Using Seasonal Changes as a Guide for Intentional Living
4 days ago
3 min read
Nature has a rhythm. Flowers do not bloom year-round and fields cannot produce a harvest without periods of rest. In an ever-advancing digital and technological age where we are pressured to consistently be productive, our natural lives become less attuned to these seasonal changes. Air conditioning units set to full blast tell us to ignore the sweltering summer heat. Not a fan of frostbitten toes? Take a mid-winter trip to the Bahamas. Today it is all too easy to step outside the natural rhythm of the seasons, but what if we took some small measured steps to examine how each season invites us to care for ourselves and others in different ways.
Summer: A time of tending, celebration, and exploration
The beginning of summer, the brightest and hottest of the North American
seasons, is marked by long daylight hours and vibrant natural beauty. As students
end their academic year, the calendar is soon filled with graduations, vacations,
festivals, solstice events, and beach days. As any gardener will tell you, summer is
also a time for tending what was started in the spring. Watering, mulching,
fertilization, and pruning are all necessary steps to ensure a bountiful harvest come
autumn. As we tend our literal gardens, we can set intentions to tend to ourselves,
mentally, emotionally, physically, and socially. Here are some ways to live
intentionally in the summer season:
Longer daylight hours mean more time spent outdoors, whether planning a picnic, taking an evening mindfulness walk, or spending a day at the lake. Time spent observing nature can reduce stress, improve mood, boost cognitive function.
Invite daily movement into your life, preferably early in the morning to beat the heat and start the day off with increased mental clarity and greater amounts of energy.
Tend to the habits, hobbies, and relationships in your life, such as “deadheading” unfinished projects that cause you stress, or “watering” a friendship in need of social hydration.
Practice mindful eating by choosing seasonal foods, considering all the resources that came together to put this food on your plate.
Autumn: A time of harvesting and letting go
Autumn is the season when the duration of daytime becomes noticeably shorter and the temperature cools considerably. Students begin classes, college and national football return to our televisions, and the trees begin to shake off their leaves. As the farmers harvest their fields and our summer gardens yield their finalfruits, it feels like a natural time for us to take inventory.
Harvest your bounty. Reflect on the year’s accomplishments, challenges, and lessons learned. Preserve or save what matters.
Letting Go. What am I ready to release? Clearing out a closet, stepping away from an unnecessary commitment, or letting go of a burdensome expectation allows us to make room in our lives for what truly matters.
Embrace seasonal rituals such as lighting a spiced candle, visiting a pumpkin patch, or expressing gratitude at Thanksgiving. Rituals have the power to alleviate stress, reduce anxiety, and provide comfort as well as foster belonging.
Winter: A time of rest and reflection
The frigid temperatures and short days of winter beckon us (and our nervous systems!) to slow down. Like a hibernating bear dreaming of spring or a tree that becomes dormant in the winter, this season offers a natural pause for rest, reflection, and preparation for the spring. Here are some practical ways we can embrace winter in our lives.
Reduced daylight can influence our appetite, our sleep-wake rhythms, and our mood, so intentionally exposing ourselves to sunlight helps maintain optimal health.
Reframe rest as active healing. Rest is not wasted time, nor is it indulgence. Deep rest allows the nervous system to shift out of chronic stress patterns and into patterns that support tissue repair, digestion, immune response, and emotional regulation.
With fewer distractions in the winter, it is a perfect time for introspection and stillness. Try envisioning the future without urgency via journaling and vision-boarding, or incorporating a five-senses mindfulness practice outdoors (bundled up of course!) to gain more self-awareness and enhance your emotional well-being.
Spring: renewal and planting
The tender buds of spring invite possibility into our lives. It’s planting season! Every plant grows at its own pace, according to its hardiness zone and its own botany. Take it from someone who tried to grow a lemon tree in Kansas (it didn’t take!). Like plants, people need to grow at their own pace and in the right place.
Set intentions that align with your goals and values. Make small incremental changes instead of drastic overhauls to avoid burnout.
Make space for new experiences and opportunities by clearing physical, mental, emotional, digital, and social clutter.
Plant seeds in your life by beginning a new hobby or habit. Work toward personal growth goals using a S.M.A.R.T (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-bound) framework.
By: Jackie Kessler PLPC, LPC, NCC
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