As we move toward the Autumn Equinox, there is a shift in the air. The bright, high-energy expansion of summer slows down, the light changes, and many of us may find ourselves suspended in an uncomfortable middle ground. It’s that familiar, heavy sense of limbo—feeling deeply unsatisfied with where things are today, yet having no clear vision of where to head next.
If you are feeling this seasonal gloom or notice that internal stagnation right now, I want to offer a gentle reminder: you are not failing, and you are not falling behind. Nature never leaps instantly from full bloom to winter rest. It pauses, cools, and slowly releases.
When we transition between seasons, our minds often race ahead. We feel a sudden urge for radical clarity, new plans, and sharp direction. But when those instant answers don't arrive, the intellect can quickly turn inward, turning into self-criticism. We build mental cages out of our own expectations, judging ourselves for feeling stuck or for not having everything figured out. We also have more and more of the year to look back on and reflect about. Maybe some things didn't quite come to fruition as you hoped and maybe some stories ended sooner than anticipated.
But! The logic here is actually quite comforting if we look at what this friction is trying to tell us.
Dissatisfaction is, simply, information. It is a quiet signal that older ways of operating, rigid habits, or outdated expectations have run their course. The feeling of being trapped in limbo usually doesn't mean you are genuinely stuck; it means you are trying to force summer's active, outward energy into a season that is asking you to draw inward. Trying to continue writing a story that has long finished being written.
We are so often our own harshest critics during times of change. But plants do not apologize for letting their leaves drop, nor do they panic when their energy sinks down into the roots to survive the coming cold. Rest and uncertainty are not wasted time; they are the necessary soil for whatever comes next. It is also one of the most necessary forms of rebellion against a system that never sleeps and wants you to be productive all the time.
As day and night balance each other at the Equinox, try to offer yourself that same balance:
- Notice the self-imposed pressure. Pay attention to where you are being hard on yourself today. Ask whether that pressure comes from a genuine need, or just an artificial timeline you've created.
- Release the need to control the outcome. You don't need a ten-step plan for the rest of the year. In times of transition, you only ever need to see the single next step.
- Allow the space to be unresolved. It is completely natural not to know where you are going right now. The seeds we pass through autumn need time in the dark before anything new can grow.
Give yourself permission to slow down, drop the heavy expectations, and simply arrive in the present season as you are.
With love,
Lene
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