5 Ways to Refresh Your Life this Fall
August means back to school for my high school and college aged readers, and nice opportunity for a fall refresh for everyone! August is a great time to get back to basics and reorganize if you (like me) have been in a late summer funk.
Fall still holds that "new" feeling for me, likely because I spent years and years of equating it with a new school year. So still to this day I take time every August and September to refresh my routine, rearrange furniture, or anything else to feel like I've hit a fresh start. Fall to me is even more of a fresh start than the new year. Maybe that will change as I get older, but for now, it is.
Below I've listed a few ways I like to shake up my life in the fall around the "Back to School" time!
1. Update your living space
Environmental refreshing can be so pivotal to your mental health, and it can be as easy as refreshing your decor! I love swapping out pillow covers and blankets on my couch and bed to freshen things up and change things as we transition to fall. My apartment isn't easy to rearrange, so this is an easy way for my apartment to feel new with fall without dragging furniture all over the place. I also switch out some of my more summer focused candles for some late summer scents (I have a candle from DL and Co that smells like firewood and I love it!) though I leave my rose scented candles out year-round. I've also been experimenting with new essential oil blends in my humidifier, including Tea Tree and Eucalyptus to help ward off colds and allergies. My next purchase will be a salt rock lamp, and I'm hoping it helps cut back on dust and allergens. I'll report back on that!
2. Try a new fitness routine
Throughout the summer, despite a plethora of fun, outdoor events, I've still managed to get into a fitness rut. I'm basically only running (marathon training) and teaching indoor cycling at this point. One way I'm shaking things up is incorporating ClassPass back into my schedule (P.S. Be ready for some exciting news about CycleBar and ClassPass!) and I'm doing more yoga and HIIT. I love following Lauren Bellagamba to all of the studios at which she teaches, and she also has some amazing workshops (I love her essential oil workshops!). I catch her at Studio Three and Yoga Six. I also am a HUGE fan of Kate Lemere and Andrew Key at Barry's Bootcamp. If you're looking for a new mental fitness routine, I recommend Headspace for every different type of meditation you can think of, including while you're commuting!
3. Refocus on self care
Speaking of mental fitness, refocus on your self-care. This summer I've basically stopped washing my hair (and I'm especially hesitant to now that it's blue!) so that's something I'm working towards remedying this fall. I'm also planning on hitting up Anatomy Redefined for more gong bath meditation! If you're in Chicago and haven't checked out this amazing wellness studio in the West Loop, I highly recommend you do! I also dyed my hair, which was something I'd wanted to do for a LONG time. I include that as "self-care".
One thing I'm focusing on more is washing my face immediately after I sweat. It's something I always brush off and say "oh I'll wait until I get home" even though my skin stays clearer and brighter if I wash off the sweat right away. I use FRÉ Skincare, and I love it. It's really helped keep my skin clear with all of my marathon training and indoor cycling. If you'd like to give their three step system a shot, I have a code for that! BACKBRIT gets you 25% off through August 31! Anytime after August 31, use Code BRIT for 15% off. (I'm an ambassador for FRÉ and I wouldn't be one if I didn't love their products! Plus, for every set sold they plant an argan tree with the High Atlas Foundation!)
4. Fuel properly
I personally will be participating in Sober September in addition to trying out the Skinny Souping Soup Swap. It's easy over the summer to just kinda eat goldfish crackers and gummy worms for breakfast (not that I do that...) and fall is a good time to focus on eating actual food. Like eggs and bacon or cereal/oatmeal for breakfast instead. I'm refocusing on meal prepping as we near September, so that I stop going to Al's Italian Beef and eating Nacho Burgers for lunch, because unfortunately you can't survive on a diet of 80% liquid cheese. Turns out that your stomach won't like that (again, not that I know...) I'm focusing on more lean meats, veggies and fruits this fall, including pumpkin! Preparing your fuel ahead of time can help you establish a routine and save money, as you'll be avoiding eating out! You don't need a fancy system to do it. I use $5 ziplock reusable food storage containers that I found on Amazon.
5. Replace old clothing
This one can be costly, but with the help of Poshmark and Tradesy, you can do it frugally as well! I purchase all of my denim and a good chunk of my Lululemon through Poshmark, because I'm broke. I highly recommend going through your old fall clothing and donating the things you aren't into anymore to a local shelter (The Salvation Army and Center on Halsted are good places in Chicago!) Another way I refresh my fitness wardrobe is by subscribing to Avenue A by Adidas. It sends a box of around $300 worth of clothing to you every quarter/season. You can peek at this fall's box on their site shortly!
Those are five ways I refresh my life every fall! Do you have any tips or tricks to share?
--B