmm, MUSIC. I don’t know about you, but my taste in music often shifts along with the seasons! Uplifting, light tunes in summer, acoustic, coffee shop music in fall, cozy, jazzy music in winter… It can be so fun to make a season-specific playlist of tunes that speak to your soooouuull during different times of year.

• decorate your home seasonally: now, honestly, I’m not huge on this (just because I don’t like having extra STUFF), but I know some people LOVEEEE decorating their home with seasonal decor, colors, fabrics, etc. This can be an intentional act to transition your home (and its subsequent energy) to each season.

• host a dinner party: going off of the seasonal recipe recommendation above, take it up a notch and host a seasonal dinner party! How FUN. You could cook it all yourself or have each guest bring a seasonal dish of their choosing & enjoy delicious food, great conversation, and the ~vibes~ of each season. This sounds so dang fun!

• Rearrange your furniture and switch it up: This is by no means necessary, but I swear nothing is more re-engerizing than changing up your space. Such fun!

• Hygge up your meals in a seasonal way: Maybe its a fresh bouquet of wildflowers in the summer, some romantic candles lit in winter, dimming the lights, playing your seasonal playlist… match your ambiance to the season can be so fun!

• write a seasonal bucket list: Ohhhh, I LOVE THIS. At the beginning of each season, write a list of 5-10 things you’d love to try that season. It could be small things (like doing a specific hike, having a special meal, etc.) OR it could be bigger (doing a certain activity, a vacation, learning a hobby, etc.). By taking a few minutes to make a “bucket list” of your intentions, you set yourself up for actually doing those things! A little foresight goes a loooonnng way :)

• journal regularly (i included some writing prompts below!): As you guys know, I consider journaling to be one of THEE most impactful activities for self-care, mental health, and self-awareness. The fresh start of a new season could be a perfect time to kickstart a journaling habit (I included some prompts below to get ya started!)

• do a social media detox: Mmmmmm, this can be SO good for the soul. I personally take one week off of social media every single season. I’ve done this habit for 4+ years and I loooove it. While apps & social media CAN be a positive thing, it can also take a lot of time & energy from us. If you find yourself mindlessly scrolling frequently, it might be very grounding and a beautiful ‘reset” to take a few days away. Simply log out, delete the app off your phone, set really strict screen time limits, etc. and RECONNECT to a life without constant scrolling!

• use the power of scent: This one is simple, but suuuuch a great way to infuse the magic of the season into your hom environment. Diffuse some seasonal essential oils and fill your space with scents that make you feel centered & at ease. (one of my favorite EASY ways to do this, is switching up my room spray, hand soap, essential oil, etc. with THIS nontoxic home scent collection!)

• make plans for a weekend trip: Ohhh, I love this! A fun idea is to plan a weekend away with your loved ones to a fun seasonal destination (go see the changing leaves! a cozy winter cabin! a beachy summer getaway! strolling along a bright floral garden in spring!). If this is out of budget, see if you could do a little house swap with a friend that lives in a different spot or play “tourist” in your own town for a day :) Getting away and having an “exploring” mindset for a weekend can be a beautiful seasonal activity that can be great for the soul.

while I included some free prompts below, I also have a FULL journal collection of guided prompts, writing exercises, and inspiring messages. This can be a beautiful, grounding habit to help you reflect in each season. (find my journal collection here! )

journal prompts for the changing of the seasons

time for a little check-in…

grab your pen & paper and finish these⬇️ sentences... (also, there is one rule— don’t think too hard! Simply listen to your gut & honor the first thing that comes to mind✨🙏🏼)

• 1️⃣IN THIS SEASON, I FEEL...

• 2️⃣ AM I OKAY WITH HOW I FEEL? WHY OR WHY NOT?

• 3️⃣ONE THING THAT WENT WELL THIS PAST SEASON WAS...

• 4️⃣ONE THING I CAN WORK TO IMPROVE IN THIS NEW SEASON IS...

• 5️⃣THIS SEASON, ONE THING I AM NEEDING MORE OF IN MY LIFE IS…

• 6️⃣THIS SEASON, ONE THING I AM NEEDING LESS OF IN MY LIFE IS...

• 7️⃣ I AM PROUD OF MYSELF FOR…

• 8️⃣ 3 THINGS I AM GRATEFUL FOR IN THIS PAST SEASON...

• 9️⃣ 3 THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THIS NEW SEASON IS…

ready to take it a step further?

join my FREE 5-day “energy reset” challenge!

Want to make the most of this seasonal transition? Ready to upgrade your mood, health, and energy? Sign up for my FREE 5-day energetic reset challenge!

For 5 days, I will walk you through a daily 10-15 minute holistic practice that will help you feel grounded, re-centered, and realigned— body, mind, and spirit. Because, let's face it, sometimes your spirit needs just a liiiiiiiittle bit more than just slatherin’ on a face mask and callin’ it good. To me, true self-care is about pressing an emotional reset button, inviting in fresh energy, and realigning my mood.

….And that’s exactly what *this* mini (and free!) challenge is all about…

The 5-Day Energetic Reset: 5 days, 5 emails, and 5 unique ideas for holistic self-care practices. In this 100% free challenge, I will share realistic self-care practices that can help you feel aligned, refreshed, and clear (…in 15 minutes or less).

Ya ready? I’d LOVE to have you join! Click here!

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starting a new season with FRESH energy

So, my friend, welcome to this NEW season. I firmly believe that the turning of the calendar and the wisdom of the seasons DOES nudge us to have a little emotional and logical reset.

I truly hope these concrete ideas help you enter this new season with FRESH energy. Whether you do 1 of these things in each category orrrr every single thing on this list, don’t forget to carve out a little time for YOU! 💛 [feel free to pin this post to pinterest for future reference too!]

(and remember, you can sign up for my FREE energetic reset challenge— that will help you feel peace, increase your clarity, and realign your energy (…even in the midst of a busy or chaotic season of life!)

Now, I gotta ask… 👀which ideas on the lists above are YOU feeling called to in this new season??

With love,
Kate

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