25 Little Ways to Reset Yourself for Fall

Let this be the season of rest and recovery.

After all those autumns of new notebooks and new responsibilities, cooler air and a clean slate, we still tend to see the season as the start of something. Now the focus is less on buying a bangin’ backpack and more on creating systems that make life feel manageable as it gets busy again. To set you off on the right foot, we scoured studies and asked experts for the little things you can do right now to get it together and feel ready for fall, y’all.

Find More Time in Nature

Raise your hand if you ever experience “time scarcity”—the official term for feeling like the minutes are flying by and there are never enough hours in the day. Take it outside! A new study from the University of Turku in Finland found that, in some cases, time may feel different depending on our surroundings. When we’re in nature , it can stretch longer, and we’re also better able to jump between thoughts about the past, present, and future, giving us a more well-rounded perspective on the passing of time. So while you can’t technically find more than 24 hours in a day, walking in the woods can at least make your day feel a little longer.

Take a Ferris Bueller–Style Day Off

Planning a week off from work requires a lot of, um, work. (Managing projects at the office! Researching your trip! Booking everything!) The good news: Even a single day off can help reduce burnout, increase feelings of gratitude, and possibly prevent a mental health crisis, like a depressive episode or panic attack, according to Angela Theisen, a therapist with the Mayo Clinic in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. What to do with your one wild and precious personal day ? Anything you want! Do some shopping. Take a hike. Go to a concert. (Keep reading for more on all three of those suggestions.)

Make a New Friend

Connecting with strangers as a grown-up is one of the most awkward experiences our species can endure. Anna Goldfarb, author of the new book Modern Friendship: How to Nurture Our Most Valued Connections, has a suggestion: “Start by asking a potential new friend what they’re into these days. If there’s overlap with your interests, that’s a natural connection point.” And when you invite them to hang out, explain why you want to. (“We should get lunch” falls flat, Goldfarb says, because the person may wonder whether you really mean it.) If you both love knocking on doors during election season, you could ask, “Would you ever want to meet up and canvass together? We could be better as a team!” Then see how it goes!

Swap Out One Little Home Decor Item

Where’s that magic wand to make our homes look like the ones on our Pinterest boards? Interior designers say you only have to change one thing for a quick vibe shift. They recommend replacing:

“A large area rug for a bedroom or living room. Green is definitely trending, so try jade, chartreuse, or olive.”
— Dabito, designer and author of Old Brand New

“Kitchen cabinet hardware. It makes things feel totally different. I’d update to un-lacquered brass or polished nickel.”
— Emily Henderson, designer and winner of HGTV Design Star

“A faucet for the kitchen or bathroom. You can get an inexpensive brass one. No plumbing work required.”
— Breegan Jane, designer and HGTV host

Bail on That Book You’re Not Feeling

"When you don’t love a book, reading can feel like homework," says Shannon Reed, author of Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries and Just One More Page Before Lights Out. " There are so many great books out there that you have to be picky!” she says, adding that it’s totally fine to put something on the DNF (did not finish) list. “If you feel guilty, you can tuck it into your bookshelf to be rediscovered in a few years when it may be a better fit for you.”

Simplify Your Skin Care Routine

“You can get what you need with three essential items: a cleanser, a day product, and a night product,” says Noëlle S. Sherber, MD, clinical associate professor of dermatology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. “For daytime, think defense. For nighttime, think repair.” In the morning, use a cleanser, then a moisturizer with SPF. At bedtime, cleanse again and follow with a product to treat specific issues while you sleep.

See Your Friends More Often

More than half (61%!) of the people in a 2023 Pew Research Center survey said that having friends is important to leading a fulfilling life—more than having a spouse, kids, or lots of money. Still, it can be hard to fit dinners or even happy hours into our busy schedules. Your solve? Make the friendship more convenient, says Sheila Liming, PhD, author of Hanging Out: The Radical Power of Killing Time. “If I’m in my friend’s neighborhood, I’ll text to ask if she wants to meet for lunch, if I can drop by her place for a quick cup of tea, or if she wants to run an errand together. It’s as simple as: ‘Hey! I’m heading to your area to grab plants at the nursery. Want to join? I can pick you up on the way.’ Maintaining friendships is often simply a matter of showing up.”

