The September Shift
It is hard to believe that September is here, but I truly love this shoulder season. I love the cooler mornings, the slower pace, and wind down of harvest season. In nature, we notice this subtle change, but our bodies experience that transition, too.
We often think of health as something separate from our environment, but our physiology is constantly responding to changes in light, temperature, activity, food, sleep, and stress. The transition into fall is a good opportunity to pay attention to those changes and make a few adjustments. We don’t need a “reset” or a “detox”, but our body needs tend to shift with the seasons, asking for different support than it did a few months ago.
Start With Your Circadian Rhythm
One of the most noticeable changes as we move into fall is the changing light.
Our circadian rhythm is closely tied to our exposure to light and darkness. Morning light helps signal to the brain that the day has begun, while decreasing light in the evening helps prepare the body for sleep. These signals influence much more than when we feel tired. Circadian rhythms play a role in sleep, hormone signaling, metabolism, mood, and immune function.
As the days become shorter, it can be easy to spend less time outside and more time surrounded by artificial light. For some people, this seasonal shift can contribute to changes in energy, sleep, or mood.
I mention this daily habit all the time, but that is because it is so important! Getting outside in the morning is one of the simplest ways to reinforce that daytime signal in our brains. It doesn’t need to be a formal walk or workout. Even a few minutes outdoors is enough to signal the rise of cortisol in our body, blunting any remaining melatonin.
In the evening, allowing the environment to become gradually darker can provide the opposite signal. Dimming the lights and reducing bright screens before bed gives the nervous system a clearer transition from daytime activity into rest. Last year I switched over to Philips Hue light bulbs, and they have been one of my favorite things! In the evenings, I often use the “cozy” feature to cast a warm light, dimming as the evening progresses.
These are small changes, but they work with our biology rather than against it.
Support Your Immune System Before You Need It
Fall also marks the beginning of the time of year when respiratory infections become more common. Children return to school, people spend more time indoors, and we have more opportunities to share germs with one another.
This is often when conversations about “boosting” the immune system begin. But I prefer to think about immune health a little differently.
The immune system is complex, and it requires adequate energy, protein, micronutrients, sleep, and recovery to function appropriately. Chronic stress and inadequate sleep can also influence immune regulation.
That doesn’t mean we can prevent every cold by eating perfectly or taking the right supplement. We can’t. Getting sick is a normal part of being human, and exposure to viruses is an important part of supporting the immune system.
What we can do is make sure the body has the resources it needs to respond.
If you tend to get sick frequently, experience unusually prolonged illnesses, or feel like you never fully recover between illnesses, that is worth paying attention to. Rather than automatically reaching for another immune-support supplement, it may be useful to look at the bigger picture and consider whether there are underlying factors contributing to that pattern.
Take Another Look at Vitamin D
As a naturopathic doctor practicing in New England, vitamin D is something I think about more as we move toward winter.
Vitamin D is produced in the skin in response to UVB exposure, and our ability to produce it from sunlight decreases as we move farther into the darker months of the year. Time spent outdoors, clothing, sunscreen use, skin pigmentation, age, and other factors can all influence vitamin D status.
Vitamin D is important for bone health and plays a role in immune function and other physiologic processes, but more is not necessarily better. Supplementation should be individualized rather than approached as a universal recommendation.
Unfortunately vitamin D testing isn’t considered “routine”, but I consider it an important piece of preventative medicine. Testing vitamin D levels can be useful in determining whether supplementation is appropriate and whether the amount being taken is actually meeting their needs.
Fall can be a good time to have that conversation and run those labs before we get deep into winter.
Give Your Digestion Some Consistency
Our digestive systems often experience the changing seasons right along with the rest of us.
Summer can bring travel, restaurant meals, irregular schedules, more social events, and changes in the types of foods we are eating. When September arrives, many of us naturally return to more predictable routines.
That consistency can be helpful for digestion.
Regular meals, adequate hydration, and sufficient dietary fiber support healthy gastrointestinal function. Fall also happens to offer an abundance of foods that provide fiber and a wide variety of nutrients, including apples, pears, winter squash, root vegetables, beans, whole grains, and leafy greens.
There is also something satisfying about transitioning back to warm, cooked meals as the weather cools. Soups, stews, roasted vegetables, oatmeal, and other simple meals can make it easier to build nourishing foods into everyday life.
For me, this time of year marks a return to soup season. Later this week, I will share some of my favorite soups that are both comforting and utilize our summer vegetables.
Don’t Forget About Movement
Summer often gives us movement without requiring us to think about exercise. We walk more. We spend time outside. We garden, swim, hike, travel, and generally spend less time sitting at a desk or in a car.
When fall arrives, some of that incidental movement can disappear. Regular physical activity supports cardiovascular health, metabolic health, bone health, mood, sleep, and overall resilience. But there is no single form of exercise that everyone needs to be doing.
The most beneficial movement is often the movement you can do consistently and that your body actually responds well to. Fall can be a wonderful time to return to strength training, walking, running, yoga, hiking, or whatever form of movement feels sustainable for you. And as long as the weather allows, there is still plenty of opportunity to take that movement outdoors.
Pay Attention to the Symptoms You May Have Normalized
Perhaps the most important part of a seasonal reset is simply checking in with yourself.
How has your energy been? How are you sleeping? Is your digestion working the way it should? Have you noticed changes in your menstrual cycle? Are you recovering well from exercise? Have you been getting sick more often?
We can become remarkably good at adapting to symptoms. A little fatigue becomes normal. So does bloating after meals, waking throughout the night, needing caffeine to get through the afternoon, or feeling depleted by the end of every day.
But “common” doesn’t necessarily mean “normal.”
The changing of seasons can provide a natural opportunity to step back and notice what your body has been communicating. Sometimes the answer is a simple adjustment to sleep, nutrition, movement, or stress. Other times, persistent symptoms may warrant a deeper evaluation.
This is where individualized care can be particularly valuable. Rather than treating each symptom as an isolated problem, we can look at the patterns and consider what might be contributing to the way you are feeling.
A September Shift Doesn’t Have to Mean Starting Over
I don’t think we need to “fix” ourselves every September. Your body doesn’t need to be cleansed because summer happened. It doesn’t need a restrictive diet or a complicated supplement protocol simply because the calendar changed.
Instead, fall can be an opportunity to return to the foundations of health and recognize that our needs change throughout the year.
As the light changes, our sleep patterns may need attention. As we spend more time indoors, immune health becomes more relevant. As we move toward winter, vitamin D may deserve consideration. As our schedules become fuller, stress and recovery become increasingly important.
The goal is to notice these seasonal changes in our environment, and adapt to it. It requires paying attention, making thoughtful adjustments, and recognizing when something deserves a closer look.
Sometimes the best “reset” isn’t doing more. It’s returning to the things that help your body function well in the first place.
About the Author
Dr. Hannah is a naturopathic doctor providing whole body adjunctive healthcare to families in Maine. She believes every patient has their own unique health journey, which influences her personalized treatment approach. She has a passion for helping women, mothers and families heal and thrive, all while uncovering the root cause of whatever ails them. Her goal is to empower and guide her patients on the path towards healing the mind, body and soul through natural methods of healing. Dr. Hannah sees patients locally in both Brewer, Maine and Portland, Maine. Through telehealth, she is happy to serve the people of Lewiston, Ellsworth, and all the towns in between!
Disclaimer
The information provided on or through this website is for educational and informational purposes only. This information is not a substitution for proper and personalized medical diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or trusted healthcare provider before making an adjustments or changes to your healthcare regimen. Natural medicine is not inherently harmless, and therefore it is important to speak with your healthcare providers for personalized medical advice.