Authored by Dr. Barrett
There is something about September that makes me want to reset.
The mornings are a little darker. The air starts to feel cooler. The farmers market slowly shifts from berries and tomatoes to squash, apples and root vegetables. And after a summer of salads, grilled food and eating outside, I often find myself craving something warm.
Our bodies notice these changes, too.
We tend to think about wellness in terms of routines that should stay the same all year long, but our environment is constantly changing. The amount of daylight we get, the temperature, our activity levels, our schedules and even the foods available to us all shift with the seasons.
So instead of waiting until November to realize you’re exhausted, sleeping poorly and spending every evening on the couch, fall can be a good time to start making a few small adjustments.
You don’t need a fall health overhaul. In fact, I would argue that you probably don’t need another overhaul at all.
A few simple changes can go a long way.
Start eating a little warmer
One of the first things I notice as the seasons change is that my food preferences change with them.
Summer is perfect for big salads, fresh fruit, smoothies and lighter meals. But when the weather starts to cool down, many of us naturally start craving soups, roasted vegetables, oatmeal and other warm foods.
There is a reason this feels good.
Traditional Chinese Medicine has long emphasized adjusting food and daily habits with the seasons. In TCM, autumn is associated with a shift toward cooler and drier conditions, and warm, cooked foods are traditionally favored during this time.
That doesn’t mean you need to give up your favorite salad or that raw vegetables are somehow bad for you. It is simply an invitation to pay attention to what your body is asking for.
Try adding more:
- Roasted root vegetables
- Squash and sweet potatoes
- Soups and stews
- Cooked greens
- Beans and lentils
- Warm breakfasts
- Baked apples or pears
- Grain bowls with cooked vegetables
You can also make this incredibly simple. If you’re currently eating a cold breakfast, try oatmeal or eggs with sautéed vegetables a few mornings a week. If lunch is usually a salad, try adding roasted vegetables or a cup of soup.
You don’t have to change everything. Just start adding more warmth.
Get ahead of the darker mornings
This is one of the biggest things I recommend thinking about before winter is actually here.
By the time January rolls around in Minnesota, it can be surprisingly difficult to get enough bright light early in the day. And if you wait until you’re already feeling sluggish, sleeping poorly or struggling to get out of bed, it can be harder to establish a new routine.
Morning light is one of the most important signals for your body’s circadian rhythm. Getting outside in the morning is ideal, even when it is cold or cloudy.
But as our days get shorter, a light box can also be helpful for some people.
If you are considering one, look for a light box designed for seasonal light therapy that provides 10,000 lux. It is generally used in the morning, and the exact duration and positioning should follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
And don’t underestimate the simple option: go outside.
A walk around the block before work, taking your coffee outside, or even standing outside for a few minutes can give your body a much stronger light signal than sitting next to a bright indoor lamp.
If you know that the darker months tend to affect your mood, energy or sleep, don’t wait until December to address it.
Re-establish your sleep routine
Summer has a way of disrupting sleep schedules.
Long evenings. Vacations. Kids staying up later. More social events. More time outside after dinner.
I’m all for enjoying those things, but fall is a good time to start bringing some consistency back.
Your wake time is particularly important. Try to get up at roughly the same time each day and get some bright light early in the morning. Then, as evening approaches, start dimming the lights and giving your brain a signal that the day is winding down.
If your summer bedtime has drifted later than you’d like, you don’t have to suddenly go to bed an hour earlier.
Move it gradually.
Even 15–30 minutes earlier can be a good place to start.
Keep moving, even when it gets harder to get outside
This is another place where the seasonal transition can sneak up on us.
In the summer, getting movement can be easy. We walk more, spend time outside, garden, travel and generally have more opportunities to move throughout the day.
Then suddenly it’s November and it’s dark before dinner.
Don’t wait until then to figure out your winter movement plan.
Maybe that’s a lunchtime walk. Maybe it’s strength training at home. Maybe it’s joining a gym, taking a class or finding an indoor activity you actually enjoy.
And remember that movement doesn’t have to be an hour-long workout to count.
