This Summer Was Intense, Here’s Why Fall Is The Perfect Season To Slow Down

Summer is always painted as golden. It’s the season everyone looks forward to. Every winter and spring, everyone is already thinking about the sunny season. What’s not to love about it? Hot sand under our feet, cool water on our skin, nights out with friends, and road trips that stretch across the calendar. For the most part, that's what I experienced in June and August. The world felt alright; for a little while, anyway. 

Before I knew it, the season had ended; not just literally, but in spirit as well. The warmth of summer didn’t shield any of us from the reality outside our front doors. Murders, unrest, and arguments are spilling over into every corner of the country. We all feel the weight on our shoulders right now. We’re not built to take in this much noise; it’s unnatural for our nervous systems to be on high alert every day. 

Perhaps that’s why the arrival of fall almost feels like a reprieve. We finally have a chance to lay things down and to step back from the noise. I like to think of it as hibernating from the endless scrolling or the adrenaline drip of bad news. We can all use it to our advantage and allow ourselves to inhale and just be. The fall season itself even insists on retreat. The trees let go of what no longer serves them, the air thins and cools, asking us to rest under the covers, slow down, and release negative emotions. Even Thanksgiving forces us to pause and sit, to eat, to be with the people we love, without a screen in sight. You’re forced to be present, and as you’ll see in this piece, nearly every tip comes back to that same idea. Presence is simple in theory, but harder in practice, and easier to forget than we’d like to admit.

I’m not asking anyone to ignore what’s happening right now or turn a blind eye to evil. But carrying it all day, every day, doesn’t make us stronger; it makes us weary and incapable of fighting for justice. How can we possibly change the world if our attention is so fractured? How can we hope to make meaningful, lasting change if we can’t even sit quietly with ourselves, let alone tend to our own minds and health?

That said, we’ve been through an intense summer. Let’s use fall to come back to ourselves. Here are 11 simple ways to rest, reset, and return this season. 

1. Wrap Yourself in Warmth

Your mind is on overdrive when you’re exposing yourself to negative and stressful content on social media all day. Allow yourself to feel safe and cocooned. Curl up under a blanket, light a candle, and notice how your body relaxes when it no longer feels like it’s carrying the whole world’s chaos. Make some homemade popcorn, enjoy it with your comfort film. Schedule a Netflix date with your loved ones. Lying on your bed or couch may seem like you’re rotting away, especially when you’ve been productive all summer. But remind yourself that it’s okay to be still. It’s time to let your nervous system know that it’s okay to rest.

2. Sip Something Grounding

Pumpkin spice lattes are largely seen as “basic,” but if they soothe your soul and raise your dopamine, that's reason enough. Enjoy a mug of cocoa, tea, coffee, or whatever feels comforting to you. Hold the cup with both hands, take slow sips, breathe in the steam. Feel the contrast of the cold air and hot liquid entering your body. Let the act of drinking remind you to move more slowly.

3. Bake or Cook  

Instead of rushing through dinner or ordering UberEats for the tenth time this month, treat cooking as a meditative practice. Notice the smell of butter melting, the sound of onions sizzling, the texture of dough under your palms. You don’t have to make anything elaborate; even roasting vegetables can be meditative if you let yourself notice. Invite a friend or family member to cook with you. Chop vegetables together, bake cookies, stir soups. There’s intimacy in the ordinary. Shared labor and shared meals are one of the oldest forms of community. Here are our top ten recipes for fall to try.

4. Read Without Multitasking

Pick up a book. Right now. Let your mind sink into someone else’s story or into knowledge that nourishes you. Reading requires focus, and focus is a muscle most of us haven’t stretched in a long time. Science also shows that reading for just six minutes can drop your stress by nearly 70%. Leisure reading helps students manage mental distress. For older adults, it’s one of the habits that protects memory over time.  

5. Journal to Clear the Noise

Give yourself 10 minutes each morning or night to write whatever’s in your head. Don’t overthink it, don’t censor it. The point isn’t to sound profound or to share an aesthetic shot of it on your Instagram story; it’s to take the static inside you and put it on paper so your body can let it go. 

6. Go for Walks Without Distraction

Just walk. Listen to the sound of your footsteps, to the crunch of leaves. Going on a walk and allowing your thoughts to wander will help you stay grounded. You might be surprised by what rises to the surface when you give yourself a break from the algorithm. You may come up with new ideas or simply find peace of mind.

7. Take a Road Trip

Not every drive has to be a rush to get somewhere. You’ve probably been stuck in traffic all summer, so let yourself wander for once. Windows down (if it’s not too chilly, of course), play comforting music, and drive through foliage across state lines. You can’t be on your phone when you’re driving. Visit some quaint small towns in America. The beauty of leaving town is that you step outside your daily life and into something unfamiliar. In a way, you’re someone else for a little while: seeing new things, doing new things, letting the world reshape you. Even traveling close to home can lift you out of the stress of daily life. You don’t have to go far! Start by scheduling a day trip.

8. Practice Gratitude in Small Doses

At the end of the day, write down three things you’re grateful for. Don’t force it; let them be simple. A good cup of coffee, the presence of the person you love. Science has demonstrated that even a brief daily gratitude practice can reduce depressive symptoms and perceived stress, improve sleep quality, and increase feelings of life satisfaction.  

Gratitude doesn’t erase pain, but it reorients your attention. When you choose to focus on what’s going right, you engage the reward centers in your brain that help calm the fear circuits. On the flip side, complaining (especially when it becomes constant) rewires your brain toward negativity. Your mind starts expecting problems, finding flaws, and noticing threats, even where none may exist. 

9. Declutter and Decorate With Intention

Fall is a season of release, and your space should absolutely mirror that. Start small and clear out one drawer, one shelf, or even just the nightstand that’s been gathering dust. Letting go of physical clutter often creates unexpected mental clarity. Once you’ve cleared space, add warmth back in with intention. It’s as simple as lighting a candle, placing fall-themed decorations in the living room, or draping a blanket over the couch. You don’t need to blow your paycheck at Target. Just Hygge it up a bit so your environment signals rest, safety, and presence. Your space should remind you to slow down the moment you walk into it.

10. Lean Into Love and Community

Too much of our psychic energy is spent on what's wrong with the world, with people, with ourselves. So much so that we forget how healing it is to simply love others. Now's the time to reorient that focus. Invite your neighbor over for coffee. Call the family member you’ve been meaning to reach out to. Spend time at church or with your community group. Community really does matter. It reminds us we’re not alone in all this noise. There’s nothing more radical right now than choosing to cherish people instead of fixating on what divides us.

There’s growing research showing that social connection can actually heal you. A recent WHO report found that people with strong relationships have lower inflammation, fewer serious diseases, and live longer. Another study of over 42,000 adults discovered that loneliness and isolation are linked to proteins in the blood tied to heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Being with people is vital, and we need each other now more than ever. When we lean into loving others, we’re also caring for ourselves.

11. Reflect on What You’re Letting Go

Fall is the season of release. Take time to ask yourself, "What am I ready to put down?" It might be a habit, a toxic thought pattern, or just the constant urge to check your phone. Write it down, acknowledge it, and let it be something you don’t have to carry into the next season.