The season of letting go

I was raking leaves in my garden last weekend when it hit me. Not the rake (though that did catch me in the shin) but a realisation about why autumn might just be the perfect time for some serious inner work.

There I was, watching the trees drop their leaves, without any fanfare or resistance. No dramatic protests, no clinging desperately to what it had been. Just a quiet, natural release of what was no longer needed. And I thought, when was the last time I did that?

We're obsessed with spring cleaning, aren't we? January detoxes, fresh starts, and all that bollocks. But autumn? Autumn gets overlooked. Yet here's nature showing us exactly how to prepare for what's coming next: by letting go of what's already served its purpose.

The thing about burnout is that it's often caused by carrying too much for too long. We pile on responsibilities, expectations, and old grudges and beefs like we're hoarding cassetes from 1987. We tell ourselves it's all essential, that we need every bit of it, but thats just not true, and deep down we know it. Sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is drop what's weighing us down.

Autumn gives us permission to do that inner work we've been putting off all year. The days are getting shorter, the pace is naturally slowing, and there's something about the crisp air that makes you want to take stock rather than charge ahead at breakneck speed.

Here's how to make the most of autumn's invitation to go inward:

Take Inventory: What are you carrying that you don't need anymore? Old resentments, perfectionist standards that serve no one, commitments you made when you had different priorities? Write them down. Be honest. If it's not adding value to your life, it's taking up space that could be used for something better.

Embrace the Quiet: Autumn evenings are made for reflection, not endless scrolling through social media. Light a candle, make a cup of tea, and actually sit with your thoughts. I know it feels weird at first – we're so used to constant noise – but that's where the good stuff happens.

Prepare, Don't Panic: Trees don't shed their leaves in a frantic rush; they do it gradually, methodically. Approach your inner work the same way. You don't need to revolutionise your entire life by Halloween. Small, consistent changes will serve you better than dramatic overhauls that leave you exhausted.

Rest Without Guilt: This is the season of conservation. Animals are preparing for winter, and we should take a leaf out of their book – pun intended. Rest isn't laziness; it's preparation. If you're constantly running on empty, you'll have nothing left when you actually need it.

Standing in my garden, surrounded by piles of leaves that would soon become compost for next year's bedding plants, I realised something else. Those leaves weren't really gone; they were transformed. They were going to feed the very trees and plants they'd fallen from.

That could be what good inner work is all about. Not throwing everything away in some grand gesture of self-improvement, but transforming what we've learned into valuable knowledge to help us grow.

So as the nights draw in and the colder days are ahead, don't fight it. Use it. Let autumn teach you the art of letting go.

Take Care

GB