What if it's ok to do less?

Ahh August, you’re always such a mixed bag. I can trace the last few years back and always see August being full of big, transformative energies. I can also see it as the clear point of culmination of summer energy.

We tend to think fall energy comes in on the Autumn Equinox in September, but in Traditional Chinese Medicine they look to the mid-section of the seasons as the time the energy of the current season starts to wind down and the energy of the next season starts to amp up.

For the time we’re in right now in the Northern Hemisphere, the big, expansive, do all the things energy of summer is starting to wind down. Kids are getting ready to head back to school, people are starting to be “over” the go-go-go of summer. We start craving less plans, less people-ing, more free space, more time to just be and breathe without having to go a million miles an hour all the time.

If I’m putting it more bluntly, come August most of us are just effing exhausted. According to nature, we’re right on schedule. Just like people tend to claw at the walls waiting for summer to arrive, we start getting just as antsy for the slower vibes of fall when mid-August rolls around.

As we sync up with nature, I wanted to offer a few pieces of guidance (6 tips to be exact!) to help you close out summer and gear up for fall, feeling the most alive and healthy.

1. If there’s anything left on your summer bucket list that you just HAVE to do this summer, let this be a reminder to do it. Go swim in the lake. Go to the beach. Rent the boat. Do the outdoor salsa lessons. Have the family BBQ. Use the pool. Summer while summer is still here. Depending where you live, the weather in the fall can be wildly unpredictable. I know I tend to push things off thinking plans will be far more enjoyable when the weather cools down, but if Chicago has anything to say about it - we go from summer to winter rather quickly and all those good intentions get pushed to the backburner for next year. (Sidebar - a little lifehack I started doing… if there are things you missed out on this summer or things you forgot to plan to do, make a reminder in your phone or calendar to do them next summer!)
2. Support your immune system at all costs. The transition from winter to spring and then summer to fall tend to be the hardest for our systems. We see a lot of viral and bacterial gunk happening around this time. The easiest way to do this is through your food and drink to lessen the toxic load on your body as much as you can. Minimize alcohol, caffeine, sugar, processed foods, dairy and gluten - all things that can tank your immune system and/or trigger inflammatory responses in the body. Our bodies are already trying to do so much to keep us in balance and fight off daily invaders, it’s a good idea to partner with our bodies the best we can to not overtax the systems and give it even more to do.

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