A 15-minute walk is still a walk.
A short strength workout is still strength training.
A few minutes of movement between meetings is better than sitting all day because you don’t have time for a “real” workout.
The goal is to make movement something that can continue when the weather changes—not something that depends on perfect conditions.
Pay attention to hydration and dryness
Fall doesn’t always feel dry at first, but that can change quickly once we start turning the heat on indoors.
Dry skin, chapped lips, dry nasal passages and constipation can all become more noticeable as the air gets drier.
This is another place where I appreciate the traditional Chinese medicine perspective. Autumn is traditionally associated with dryness, and TCM encourages us to respond to that shift.
In practical terms, that might mean:
- Drinking enough water throughout the day
- Eating more soups and other water-rich foods
- Using a humidifier when appropriate
- Paying attention to dry skin and nasal passages
- Making sure you’re getting enough fiber and fluids to support regular bowel movements
Sometimes the most helpful intervention is also the least complicated.
Make your home work for you
As the weather cools down, we naturally spend more time indoors.
That makes fall a good time to think about your indoor environment, too.
Check your furnace filter. Make sure your heating system is ready for the season. Think about humidity. Pay attention to ventilation and indoor air quality.
And maybe make your home a little more comfortable for the season.
Get the cozy blankets out. Stock the pantry with ingredients for easy meals. Make your bedroom a place you actually want to go to at night.
These things sound small, but our environment has a bigger influence on our habits than we sometimes realize.
If the healthy choice is also the easy choice, you’re much more likely to do it.
Take care of the health maintenance you’ve been putting off
Fall is also a good time to take care of the boring stuff.
Have you been meaning to schedule an appointment? Get your annual labs? Review your medications? Get your recommended vaccinations? Refill something you take regularly?
Do it now.
I know this isn’t nearly as exciting as a new supplement or wellness trend, but staying on top of the basics is one of the best ways to take care of yourself.
And if you had a health goal that fell off the radar during the summer, you don’t need to beat yourself up about it.
Just start again.
And maybe let something go
There is one other reason I like the transition into fall.
Traditional Chinese Medicine associates autumn with the Lung system and with grief. I don’t interpret that as meaning that autumn causes grief or that everyone should suddenly become introspective in September.
But I do think there is something useful in the symbolism of the season.
Fall is a season of letting go.
The trees let go of their leaves. The days become shorter. Nature begins to turn inward.
It can be a good time to ask yourself:
What do I want to carry with me into the next season?
And just as importantly:
What can I let go of?
Maybe it’s a routine that isn’t working anymore. Maybe it’s an unrealistic expectation. Maybe it’s something you keep telling yourself you “should” be doing.
You don’t have to take everything from summer into fall.
A simple fall checklist
You don’t need to do all of this at once. Pick a few things that feel realistic.
☐ Get outside for morning light
☐ Consider whether a light box would be helpful
☐ Get back to a consistent sleep schedule
☐ Add more warm, cooked meals
☐ Stock your kitchen with easy fall foods
☐ Make a plan for staying active as the weather gets colder
☐ Pay attention to hydration and indoor dryness
☐ Check your furnace filter and indoor environment
☐ Take care of overdue health maintenance
☐ Think about what you want to carry forward, and what you’re ready to let go of
You don’t need a fall overhaul
I think we put too much pressure on ourselves to constantly be improving.
A new season doesn’t mean you need a new diet, a new supplement routine, a new workout plan and a completely new version of yourself.
Instead, notice what is changing around you.
The light is changing.
The temperature is changing.
Your schedule is changing.
Your food is changing.
Maybe your routines need to change a little, too.
That’s one of the things I appreciate about seasonal traditions like those found in Chinese medicine. They remind us that health isn’t static. We are constantly responding to our environment, and sometimes supporting our health means adjusting rather than pushing through.
So as we head into fall, start small.
Eat something warm. Get outside in the morning. Go to bed a little earlier. Take a walk. Drink some water. Make your home comfortable. Let something go.
You don’t need to do everything.
Just start paying attention.
