Discover Your Nature: How to Embrace Fall's Lessons for Balance and Restoration
Embrace fall’s message of
Reflection and Restoration
As I type this blog, the official start of fall is just around the corner.
I spent this weekend sweeping hundreds of acorns from my sidewalks and deck. I've spent two nights falling asleep (or not) to an impressively steady barrage of acorns pinging off the roof. (The squirrels should be happy this year.)
I took this as a reminder to embrace Mother Earth's wisdom and talk about how we can nurture our own nature.
Fall is the perfect season for considering how we can support ourselves through transition, no matter how big or small. It's the ultimate model for letting go, shifting into energy conservation, and preparing for what comes next.
If you're lucky enough to live somewhere with four seasons, you're likely noticing shifting colors, leaves starting to fall, shorter days, and cooler temperatures. Let each of these be a subtle sign that nudges you toward a gentle retreat inward.
Too Busy to Fall
The societal construct we live in is decidedly NOT seasonal.
The message is to be continually producing, growing, and expanding. The expectation of being perpetually "on" deems our need for a personal fall inconvenient and irrelevant.
In nature, we understand fall as a necessary stage of evolution.
Unfortunately, we apply a different rule to ourselves. Compared to the bustling activity and energy expenditure of spring and summer, fall is seen as "less than". Though fall signals a critical time for conservation and rest, these individual needs are often disregarded or labeled as "lazy" or "unambitious".
We can be fooled into thinking we're too busy for fall.
But ignoring that we're inherently rooted in nature doesn't erase our need for these natural cycles. Instead, by pushing forward when our bodies and minds are screaming for a reprieve, we walk right into burnout. It's inevitable.
We aren't linear beings. Yes, we're meant to grow, but then we need to pause, gather strength, and calibrate before we start again. Our minds and bodies crave the cyclical shifts that allow for renewal.
By re-aligning ourselves with nature and the needs of our own internal rhythms, we can decrease our risk for energy depletion, disconnection, and chronic stress.
To do that, we first have to understand the cues.
The Wisdom Hiding in Fall's Arrival
There's a reason many people name fall as their favorite season. Yes, sports and holidays are a bonus for some, but I suspect people also welcome the inherent attitude of fall, even when it's an unconscious knowing.
Nature is never static. After the growth and intensity of spring and summer, fall represents a decline that's far from failure or disappointment. Deeply integrated in Earth's revolution and evolution, fall is crucial for setting the stage that supports the next round of growth.
It's a time for slowing down, resting, and reflecting. Just as trees shed their leaves, we can pause to take inventory of what works against us or no longer serves us. And like the animals that gather and then burrow in, we can recognize that balance requires both activity and dormancy. Perhaps most importantly, there's a reminder to reconnect to the parts of ourselves that have been silenced or forgotten in the name of "progress".
Let's start there.
Find Yourself in Fall(ing) Leaves
While I was kayaking this weekend, I couldn't help noticing the transitioning landscape, dotted with vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds among a still primarily green backdrop. A few colorful leaves floated by as I paddled.
As I appreciated the beauty of the show, the science nerd in me couldn't help but make a correlation to the introvert experience.
All summer, those trees had spent massive amounts of energy producing the chlorophyll that kept them cloaked in green. But now, as fall approaches, the trees are drawing their energy inward.
And what happens? With less energy expenditure, those vibrant colors that were overpowered and hidden by all that green now get to take center stage.
Fall Lesson #1
Sometimes, it's necessary to fit in. Blending into the crowd can occasionally serve you well. But not all the time. For introverts, doing so takes up emormous amounts of your energy.
Remember, when you let yourself live in alignment with your innate nature, it requires much less energy and gives your inner vibrance a chance to shine through.
As we move deeper into the season, the colors will continue to shift and evolve, and the leaves will start dropping en masse. What was once an expansive canopy will disappear leaf by leaf.
While it can sometimes be difficult to watch, this is a necessary part of the cycle. Not only does it allow the trees to survive over the winter, but the fallen leaves will protect and nourish the soil beneath.
Fall Lesson #2
We are always in flux. Our desires and needs change over time. It's important to have clarity about both so we know when to hang on and when to let go.
And remember, much like the trees, releasing what no longer serves us doesn't have to be an abrupt severing. The shedding processes can be active or passive, intentional or gradual. You get to decide what feels best.
We all have physical, emotional, or mental burdens that keep us stuck. When we learn to release them, we contribute to our inner strength and open up space for future growth.
