September Reset:

How To Get Back on the Wellness Track

Growing up, I always looked forward to the end of summer and the beginning of the new school year.

Moving from the laid-back summer days into the more structured fall season was exhilarating. If you're a fellow Capricorn, you might relate: we are known to be ambitious, hardworking, and disciplined, so the easy, breezy, freewheeling days of summer are not our forte.

I looked forward to covering my brand-new books with protective covers (I still love to laminate things today!), wearing new school clothes, and seeing my classmates again.

Many decades later, I still notice and get excited by the shift from the relaxed days of summer to the more structured and busy days of fall. I witness the transition even though I don't have any kids to send back to school. The change seems especially sudden during the first week after Labor Day.

But this year, rather than being excited, I'm unsettled moving into the busy fall season. I feel less motivated, my clothes don't fit, and I'm tired of still dealing with the pandemic.

To get back on track, I am taking this September for a personal reset. I'm making three changes to my daily routine to get my spark back.

Maybe my ideas will inspire you to do your own September Reset by making tweaks to your health and wellness to feel re-energized. Here is what I plan to do:

💟 Eat healthier

I've gained 25 pounds during the pandemic. 25 pounds!! I'm embarrassed to admit it, especially as a yoga & wellness coach, but I'm always real with you. I had to purchase larger clothes (yes, there is a limit to even the stretchiest pants), and I don't feel great in my body. Don't get me wrong. This is not about body shaming, but I know I feel better and more energized when I don't carry those extra 25 pounds around.

How did this happen? I know exactly how it happened: I've been indulging in Nutella (by the spoonful directly out of the jar) and daily Lindt chocolate bars. I also stopped my weekly organic meal kit delivery because I was bored with it. Instead, I was eating more take-out and frozen prepared foods, typically full of preservatives and loaded with sugar.

I resolve to resume my meal kit delivery so I can effortlessly cook my own healthy food again and limit sweets so my insulin level stabilizes.

💟 Resume my daily walks in nature

I know that taking daily walks outside is key to my mental well-being and is good for my body. But I somehow fell out of my daily walking habit during the summer. "It's too hot outside." "It's too humid." "The weather app says it's going to rain in an hour." Excuses, excuses, excuses.

I resolve to resume my daily walks. I commit to at least 25 minutes each day. Often, these shorter walks turn into long walks, but I want to set realistic goals that I'll be proud to achieve.

💟 Get on my yoga mat every day

I feel so much better after yoga, yet recently I've found all kinds of excuses not to get on my yoga mat daily. I'm not giving myself a hard time about it (and I don't want you to give yourself a hard time either about any lapses in your healthy habits!). After all, the summer season in New England is short, so it makes sense to spend more time outside during the warmer summer days.

I resolve to roll out my yoga mat once again every single day and move my body for at least 10 minutes. Depending on what my body needs that day, I might be doing invigorating sun salutations, grounding yoga poses low to the floor, restorative yoga using a pile of pillows for support, or ten minutes of meditation. Some days, these ten minutes will turn into forty or sixty minutes. Other days, they won't.

I'm making these small changes to my routine to launch my September Reset.

What could a September Reset look like for you? How are you doing with sleep, alcohol, nutrition, exercise, time spent on social media, etc.?

Let me know if you plan to do a September Reset. I'd love to cheer you on!

Best, Christine

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