Become a Smarter Snacker

American adults eat what amounts to an entire extra meal in snacks every day, according to a new study from The Ohio State University . These nibbles tend to lack the good stuff you’d want from a meal (protein! fiber!) and are often high in other stuff (sugar! fat! carbohydrates!). The researchers from the study recommend planning your midmorning and midafternoon snacks the same way you plan meals—with intention and care and lots of good nutrients—so you’re not left hungry and reaching for processed convenience foods.

Politely Protect Your Bandwidth

Your coworker asks you to cover his call with the China office at 8 p.m. Your neighbor pressures you to host the next book club. You’d love to...if the timing were better. To say no gracefully, respond to the asker directly, says etiquette expert Elaine Swann, founder of the Swann School of Protocol. Reply to them individually or circle back solo after a meeting, she suggests. Be clear and truthful. Start with “I apologize,” then give a reason, which softens the blow, such as “I have another project I’m working on” or “I have obligations at home.” If it’s something you would do in the future, bow out with what Swann calls a “Next time!” to show you’d be happy to help when you can. As long as you’re not consistently saying no or neglecting legit responsibilities, it shouldn’t affect how you’re viewed by anyone.

Crank Up Your Retirement Account

Increasing your 401(k) contribution by 1% likely won’t feel noticeable in your day-to-day life. In the long run, though, it’ll be a huge boost. Keep the increase going for 10 years and you should end up with about double your money. The math: On a $100,000 salary with a 5% contribution (and a yearly standard-of-living raise), you’ll have $57,000 saved in 10 years. Up that by 1% a year, and in a decade you’ll have $111,000. Just know your annual contribution maximum, says Ann Garcia, a certified financial planner and the author of How to Pay for College . (If you’re under 50, that’s $23,000; $30,500 if you’re over.) While you’re doing that, Garcia says to update your beneficiaries if necessary.

Reprogram Your Thermostat

The U.S. Department of Energy recommends keeping your thermostat no higher than 70°F in the winter, and turning it down by 7°F to 10°F for eight hours a day. Do so at night (the National Sleep Foundation says an optimal snoozing temp is between 60°F and 67°F) or when you’re at work. And don’t believe the myth that your furnace has to work harder to heat back up. According to the DOE, you can save 10% on your heating bill this way.

Let Yourself Sleep

The common wisdom—and maybe a point of imagined superiority for those who leap out of bed at the first sound of their alarm—is that hitting snooze and nodding off , especially more than once, makes you groggy. According to new research from Stockholm University, people who went back to sleep after their alarm went off, and even hit snooze up to three times, didn’t have any worse outcomes in terms of morning tiredness, metabolism-related cortisol levels, or mood. The point: Snooze away!

Cry If You Want To

It’s good for us, says Pepita Sandwich, author of the new book The Art of Crying . “When we cry, especially during times of intense emotions, such as sadness, grief, stress, or even extreme happiness, it acts as a release valve,” she explains. These tears—as opposed to the kind we shed when we get dust in our eyes—have been found to contain higher levels of stress hormones, like leu-enkephalin. Flushing out these hormones may help regulate the body by releasing oxytocin and endorphins, which help reduce physical and emotional pain. So if you feel the waterworks coming on, let them.

Try the "5 Things Tidying Method"

Developed by licensed professional counselor KC Davis, this approach calls for focusing on five categories—trash, laundry, dishes, stuff that has a place, and stuff that doesn’t—and nothing else. Try the " 5 Things Tidying Method " for yourself.