Leaves may be the most striking feature of fall, but they certainly aren't the only way nature has to share lessons with us.
Harvest and Gather Now to Seed the Future
As evidenced by the plethora of acorns raining down this weekend and the ever-present activity of all the little critters on the forest floor, now is the time to take advantage of summer's productivity and prepare for winter. It's the perfect example of transition.
While some animals will migrate to warmer climates to ride out winter weather, a large number will spend the fall gathering the fruits of summer. For some, this will be followed by storing food and slowing their metabolism to decrease energy expenditure as the temperatures cool. Others will feast abundantly in preparation for their winter hibernation.
In all cases, the animals take the necessary steps to ensure their well-being and safety.
Fall Lesson #3
Celebrate your accomplishments. Avoid the tendency to mindlessly push forward to the next goal. Take a moment to recognize and appreciate the bounty of your efforts.
Gather insights from your experiences and let them be the seeds of your future. This doesn't mean you have to act right now.
Just as an acorn’s tough shell protects the seed inside so it can sprout when the conditions are right, give yourself time to contemplate and grow your ideas before you put them out into the world.
Fall Lesson #4
Pay attention to what will nourish you most right now. Again, only you can know what you most need. While some people may require a change of scenery, most introverts will feel a deep pull toward winding down and moving toward stillness and introspection.
Consider how you can be more deliberate and intentional about what you take on and how you plan for what's coming next. Release the pressure to be maximally productive.
Embrace the in-betweens of your life, and let fall gently guide you as you transition from one stage to the next.
Conserving Energy for Cooler Days and Longer Nights
Both plants and animals respond to changes in light and temperature as fall moves toward winter. The overall feel becomes quieter and more subdued.
Trees will conserve water, change their physiology, and store more energy in their roots to protect themselves. Some animals develop thicker coats to stay warm or change the periods when they're most active to conserve energy.
In short, plants and animals intrinsically adapt to these cyclical changes. It's necessary for their survival. Unfortunately, our attempts to bypass nature's cycles dull our ability to recognize when we need to adjust and take steps to ensure our own well-being.
Much too often, we’ve entered a maladaptive state in which we're running on empty and ignoring the physical signals that tell us it's time to slow down.
Fall Lesson #5
Get to know what restorative rest looks like, and always respect the importance of sleep. Create rituals that pair comfort and relaxation. Let your body sync to the natural rhythms of night and day when you can.
Even when you can't fully align your sleep to the natural shifts in daylight, give your body a reliable routine by following a consistent sleep schedule and avoiding foods, substances, and activities that can interfere with quality sleep.
Fall Lesson #6
Though introverts are almost always aware of their need for quiet, let fall be your validation that every period of activity requires a period of stillness to achieve balance.
Acknowledge the revitalizing quiet time you need as an introvert. Know that you can better integrate your experiences, reflect, and discover more profound insights when you intentionally create space for supportive silence,
Be aware, too, that absolute silence is rare, even in nature. Curate the sounds around you so that they’re soothing and relaxing.
When you’re feeling frazzled, taking note of the gradually shorter days and crisp fall air can remind you to pull more of your time and energy inward until you feel ready to be “on” again.
Embracing Fall's Lesson Now and Always
Fall teaches us to honor the ebb and flow of our lives. We can apply its wisdom - guilt-free - to all areas of our lives, regardless of the time of year.
The cycles of the natural world maintain a period of intense action followed by renewal and rest. Without this balance, the system collapses.
For those of us caught in cultures that seek to drive us perpetually forward, it's important to remember that being forced into a recovery mode is not the same as engaged, intentional rest.
One is about trying to undo the damage of overexertion, while the other is a practice of intention. One is about trying to carry more and more, and the other is about releasing unnecessary physical, emotional, and mental baggage that keeps us from continually evolving into our highest state of well-being.
While we may never be able to fully immerse ourselves in nature's rhythms, we can pay attention and let them inspire us toward a more intentional, authentic way of being.
Fall isn't about loss, decline, or withdrawal. By aligning with fall's wisdom, we celebrate all that is, make way for what's to come, and find ourselves more deeply connected to ourselves and the world around us.
Charity is a physician and burnout coach helping introverts in healthcare escape feelings of apathy, irritability, and resentment brought on by the increasing demands and decreasing rewards of medicine.
She uses her 20 years of experience in clinical medicine combined with coaching to help introverts discover ways to be diligent, thoughtful clinicians while prioritizing their needs and protecting their energy. She wants you to know you don’t have to feel guilty for wanting a thriving life inside and outside of medicine.