For many people, the New Year carries a sense of possibility; think fresh starts, big dreams, new habits. But on the flip side, this idea that we need to create major change in our lives can provoke anxiety and internalized pressure. Instead of excitement, you might feel guilt, or dread every time someone asks “Do you have any New Year’s Resolutions?”. The idea of setting ambitious goals might bring up feelings of failure, not hope.

The holidays can be meaningful and joyful and also overwhelming, exhausting, and emotionally complicated. If you live with anxiety, struggle with burnout, or tend to put others’ needs before your own, this season can feel like a pressure cooker of expectations.

As the days grow shorter and the temperatures drop, many people notice their mood shifting. November, especially, tends to bring a wave of heaviness, tiredness, or unexpected sadness. If you’ve ever wondered “Why do I feel down every November?”, you’re far from alone.

Spring is a time of renewal and growth, which makes it the perfect time to start new routines.

It's easy to start off the year with huge goals to be better, stronger, and more productive than the year before. We set objectives and tactics that maybe feel realistic at the time but after a month, we are dwindling. We are exhausted and the pace we thought we could sustain we can't.

I have always been an off and on journaler. One of these structured practices that I have been engaging in for years is an end of the year reflection. It helps me track my own progress each year and reflect on the ups and downs. It helps show me how much I've grown and synthesize lessons that I've learned. It has been so valuable to me, especially in filling the weird days between Christmas and New Year's.

With shorter and shorter days approaching Winter Solstice, I find my regular routine pushing up against the boundaries of daylight. I frequently work days that start before the sunrises and end after the sunsets. I feel sleepier and wanting to go to sleep earlier but aren't sure if I should. All these things tell me, something needs to change.

Fall is the world's embodiment of change, slowing down, and finding balance. Days become increasingly shorter and cooler. These months beg for our preparation and care.

When we live according to work & school schedules it is easy to forget that we live in a naturally cyclical world. With all of our modern conveniences, it is understandable that we fail to remember our lives are affected by the moon phases, the tides cycles and daylight hours. At its core, seasonal living is…