Let go

What’s your favourite season? According to survey results I uncovered this week, it seems as though Fall is the most popular, with 41% of Americans saying it’s their favourite season. Summer and Spring tied for second and poor Winter only scored 11%.

Maybe it’s the pumpkin spice lattes, the changing of the leaves, or perhaps it’s the return of ritual after summer’s chaos. Personally, I think it’s something to do with the fact that we’re drawn to a feeling of release with this time of year.

Whether you call it Fall or Autumn, it’s the natural delivery of an important emotional regulation. The cooling air, the shortening days, the changing trees….all of it encourages us to let go.

But it’s more than physical. It’s also psychological, even if we’re not necessarily aware of it. Here’s what I notice.

1. We get permission to slow down. Summer is busy, bright, and social. Fall invites us to retreat or look a little inward. It feels like a natural exhale and our brains enjoy this rhythmic contrast from bright to mellow. And there is some research that shows that when we look at autumn scenes, it can actually lower our cortisol and boost feelings of renewal.

2. Cycles, not endings. It’s important to remember that falling leaves don’t signal that the tree is dying. Instead, they fall so that the tree can prepare to live longer. The letting go is the renewal and the energy that once fed the leaves is now redeployed to strengthen the roots. This metaphor alone packs a powerful punch for me!

3. It helps us reflect. Autumn’s nostalgia feels somewhat bittersweet. There’s memory in the air, perhaps even a feeling that something that mattered is coming to an end. In psychology, it’s called “anticipatory nostalgia”. It’s the feeling we get when something is ending, even as it’s still there. Think that last song at your best friend’s wedding where you know you don’t want the night to be over. And yet, in that gentle sadness, we reconnect to gratitude. A perfect opportunity to appreciate what has come.

4. It balances beauty and decay. The world at its most colorful is also on the brink of stillness. Fall teaches us that beauty and loss can coexist. It’s quite poetic to know that it’s possible to be both fading and radiant at the same time.

5. It celebrates reduction. Perhaps this is most poignant for our busy lives….but when the trees strip back, they’re focusing. They’re accepting that they don’t need all of “this” to survive. This is perhaps the lesson most of us forget. Often, real growth comes not from adding more, but by subtracting.

“Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (author of “The Little Prince”)

The power of reduction.

Modern culture idolizes accumulation: more work, more apps, more sh*t we don’t need. But resilience isn’t built by trying to stuff more in. Rather, it’s strengthened by making space. We grow by releasing what no longer serves us.

We can forget about doing more and perhaps start thinking about clearing room for what matters most.

Letting go sounds passive, but the irony is that it’s an active skill. It takes a lot of effort to shed with courage, clarity, and consistency. Because the alternative is to cling. And we all do it - we cling to our identities, routines, resentments, habits, some of which might have once protected us, but now they weigh us down. When we shed, we make ourselves lighter, sharper, freer to grow again when spring returns.

Here’s a toolkit to help us reduce for growth:

1. Make like a tree. I’m borrowing briefly from the line in Back to The Future here, but all jokes aside… imagine for a sec that we were a tree. Which leaves are vibrant and alive, and which are ready to drop? This is about discerning what gives us energy vs what drains it. And then we choose one draining task, commitment, or mental loop to release this month. Let that leaf fall.

2. The 80/20 rule. Our systems can run at 100%, but that requires plenty of replenishment. We don’t often get that in today’s world, so the opportunity lies in the 80/20 rule. What is the 20% that will deliver the most return? Identifying what works allows us to double down and even overinvest in the truly essential.

3. Don’t forget about gratitude. Before we let something go, it’s beneficial to thank it. It might be a challenging project, a complex relationship or even an expectation that was missed. By acknowledging with radical gratitude that something no longer fits, we transform endings into transitions. That mental shift reframes a loss into opportunity.

4. A clean sweep. Physical clutter and mental clutter are related. The space we occupy (perhaps our desk, car, or even the inbox) can quickly get out of control and affect our internal peace of mind. By spending just 15 minutes removing what doesn’t belong externally, we reinforce the belief that we can do the same internally.

The truth is, letting go is not a one-time or once a year act. It should be an ongoing and intentional rhythm. Each season is a reminder that life is full of change, and we can renew and refresh at any time. We just need to shed so we can make space for the new.

So, even if you’re in the southern hemisphere and the seasons are different, we can choose to release what is no longer serving us at any time. Either way, if we step outside and watch a leaf spiral to the ground, we’ll understand that it’s not decay.

It’s part of the journey to something stronger. And that is resilience.

Until next time friends, stay resilient.

Carré @ Resilient Minds
Handle Hard Better.

PS - I am particularly proud of this one so, if it hits the same for you, please consider supporting me by forwarding this on to just one person you know who might benefit.

PPS - if you want to see the favourite season report, here’s the link.