A week ago I returned from my best friend’s wedding in California. It was a gorgeous outdoor ceremony among tall eucalyptus trees and vibrant iris flowers. The air was a perfect 75 degrees, low humidity, with the subtle aroma of freshly cut grass.
I remember looking out towards the hills, glowing in the golden afternoon sun, when a guest came up beside me and asked, “What if it rains?”
I was about to reply when the groom walked by and said, “That’s not a legitimate question. It never rains here this time of year.” The weather is always the same—Pleasant.
Now, I’m sitting in my upstairs office in Somerville looking at the fall foliage through my small window. In the summer, I often open this window to let in the fresh air. Now, I have it barely cracked, as cool, crisp fall air has begun to descend upon the city.
Something very significant happens in the month of September. Not only do kids return to the classroom and outdoor pools close down (and the stock market historically preforms at its worse during this time!), but those long summer days become shorter at an ever increasing pace.
In fact, the change of season is no more apparent this time of year, and it has been something I’ve struggled to accept.
The Pain of Letting Summer Go
To be honest, winter in Boston is something I’ve perpetually feared.
I don’t like the earlier and earlier sunsets.
I don’t look forward to the impending cold weather. (My fingers and toes go on strike until May.)
I dislike not being able to exercise outdoors, walk outside shoeless, or spend days shirtless in the sun.
I struggle to say goodbye to the end of summer, as it represents so much freedom, fun, and fulfilling time with family and friends. (I recognize those are all “F” words. I couldn’t help myself.)
With winter staring at me from a distance, I’m trying to embrace the seasonal change as a beautiful way Mother Nature keeps us evolving.
Here’s the mindset shift I’m proposing:
Winter is not here to punish me. Winter is here to teach me. It’s a grace, and it prepares me to do the necessary “inner work”, and recovery that fuels the activity and “outer work” of the summer months.
Seasonal Change Reminds Us To Keep Going
When I was living in Malaysia in 2012, the weather never changed. Sometimes it rained. Sometimes it didn’t. The sunrise and sunset were at the same, and the average temperature never tiptoed outside a warm, yet comfortable bandwidth.
Although I enjoyed not having to check the weather every day—I knew exactly what the forecast would be—the substantial sunshine and constant climate had a downside…
It was static.
Without seasonal change, there was no sense of time progressing. June and January were facsimiles. It was a lot like the movie Groundhog’s Day. All the sameness made me wonder if another year has passed or if I were imagining things. It’s a trap that leads to complacency.
Changing seasons force us to accept one simple but challenging truth:
It’s often easier to hold on to the way things were—especially when things are good—than to accept change, let go, and grow something new.
While it can be annoying to let go of the delights of one season (and this is coming from a flip-flop and tank-top aficionado), it encourages us to accept the flow of time.
Seasons are a reminder that our days on Earth are short and ephemeral. We must love each day for what it is and not get too attached to it being that way forever because it never will.
Eat, Move, & Rejuvenate Seasonally
If you’ve been big on a certain type of exercise during the summer—say outdoor running or swimming—consider indoor options for the coming winter. Perhaps sign up for a dance class, go indoor climbing, or find an indoor sport league. You certainly don’t have to give up your outdoor activities, but best prepare yourself with alternatives when the weather gets nasty.
If you’re finding yourself clinging to old routines just for the sake familiarity, consider if it is time for a change. Invert your workout order, starting with your last exercise first. Try strengthening your weak links or improving your mobility rather than hammering away at your favorite exercises. You can try new rep-ranges, different tempos, or entirely different modalities—yeah dust off that yoga mat or exercise ball. Experiment with deeper embodiment.
If you’ve been eating the same way all summer, slowly switch to autumnal dishes. Consider adding more cooked foods that warm the body. This simple Ayurvedic principle can helps balance your energy when it’s cold outside. Also consider using ingredients that are freshest during the fall such as apples, potatoes, squashes, and pumpkins.
Ultimately, embracing seasonal change is about more than switching from tomatoes to pumpkins. It is about taking care of the parts of your body and mind that get neglected (or at least less attention) in the warm summer months. The longer nights and colder days invite us to turn inward, embracing the season’s stillness to engage in meaningful inner work.
Just a as a tree can’t grow new leaves until it drops its old ones, we cannot explore deeper aspects of ourselves, address unresolved issues, and prepare for new beginnings until we’ve said goodbye to who we were last summer. These internal winter moments create a harmonious balance with the external energy of the warmer months. Both are needed for real growth.
Stop Fighting With (Seasonal) Reality
We all sometimes need an external push. This is why we deadlines and due-dates exist. Creating an external marker of time holds us accountable for finishing our work. Seasonal change can be a similar tool to keep us progressing.
The weather pushes us along, saying, “Hey, it’s time to switch up how you were doing things. Don’t get stuck. Trust me, I’ve been doing this forever! You’ll thank me for it later.”
If we fight with reality, we’ll always lose. If don’t heed the signs of change, we’ll slowly dig ourselves into a trench of complacency. Routines that we cling too for too long can become traps.
As summer slips into fall and chills into winter, I am trying to remember that seasonal change is a reminder from nature to keep going.
The advice I’m giving you is what I most need to hear myself (Isn’t that how it always works?!) Don’t get stuck here, not matter how pleasant. Learn to love and to let go. Doing so is the only way to continue growing.
Here’s to adding a little spice and variety into the way you’ve been living. (Pumpkin spice if you prefer.)
~ Jeff Siegel
