🎧 42. Rituals for Transitioning from Summer to Fall
Why the summer-to-fall transition can feel so intense, plus 6 ideas to play around with in your writing practice
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Notes on Episode 42: With a new season upon us, the time is ripe for considering new routines. On this episode we talk about the transition from summer to fall, including why it can feel more intense (especially for sensitive souls). I’m sharing six categories of routine I’m thinking about—including beverages and literary journal submissions—to offer inspiration for the cooler days ahead.
A few highlights from this episode:
Why fall can bring up lots of big feelings
An essential question to ask during this transition time
6 ways to embrace the new season
The calm that comes from cleaning
The one ritual I recommend to everyone (and it only takes 10 minutes a day)
Linkable mentions:
Sheryl Paul: The Grief and Joy of Autumn
Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin
Episode 38: The Highly Sensitive Writer
As we anticipate this changing of seasons, I’ve noticed the summer to fall transition is the one that tends to feel the most intense. Winter into spring, and spring into summer both feel a bit airier somehow. There’s more lightness to those months—literally we have coming out of winter this gradual opening to more light for the spring and warmer weather and the flowers blooming, and spring to summer is just an abundance of everything—produce, heat, certain energies, it just flows seamlessly together.
And then you hit September, when humidity gives way to the crispness in the air, and although welcome, this shift can be really intense. It can bring up feelings of sadness or grief.
Jungian psychologist Sheryl Paul talks a lot about transitions and how we really need to honor them, notice how we’re feeling, and bring all of those feelings to the surface.
In a blog post on her site, she writes:
“For Autumn is the quintessential season to illustrate the key features of transitions. Where winter is the season of reflection, spring the season of rebirth, and summer the season of celebration, autumn is the time when we align with the action of nature and ask ourselves the central question of any life transition: “What is it that I need to let go of?”
That’s such a wonderful question to guide this season, both in our writing life and our day-to-day. What can we let go of? As I ponder the answer to this question for myself, here are six ways I’m exploring ritual this fall.
01. Beverages
Whether you drink coffee or tea, assess your cabinet and take inventory
Order new brews (if needed)
If you make nut milk regularly, have fresh cheesecloths handy or a plan to make this part of your week
02. Reading
Notice the kinds of books you gravitate towards in the summer vs. fall
Add upcoming releases to your library waitlist
Pick a few titles from your at-home TBR pile to prioritize
03. Calm Spaces
Choose an area in your home (a closet, junk drawer, bookshelf, etc.) to freshen up, rearrange, or clean out
Don’t spend more than 3 days on this project, lest it become an unhealthy procrastination tool
04. Reclaiming writing time
Look at your calendar + take note of your schedule: Where can you build in writing time for yourself?
Is there a day of the week you can claim as your own? A few hours?
Put a notebook by your bed and write longhand for 10 minutes as part of your evening routine
05. Movement
Do your movement needs change from summer to fall?
If walking is accessible and enjoyable for you, what do you need to make this a habit? A list of good podcasts? New shoes? A walking buddy?
Is your body craving anything differently now vs. a few months ago?
06. Submissions
Look through your list of journals—add new ones or delete ones that don’t feel resonant for your work
Polish 1-2 pieces to submit
How are you freshening up your writing routines this fall? Share your ideas in the comments! (And if you’re feeling led, reflect on what you might need to let go of, too.)
Nicole Gulotta is the author of WILD WORDS and the literary cookbook EAT THIS POEM. She helps sensitive writers embrace the season they're in, create at their own pace, and care for their minds and bodies along the way.
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