How to survive September
September. The kids are back at school, the summer is winding down and the year is coming to an end. Suddenly we are all feeling a little bit… crushed. There is so much to do, yet so little energy to do it all.
This is the time of year when the Japanese are apt to become kanshōteki (sentimental), believing that if your relationships can survive the precarious and turbulent shift from Summer to Autumn then they will be able to survive anything. Perhaps you might say the same of your relationship with yourself.
Reflection on personal progress and happiness at this time is natural but it’s important to remember to be kind to yourself. Beating yourself up only ends in less action. Focus on doing the things that bring you joy and you will find joy in the harder things too. Productivity is fine but it really isn’t everything- even the trees are giving up.
Below are some ideas to help you overcome your autumnal slump:
Congratulate yourself on your achievements over the last 6 months. You have survived another challenging year and can hopefully still see the funny side. You have put the whole of yourself into everything you do and although you may not have got everything right (or felt awful at times) you are still travelling on an upwards trajectory.
Write down everything you love about your life, even stupid stuff like how soon we’ll be able to wear jumpers again. Write it down and stick it up somewhere so you can see it every day. Add to it when you think of something- aim for a kind of Hygge, but far more uptight and English.
Turn your ennui into a project- creative lounging is the new big thing. Take a blanket and lie under a tree, move your duvet outside and take pictures of clouds. Watch a snail go by. You can waste at least an hour doing this.
As much as we all love the cold nights and autumnal leaves, as soon as the days start getting shorter, we go into panic mode. Time gets away from us and we begin to feel as if we’ve let ourselves go somehow. Leave yourself alone- you’re doing all the things you are supposed to! Enjoy the change of pace- it is nothing more sinister than flux.