Seasonal Living Protected Me From Burnout & FOMO - Here's Why
You're excited for spring, but the moment it arrives, you're already looking forward to summer. And when summer's here, you're thinking about cozy autumn vibes and winter skiing. Does that sound familiar?
You're always chasing the next season, and at the same time, you feel like you've missed out on the last one.
I've been there. And it's a game you can't win… unless you change the way you play it. Because when I learned about seasonal living - it changed the whole game.
The Problem With Modern Productivity
In nature, everything flows in cycles.
The plants follow the seasons rhythm. The animals start their little families in spring and rest in winter. The days get shorter and darker in the winter months and longer and sunnier (mostly) in the summer months.
We have daily fluctuations, but overall, it's always a cycle.
And nature just figured it out. When we don't interfere, it works.
So what if we took nature as our teacher? Instead of pushing against the rhythm of the seasons, what if we embraced the natural shifts and worked with them instead against them?
Our modern lifestyle dictates us to always up our productivity game. At a point, we defined being busy as being successful.
But at the same time, we experience an epidemy of seasonal depression and burnout. And it does not only affect the "older" generation, but everyone! People in their 20s and 30s.
What Nature Can Teach Us
Think about autumn and winter.
When nature slows down, animals instinctively prepare for rest and hibernation. Everything winds down - so why don't we?
Winter is designed for rest. But when we force ourselves to stay in high-productivity mode like in summer, we burn out. No wonder seasonal depression is on the rise.
I know, having a job, a family, obligations you can't cancel - it can be difficult. But control what you can control.
Instead of waking up at 5 am and doing an exhausting exercise session, get up a bit later and snuggle up with your favourite book and a hot drink.
Instead of binge-watching netflix in the evening, take a hot bath.
Instead of grabbing the phone whenever you have a quick breather, use this time intentionally (Btw, I've covered everything about how to quit doomscrolling in this blogpost and even put together a 7-day doomscrolling detox challenge for free).
There are ways - you just have to find them.
So if you're experiencing the same and are tired of feeling drained, overwhelmed, or stuck in an endless productivity loop, maybe it's time to finally live in sync with nature.
And this is how:
Image courtesy to Anastasia Lysiak.
The 4 Season Energy Shift Explained
Autumn is the season to slow down, reset and prepare yourself for the resting season. You can for example reset your indoor space to make it really cozy.
Winter is here to rest and recharge. It's the season indoor season. It's inward-focused. Most importantly, don't feel guilty about the fact that you need rest. Embrace it. Make the most of it. Also, this is the perfect time to reflect on the past year. Don't wait for the new year. This gives a feeling of pressure and rush. Use the whole winter to process, journal out, and reflect.
Spring is where the winter reflections come to life. It's an exciting season for new beginnings, new energy. If not done yet, it's the perfect moment to make that vision board based on your reflection and visionary journaling sessions over the winter.
Summer is when everything is living and thriving. It's the time for action, adventure, gatherings outdoors. You've set your new routines during spring and are living with your full energy capacity - because you're rested!
Now, pause for a second and think: have you ever noticed how your energy shifts with the seasons? What would happen if you actually listened to that shift instead of fighting it?
The Benefits of Seasonal Living
So with this overview at hand, lets summarize all the wonderful benefits seasonal living has in store for you:
No FOMO anymore, because you live each season intentionally. Do what works best at the right time.
Your feel that your life is in perfect balance. Every season has its focus, and the whole cycle perfectly balances it out. You got a more extroverted and action-packed summer when your energy is high, and more reflective and inward-focused colder months.
Your working against burnout. With resetting your space and mind during the slower seasons, you won't crash in the winter blues. Instead, you embrace the need of rest in winter and your stress levels can decrease. All in all, you finally feel like you live in a flowing state.
If you ever wanted to incorporate mindfulness into your life, you've just done it - completely naturally.
Final Thoughts
And here you have it. Your seasonal spring guide is coming next, so make sure to check it out.
I'd love to hear from you - do you plan to incorporate seasonal living? What's one small shift you can make to start living more in sync with the seasons? Let's chat in the comments.