We want to hold on to summer for as long as we can, but it feels like the days are already starting to get shorter. Whether we like it or not, fall is around the corner. With the fast pace of summer, it can often feel like we come crashing into autumn, and this year we want to do things differently. Fall was made for new beginnings, and our goal is to seize the opportunity it offers to reconnect with ourselves and start again.
Featured: Women’s Highline 1/4 Zip Mock Neck
This seasonal transition is kind of like when you’re heading out to work in the morning. No one wants that frazzled feeling of rushing out the door unprepared. On mornings like this, it feels like your day is doomed from the jump. But with a bit of prep the night before, that rushed feeling can easily be avoided. Simple things like picking out your outfit and organizing your work bag lead to a tranquil morning flow, putting you in a great mindset to conquer the day.
We’re trying to mimic this in our seasonal shift this year. Summer isn’t over yet, but we’re looking forward to the fall and being mindful of the things we can do now to make this year’s transition as seamless as possible. We want this fall to be a restorative period where we can start again and reconnect with ourselves in a meaningful way.
Prepare to adjust your sleep routine
One of the things we’ll miss most about summer is the long sunny days. Getting up in the morning just feels so much easier when the sun is already up waiting for you and there’s some science to explain why. Sunshine impacts our circadian rhythm, the internal clock that regulates our sleep patterns. When it gets darker this is a cue for our bodies to start producing the hormone melatonin, which gets your body tired and ready for bed. Similarly, light is a cue for your body to stop producing melatonin.
This is important to be aware of as we transition into fall because our bodies are exposed to less sunlight as the days get shorter. As a result, it’s common to feel sleepier and find it harder to wake up in the mornings. Sleep is foundational to our physical and mental health, and as we move into fall, it’s beneficial to recognize that we may need to pay more attention to our sleep schedule than we did during the summer.
Although you may feel sleepier, try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day. This will help you avoid oversleeping and feeling generally lethargic. It’s also beneficial to prioritize getting out for a walk, even on cloudy days. This exposure to natural light helps regulate your circadian rhythm, leading to more regular and restful sleep.
Start searching for seasonal fall recipes
Similar to preparing your lunch the night before work, it can be helpful to start building an inspiring collection of nourishing falls recipes before the temperature drops. During the colder months, it’s key to warm your body from the inside out with local (when possible) seasonal foods.
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Unfortunately, modern convenience has made it easy to lose touch with the seasonality of food and the knowledge of what is native to our area. Even if you aren’t growing your own food, it’s important to know what is locally available each season and eat to match that. Eating seasonally helps ground us, putting us back in touch with our natural rhythm. Plus there’s so much to love about fall food. It’s dense, warming, and nourishing — all the things our bodies crave during winter.
Eating locally and with the season is also the most sustainable way to do your grocery shopping. Since your food has a shorter distance to travel the associated fuel emissions of travel are dramatically reduced, supporting the environment and your local farmers.
Crisp Kale + Brussel Sprout Tacos
We encourage you to get creative with your Pinterest board naming and start searching for recipes that feature local fall produce. (Check out our Pinterest board for the perfect cover photos.) For us here on the west coast, the fall harvest brings us apples, beets, carrots, brussel sprouts, and pumpkin to name a few. We rounded up some of our favourite recipes to get you started.
- Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup
- Autumn Harvest Salad with Pomegranates
- Crisp Kale + Brussels Sprout Tacos with Avocado + White Bean “Creama”
- Easy Beet Falafel
- The Best Vegan Apple Crisp
When the cool weather comes, you won’t miss a beat in swapping out your refreshing summer salad for a warm hearty soup.
Proactively evaluate your fall wardrobe
While it may make you sweat a little to think about putting on a turtle neck in August, taking a peek in your closet and evaluating it for fall can make the transition into the chillier months more meaningful.
Even if you’re still enjoying shorts and tank tops, set aside one evening to look at your fall clothing and do a little prep work. Pull out the pieces you know will come back into rotation when the temperature drops and start to see if there are any gaps in your wardrobe that you can shop for now. Although you won’t wear these items right away, it’s a little gift waiting in your closet for your future self.
Featured: The Women’s Rib Box Neck Longsleeve
When filling these gaps in our wardrobe, we always try to invest in quality pieces, and this year we want to buy less. By proactively looking at your closet now, the goal is to avoid impulse buying and only purchase things that make you feel authentically yourself, support your values, and ultimately make you feel closer to your best self.
Featured: The Men’s Heavy Weight Flannel Shirt paired with the Twill Classic Jogger
If you’re reading this and nodding along, we highly recommend checking out our fall collection. Not only are these pieces cozy and comfy, but they are mindfully made and will easily become staple pieces that will stay with you for years to come.
A few of our faves are the Heavy Weight Flannel Shirt from the men’s collection and the Rib Box Neck Longsleeve from the women’s collection. These pieces are versatile and easily take you from the coffee shop on weekend mornings to elevated dinners with friends with some simple styling tweaks. Both will live on in your wardrobe for seasons to come, and the ten trees planted from your purchase will help remove CO2 from the atmosphere — a win for you and the planet.
For now, we’ll leave you to soak up the last drops of summer, but we hope these suggestions help you swan dive gracefully into fall when the time comes. Inspiration is just around the corner, and we hope fall marks a new beginning for you.
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By planting ten trees for every item you purchase, it’s our mission to plant 1 billion trees by 2030. Head to our website to learn more and get 10% off your next purchase.
