The Balance of Autumn: Lessons from the Equinox

The autumn equinox is right around the corner. It's that beautiful moment when day and night stand in perfect balance, neither rushing ahead nor lingering behind. I think of it as nature's gentle invitation to slow down and find balance. 

Autumn is my favorite season. No, not for pumpkin or pumpkin spice. It's about that first crisp breath of air, the turning of leaves, and pulling on a favorite sweater. It's a season of cozy moments and simple pleasures. There's also something irresistible about the way it invites us to slow down without apology, to choose warmth and connection as Mother Nature prepares for rest. Maybe that's why we find ourselves traveling more this time of year, autumn's slower, more intentional pace makes wandering feel less like escape and more like discovery. Whether we're chasing fall foliage through New England or finding cozy cafés in European cities touched by golden light, autumn travel feels different. More contemplative, less rushed.

It's always fascinated me how autumn teaches us to let go without feeling like we're losing something. Trees don't mourn their leaves. They just let them fall with remarkable grace, as if they know that shedding makes way for new growth later on. There's a real wisdom in that simple rhythm, and I think we can apply it to our own lives as the seasons change.

What am I carrying that no longer serves me? For me, it’s the need to constantly be 'on' all summer. During autumn, I find that I'm more intentional with how I spend my time. This doesn't mean dramatic life overhauls or harsh self-criticism about what didn't work. Instead, think of it as Marie Kondo-ing your energy, thanking what served its purpose and creating space for what wants to emerge. It's easy to just keep adding things to the plate, but lately I've been thinking about what's actually on it. What would it look like to approach the next few months with a little less obligation and a little more curiosity? Maybe it's a creative project that's been simmering in the background, a deeper investment in relationships that matter, or simply the radical act of slowing down in a culture that rarely permits it.

Self-care in autumn looks different than summer's version. Gone are the long beach days and spontaneous outdoor adventures. Instead, autumn self-care is about creating warmth from the inside out—what the Danes call hygge (pronounced "hoo-gah").

Hygge isn't just about cozy blankets and candlelight, though those certainly help. It's about cultivating contentment through life's simple pleasures: the ritual of making tea, the satisfaction of a good book, the comfort of familiar faces around a dinner table. It's about choosing connection over productivity, mindfulness over momentum. Intentionality over pace.

This might mean trading your morning jog for a walk through changing leaves, swapping happy hour for soup night with friends, or simply giving yourself permission to go to bed earlier as the days grow shorter.

As the days get shorter, what's one small thing you can let go of to make room for what matters? For me, it's trading my morning alarms for a few extra minutes in bed. It feels like a small way to honor the season's quiet wisdom, the same way the equinox reminds us to find our own sense of balance—honoring both the light and the dark, the active and the restful, the holding on and the letting go.

After all, there's no better teacher for finding balance than a season that transforms everything around us with such natural grace.