We all felt the 10-degree temperature drop. Some of us might have reached into the back of the wardrobe for our boots, and a fair few of us have been taking advantage of days spent without children and an excess of people in town.

There’s something about fall that wakes you up. Summer can become a race by the end, trying to cram it all in, sweaty and exhausted at the end of each day.

Navigating the congested roads, running from activity to activity with an overriding fear of missing out pervading your every day. When that back to school bell finally rings, a sense of calm might finally descend. Gone is the panic, the need to get outside at every opportunity, the struggle of herding children, husbands and other people’s children, perhaps, around on the daily.

But with that peace and quiet, suddenly comes the realization that we’re heading toward the holiday season, and ultimately, the end of the year. All of those things you listed and set out to accomplish at the beginning of the year come to the surface again.

The haziness of summer really got in the way of things and now might just seem like a blur. But what if instead of getting overwhelmed, you tapped into the collective energy boost of the seasonal change and used this new found clarity, space and renewed energy to make this your most productive time of year?

Autumn is the perfect time to revisit projects and goals you began back in the spring.

In Chinese Medicine, this time of year is associated with the metal element and the lungs. We’re moving from a very extrovert, yang, hot time of year to a contractive period where we think about moving inward. “Letting go” is the aim here, finishing those projects you began earlier on, and focusing instead on things that allow you to become more introspective. If we let go or finish the things we’ve been holding on to all year, we allow ourselves the room for new experiences.

BREATHE DEEPLY

To allow the lungs to work at maximum capacity, deep breathing is essential. We flood the body with vital oxygen when we do so that is essential to the processes it is attempting to undertake at any one time. Go outside into the crisp air and inhale the qi, or energy, around you. Connecting with nature is always beneficial and fall is a wonderful time to do so.

DECREASE NEGATIVITY

Letting go at this time of year means learning to acknowledge negativity in your life so that you can consider how to lessen it, or let it go entirely. Being surrounded by negative people, environments or just behaviors can be incredibly destructive and draining. By making small changes, you can enhance the positive aspects of your life and so keep your good energy at an optimum level.

GROUND YOURSELF WITH FOOD

Now is the time to ease off on those raw, cooling foods that we over consumed through the hot months. The aim is to begin nourishing the body and boosting the immune system with earthy, cooked, moisturizing foods to counteract the effects of wind and dryness.

ELIMINATE WIND

Fall is associated with the wind in TCM and I think we can all agree we’ve seen some white caps out there this past week. To bolster yourself against any potential flu viruses, colds and a myriad of other wind-related diseases, grab yourself a scarf and wrap yourself up.

REORGANIZE YOUR DRAWERS

Purge! Take a good look at the things that surround you, in your closet, your shelves, on your computer, your phone … and reorganize! Out with the old and in with the new. This is such a liberating practice at any time of year, but even more so with the autumn season and the concept of letting go, both physically and emotionally. You might find you can think clearer, focus more, and eliminate distractions by doing so.

Observe nature around you and think about how you can best learn from it, and live in harmony with it. Everything is beginning to quiet down, to shed their leaves and retreat into the ground. Animals are preparing to rest, and we too should consider doing the same. Sleeping longer, warming ourselves through food and moving to an internal state of mind where we give ourselves a little extra self love is desirable, and incredibly beneficial at this time of year.

— Tamsin Edwards