Vail represents our annual farewell to summer before the school year begins. It is a cherished family tradition I anticipate each August, serving as a gentle introduction to earlier wake-up calls and busier schedules. The mountain mornings are already crisp enough to warrant a sweater pulled over my pajamas—a comforting preview of the season ahead, a gentle reminder that summer never quite lasts as long as we would like. Although summer has not yet officially concluded, tomorrow my eldest begins first grade, and we are returning to the rhythm of the academic year.
A Different Kind of Reset
Inevitably, establishing fall routines occupies much of my thoughts. Based on conversations with friends and family, I recognize I am not alone in feeling drawn to a September reset—a fresh start with new objectives, traditionally beginning the Tuesday after Labor Day. Despite my professional experience, I still find myself falling into this same reset pattern. This year, I am adopting a different strategy and hope to encourage you to do the same. Let us examine what genuinely changes in your body during this season and which adjustments are truly worthwhile.
Why You Are Suddenly So Tired
Reduced daylight in the morning directly impacts your circadian rhythm—the internal clock that regulates when your body awakens and winds down. As soon as the days begin shortening, these signals shift accordingly. Darker mornings make it more difficult to feel alert, and the temptation to hit snooze becomes stronger. Adding a return to school-year responsibilities, along with losing the evening walks you would typically take during summer, helps explain the low energy many experience in September. Fortunately, not all hope is lost. The four areas below are specifically designed to address this seasonal shift.
Energy: Win the First Hour
Getting outside within the first hour of your day, even for just five to ten minutes, represents one of the simplest methods to support your circadian rhythm. Morning light exposure helps establish the timing of melatonin release later that evening, so the earlier your body receives this signal, the more naturally the rest of the day’s rhythm tends to fall into place. This practice also sets the tone for the entire morning, before work or your children demand your attention. If possible, a walk around the block works wonderfully. On most mornings, you will find me journaling on our front porch while enjoying a bowl of Greek yogurt and grain-free granola.
When possible, combine your morning light exposure with a high-protein, high-fiber breakfast. What you consume during that first hour tends to establish the energy tone for the remainder of the morning. I have written a comprehensive breakdown of what this can look like when you only have a few minutes available.
Sleep: Rebuild Your Rhythm
Maintaining a consistent wake time benefits your sleep more than adhering to a strict bedtime ever could. It serves as the foundation your circadian rhythm uses to regulate everything else. Your body clock resets each morning based on when you wake up and receive light exposure, which explains why wake time often matters more than most people realize. Strive to select one wake-up time and maintain it consistently, including weekends if you can manage it. This approach tends to be more effective than any nighttime routine alone. Additional benefits accrue if you can develop a morning routine you genuinely look forward to. If your evenings prove more challenging to establish, begin with practical adjustments: dim your lamps instead of using harsh overhead lights, take a candlelit shower before bed, and keep your phone charged somewhere other than your bedroom.
Movement: Schedule It Like a Meeting
Fall, like any season, presents an excellent opportunity to reconsider why you move in the first place. Regular physical activity helps regulate stress hormones and supports the steady energy that becomes more challenging to maintain once daylight hours decrease. The concise version: scheduling movement, even for just ten minutes, proves more effective than an ambitious plan you will abandon by October. I schedule my exercise the same way I would schedule a meeting I would not miss, and that commitment is the sole reason it survives an entire week. I have written extensively about what this approach looks like week to week if you would like more specific guidance.
Nourishment: Let Structure Do the Work
Rather than becoming preoccupied with counting macros or pursuing the latest dietary trends, I consistently recommend that my clients approach eating through a straightforward framework: protein combined with fiber-rich carbohydrates and healthy fats.Spacing meals every three to four hours, rather than grazing throughout the day, makes a meaningful difference for hunger levels and energy. Beyond timing considerations, allow the season to assist you. Warm, roasted, or simmered meals tend to feel more satisfying once temperatures drop, which makes maintaining consistency easier without requiring additional effort.
Where should you begin? Select a protein source—either animal or plant-based, such as tofu—and prepare enough to last three to four days. Keep seasonings simple and your cooking method uncomplicated. Air frying works exceptionally well for this purpose. For lunches and dinners, bake a sheet tray of sweet potatoes or delicata squash. Chop and massage a bunch of kale—rich in fiber and magnesium—and store it in the refrigerator, ready to use. These ingredients support both digestion and a calmer stress response.
Begin Where You Are
You do not need to implement all of these habit changes simultaneously, nor do you need to replicate the exact routine you established last September. Select whichever section resonates most strongly with you and begin there—completion matters more than perfection. Establishing a single weekly touchpoint proves helpful as well: spend ten minutes on Sunday reviewing the week ahead, so Wednesday does not catch you unprepared. If everything feels urgent, energy and sleep typically warrant your attention first, since they tend to make other healthy habits easier by default. During that Sunday review, ask yourself one question: what is the smallest change that would make this week feel more manageable? Record one answer, not five, and let that guide your next step.
