Feeling the Seasonal Shift? Try Going With It

Now that fall is officially here, you may notice that nature’s calendar starts to clear, even when yours keeps moving at the same pace. The sun sets earlier, mornings have a chill to them and trees drop their leaves. All across the natural world, fall is a season of transition. Maybe we should take the hint and follow suit.

If you’re starting to feel like staying home sounds better than your evening plans – or that you’re sleeping in a bit more than in summer, consider it your body tuning in with nature.

Instead of fighting the seasonal shift, try leaning into it. Here are a few ways to embrace what fall is already inviting you to do.

Let your routine change with the light

A routine doesn’t have to stay exactly the same to be a good routine. When fall arrives, even 7 p.m. feels too late to go out. Rather than trying to maintain your summer schedule indefinitely, consider what might feel good now. Maybe dinner moves to 5:30 p.m. or your morning walk becomes a lunchtime walk. An evening out becomes an evening in with a book.

Go outside while the season is changing

The Germans have a saying: There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. Translated? That means bundle up and get outside, even when it’s cold, rainy or snowy.

October offers the chance to witness nature in action. Walk the same trail every week and see what’s different. Look for leaves changing color, plants going to seed and mushrooms appearing along decomposing logs and across the forest floor. Notice how the air smells after rain or how much earlier golden hour arrives.

Make something warm part of your day

There’s a reason a warm mug feels especially comforting once temperatures drop. Use it to create a ritual that grounds your day.

Instead of carrying coffee to your desk and letting it get cold, take a few minutes to actually make and enjoy something. Fantastic Fungi Mighty Mushroom Matcha, created with Dr. Andrew Weil, can turn a morning or afternoon pick-me-up into a mushroom-powered ritual, combining ceremonial-grade matcha with Maitake, Reishi and Chaga.*

Protect your evenings

Earlier sunsets can be a useful cue to start winding down. Try lowering the lights at the same time each night, preferably an hour or two before bed. Put your phone somewhere just out of reach. Instead, take up analog activities like reading or stretching. End your day with a warm bath or shower. Write down tomorrow’s priorities so your brain doesn't have to keep repeating them all night long.

Need a nudge to help you wind down? Fantastic Fungi Chill Elixir can be incorporated into a pre-bed routine to support relaxation and a calm mood,* while our Sleep Capsules are formulated with Reishi, Passionflower and Hops to support restful sleep.*

Leave some room for doing less

Fall can quickly become a sprint toward the holidays. Halloween arrives, then Thanksgiving plans begin, then suddenly December is staring you in the face. Resist the urge to fill every open weekend before that happens.

Leave some white space on the calendar. Spend a Sunday cooking or meet a friend for a walk without tracking the distance. Wander through the woods looking for mushrooms. Go to bed early because you’re tired, not because your sleep tracker told you to optimize your score.

Remember what fungi are doing beneath the surface

Fall can look like a season of endings as leaves fall and gardens go quiet, but the natural world hasn’t stopped. The fungi kingdom is a particularly good reminder of that. The mushroom we see is only one part of one stage of that organism’s life cycle – and the spores and mycelial network usually stay invisible to us. As the year winds down, remind yourself that important things can be happening even when we can't see much happening at all. Then give yourself permission to slow down.

Photo credit: Daniil Silantev