Autumn is finally here! We're feeling the autumn chill and the leaves are starting to turn up here in central NY. We're also nearing the end of our 30 day Fall Into Wellness Challenge on Instagram and Facebook!

All of which got me thinking about reflection; one of our one of the Fall into Wellness journal prompts. With October being the start of the last quarter of the year it's a BIG prompt for reflection. As the wheel of the year turns toward the end of year we start to prep for the holidays and bam! a new year is upon on. Before we jump in, let's dive deep into reflection as the days get shorter and the nights longer.

Gang, I'm so excited!!
Next week, I'm kicking off my first ever online challenge; Fall Into Wellness.

As autumn draws near I'm excited for the slow moments the chill in the air brings. Summer time is very go go go in my household. Autumn brings a sense of slowness and preparation for the cold months ahead.

​Of course, this got me thinking how we can take that idea of slowness and really find ourselves present in that moment. I know I have referenced before that our society's norm is to embrace the "busy", but what if we relished in the slowness? What if that first sip of coffee or tea was slow and you really experienced the flavor before gulping it down and running out of the house?

Mercury is still in retrograde until this Sunday, the 19th, and I've been encountering some communication issues as well as being asked to sign some sketchy contracts at the day job! Any one else feel the effects of our communication planet being a little wonky? (totally a technical term-lol)

I'm always reminded during this time the importance of self-care. As someone who runs a business and works a full time job--while also trying to maintain a social life--I'm a pretty busy person. Mercury Retrograde also reminds me that I need time to step back and reflect. I'm also reminded that I need to schedule that time so I don't overbook myself and feel myself burn out. I'm assuming I'm not alone here? 

So let's talk self-care... 

​I know I preach on and on about the importance, but it is something I truly believe we need to spend more time thinking about. We are busy people in a time that promotes being busy as doing well. However if we are always "busy", when do we have time to check in and see if we are actually enjoying this thing called life? When do we have time to reflect on our choices and even our busy-ness? How do we know if we actually enjoy the "busy" if we do not schedule time to notice?

​Do you journal?

When I was younger I wrote in my diary every night before bed. As I got older I stopped writing because I was "busy". Anyone else?

I'm super excited to have reconnected with this practice. I always find journalling a calming experience and helps me to focus my mind on the "good stuff".
 
So let's take a peak at my daily journal...

Of course, I always include the date (Month, Day, Year), but I also like to add in the moon phase and the weather. Looking back at old journals, I notice that the weather and the moon phase can affect my mood as well as what I write about! If it's a rainy, dreary day I might spend some more time "finding the good"--more on that later! (Ladies, I also include my cycle since it tends to ALSO affect my mood.)