In August I started a new freelance contract. I went from spending much of my day outside to being sat in front of my laptop in my home office. I’ve had to get into a new routine and that’s taken some getting used to.
Studies have shown that it takes 66 days to form a new habit. The first 22 days you are fighting against what was and what you are trying to bring in. The middle 22 days you find balance. By the end of the final 22 days the new habit has become the norm. I now find I am at that stage.
Getting outside is still a priority for me each day – come rain or come shine. A fast paced walk up the hill at lunchtime to admire the view or a quick lap around the fields at the back of the village if I can only spare half an hour between meetings.
I’m acutely aware of the changing seasons – the darker evenings (even more so with the clocks going back) and the need for my wellies after downpours leave the footpaths muddy.
Autumn is a season for change. I always used to see it as a sad season, where the leaves fell and the ground looked bare. But I now see it as a beginning. This is the time Mother Earth starts to ready herself for what is coming next, nourishing herself ready to flourish once more.
And maybe we can all learn something from that. Taking a moment or two to pause. To ready ourselves for what lies ahead.
The Eco Monkey 