When you’re a child, the school summer holidays can seem to stretch on for months. Unfortunately for the rest of us, it’s not uncommon to find time flying by and the leaves falling from the trees before we’ve even hauled out last year’s crumpled sundress from the back of the wardrobe!
But don’t despair at the sight of uniforms and backpacks taking over the supermarket shelves. Whether you’re studying or working in an educational setting, shepherding your child into a new school year or haven’t looked back since the last time you skipped out of those school gates, you might find that arranging your life on an academic timetable works for you.
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Here are our top tips on how to harness some of that ‘back to school’ energy for an awesome autumn!
Give yourself a seasonal makeover
There’s a reason the September issue is the biggest and mostly hotly anticipated edition of most magazines: autumn is the perfect time to refresh your look. Especially this autumn, when you might be seeing friends, going out and having IRL meetings where your co-workers can see more than your Zoom profile for the first time in a year and a half.
A wardrobe refresh needn’t mean a massive splurge. Dig through your own pieces first – who knows what hidden treasures you might rediscover! In true Cher from Clueless style, you can keep track of what you have and what outfits you can put together with an app such as Save Your Wardrobe. If you’re looking to add something new, just one or two statement pieces can breathe life into multiple outfits (and to be fair, it is a long time since you genuinely needed a new handbag or pair of shoes). With sustainability taking over from fast fashion, why not look into rental options for a fresh look at each of the postponed weddings and other occasions you have stacked up? Sites such as My Wardrobe HQ can kit you out in designer pieces that will have you looking and feeling a million dollars, while spending a lot less.
Make your home a beautiful haven
If it’s true that a change is as good as a rest, then resetting your home is a great way to take advantage of the turning of the seasons and feel refreshed as you head into autumn.
Update the look of your most used spaces without breaking the bank with some thoughtfully chosen eye catching pieces. A few cushions can create a cosy autumnal nest in a lounge or bedroom, and an art print can elevate the look of any space. Opt for eco-conscious offerings such as those from a fellow UK small business Elley Home and you’ll protect the planet while picking up unique hand-crafted pieces!
Rediscover exciting new lessons
As the country re-opens and we have more opportunities to define how we want to spend our time, why not make space for a new hobby, or to rediscover something that brings you joy?
With no pressure to cram for exams, and freedom to choose your topics, you might find that learning is actually more fun than you ever had in school!
You could turn your hand to crafting and create a wreath to lift your spirits every time you open your front door. We love this Autumn Wreath Making Kit from Florence & Flowers.
Try your hand at knitting and stitch your way to mindfulness. Lauren Aston Designs have a bunch of beautiful knitting patterns for you to choose from.
If the lockdown cookery class craze passed you by, it’s not too late to make a regular date with your oven and add a few comforting classics to your baking repertoire.
Invest in your health and put your best foot forward
January might be the traditional time for a health kick, but why wait till a cold dark frosty morning to try to convince yourself to head out the door in top to toe lycra?
Get a head start on your good intentions by making some healthy changes now. A walk in crisp sunshine admiring the changing leaves can boost your mood as well as your heart rate, and now is the perfect time to swap lighter summer dishes for hearty seasonal soups and locally grown veg.
Consider using our undated meal and fitness planner undated inserts or deskpads to motivate yourself to reach your goals. With these planning resources you will be glowing well ahead of Christmas party season.
Revisit your 2021 goals
If you set yourself firm goals at the start of this year, autumn is the perfect time to check in for an honest assessment of how things are going. Are your goals still relevant, or should you tweak them to account for new circumstances? Is there anything you want to add to the goals you set way back last winter, or anything you’ve decided not to pursue? Have you made good progress, or are there things you can do differently to move closer to your goals?
Don’t feel pressured to stick to old plans that are no longer relevant – your goals are just tools to help you live the life you want. If they’re no longer helping you do that, it’s time to let them go.
And if you didn’t set goals for 2021? It’s not too late! With a mid-year or undated CEO of MY Own Life® planner, you don’t have to wait for a new year to set plans and intentions in the four exclusive Ella Iconic planning pillars of business and career; home and family; health and fitness and personal planning. Consider this the start of your new school year and get planning!
However your year has gone so far, you can set and make progress on meaningful goals. And the perfect time to start is today.
It is time to celebrate!
If coming towards the end of summer has you wondering where the year has gone, turn that frown upside down and savour all the fun celebrations autumn brings!
With the chance to try on a new identity for the night and an ever-expanding world of movies, décor and luridly coloured snacks, Halloween has to be one of the most fun dates in the diary. Why not get into the spirit of spooky season and join those who celebrate all October long? Whether you hang a garland of sugar skulls, spend each night revisiting a different classic horror film (or episode of Buffy for the faint of heart!) or find ways to add pumpkin spice to every recipe you can find, joining in the fun will add some colour to your autumn season.
Things get even more colourful with fireworks on Guy Fawkes Day, and although we might not officially celebrate Thanksgiving here in the UK, a chance to savour what you’re grateful for should never be wasted. Don’t forget to look out for bargains in the sales immediately after!
And, of course, if the revelation of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing contestants has put you in the mood for glitter and festive frolics, you can always settle in with a chocolate Santa and make an early start on your plans for the most wonderful time of the year with the dedicated Christmas planning pages in your 2021/2022 mid-year CEO of My Own Life® planner. If you do not own one, they are now on sale at 20% OFF (discount applied already).
