Summer is a season full of green grass, fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers, gardens, and plenty of sunshine.
However, fall is equally lovely with its amazing colors, cooler nights and mornings, and lower humidity.
While a change in seasons can have its sad aspects, we can be thankful for the blessings of each season.
As the days grow shorter, here are a few tips to thrive in the fall season:
1. Evaluate this summer and make notes for next year.
While the season is fresh in your mind, assess the various aspects of it. Did you travel too much, just enough, or not enough? Did you overload your schedule, or was it just right? Did you feel as though you had a small break? If not, what can you do to have more of a break next summer?
As you think about these things, make notes in your planner for next year. In addition, you can make adjustments immediately to have a more balanced schedule, to have a day of rest, to read more or to say yes to more family time.
2. Evaluate your summer wardrobe and store it.
No matter how many clothes you decide to have in your summer wardrobe, it is helpful to have only the current season’s clothes hanging up in your closet. Also, if you need replacements for any of your summer garments, now is a great time to take care of that task [or at least make a list of what you need] so that you will be one step ahead of time for next summer.
3. Make a list of habits that will make your fall intentional rather than chaotic.
Here are some ideas:
Make use of your slow cooker to begin cooking your evening meal (or at least the meat portion of it) immediately after breakfast rather than waiting til 5 pm to begin to think about what to cook.
Put your phone away and read for an hour before bed.
Be home more, especially in the evenings so that you can have quality family time and a healthy evening routine (because we all know getting home at 10 pm every night does not help anyone get a good night’s rest).
Replace mindless screen time (reading the news every hour, watching pointless YouTube videos, and the like) with reading wholesome literature.
4. Make a list of what needs to be accomplished this fall.
Be sure to write or re-write your list according to the priority of each task. If you are like me, you will plan for twice or three times the amount of work that you can realistically accomplish …
Do you need to fall clean? Schedule an appointment for car repairs?
5. Eat delicious and healthy fall foods.
Whether you like apples, pumpkins, or both, enjoy them while they are in season. Nourish your body instead of feeding it junk food.
Go here to to read 7 Healthy Pumpkin Recipes for Autumn.
6. Prepare for winter and the holidays
How is your winter wardrobe? Do you need to mend any of your winter clothing? Make a double batch of chili or other delicious soup and freeze one batch to have a quick meal on hand for a Friday night when you are exhausted and yet want to feed your family real food. You can prepare for the holidays by making your guest list purchasing your gifts ahead of time. Go here to view this year’s holiday gift guide.
7. Have an earlier bedtime.
When it’s summer and it still looks like it’s noon at 8 pm, it’s challenging to go to bed early. However, as the sun sets earlier, it’s an outstanding idea to get extra sleep. You will have more energy and also a better immune system by sleeping more.
Go here to read the benefits of an early bedtime.
What will you do this fall to ensure you are thriving? Please share in the comments below.