Go to More Concerts

Neuroscientists at the University of Zurich took MRIs of people while they listened to the same song live and recorded. The live performance triggered a stronger emotional response in the amygdala than the song played from a device. The experience of connection, either with the performers or fellow listeners, may have something to do with it. Go see a local cover band, an orchestra, or Taylor Swift (if you can get your hands on some affordable tickets).

Romanticize Your Handwashing Routine

We all know that, to prevent illness, we should regularly scrub off germs—vigorously, with soap, for 20 seconds. Still, handwashing rates have dropped by 30% over the last three years, returning to pre-pandemic levels, according to one 2023 survey. To get your numbers (and microbe-protection) back up, try a soap with a scent you love—floral, woodsy, citrusy, or herbal—and make scrubbing feel like a self-care moment.

Toughen Up Your Online Security

Digital scams are on the rise, with Americans losing more than $10 billion to fraud last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Think of how you protect yourself in the physical world, like locking your house and car, says Hazem Said, PhD, a professor at the University of Cincinnati’s School of Information Technology. “You need to be just as cautious in the digital world,” he says. Two things you can do right now:

Update Your Passwords

Doing so is essential, not only for anything that unlocks sensitive information, like banking and government accounts, but also for your email, social, and shopping accounts. “Choose a unique password for each that’s a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters," Said says. A password manager, like LastPass, can help you keep them all straight, as well as generate hard-to-guess passwords for you.

Turn on Multi-Factor Authentication

Log into your email and any banking accounts you have and opt in on multi-factor authentication. This is like a double lock—to access the account, you need a security code that’s sent to your phone or email, in addition to your password.

Be a Calm(er) Party Host

Stress is the killer of joy, says New York City–based celebrity wedding planner and designer Jove Meyer. His biggest tips for people who want to entertain but find it daunting: Start early and outsource. Do the parts of hosting you like and delegate the rest. “If you love to cook, focus on that, and pick up a bouquet of flowers, serve on mismatched or compostable dishes, and put someone else in charge of the music,” he says. Once you’ve decided what parts you’re going to handle, do as much as possible in advance. Then take deep breaths, smile, and enjoy—because
no one’s judging you on your performance. As Meyer likes to say, “This is not a White House state dinner!”

Buy a Jar (or Three) of Local Honey

You’ve heard the buzz that pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, are in trouble and, as a result, so is our food supply . You can help in an easy, delightful way: Buy local honey at your farmers market or grocery store. According to The Bee Conservancy, your purchase helps beekeepers afford to grow their hives, protecting more endangered bees and leading to more bees pollinating more plants, which benefits all local wildlife. Plus, you can hold a little taste test. See if you can pick up on the subtle flavor differences between honey from bees that collected pollen from lavender vs. sage vs. orange blossoms.

Write a Thank-You Note

Bust out that stationery! According to University of Pennsylvania research, when people wrote and personally delivered thank-you notes, they immediately reported an increase in happiness—and it lasted for a month! While we often focus on what’s wrong, writing a thank-you note feels so great because it helps us focus on what’s right. “It’s basking in someone’s generosity toward you,” says Gina Hamadey Bergman, author of I Want to Thank You: How a Year of Gratitude Can Bring Joy and Meaning in a Disconnected World. Think beyond the obvious recipients, she advises. Write one to your kid’s school custodian, or your dry cleaner, or your best friend’s dad.“ I wrote to the chef of a restaurant I used to love that had closed,” she says. “She wrote the most beautiful reply.”

Pick Up a Few Key Pieces in Your Closet

Most of us aren’t trying to replace our entire wardrobes with whatever is trending this season . That said, we don’t want to look like relics either. Just shop for a few things, says fashion pro Stephanie Tricola.

Barrel-Leg Jeans

They’re shaped (you guessed it) like a barrel: tight on the top and bottom and flared out in between. They’re on-trend but also comfortable. Levi’s has a few pairs Tricola likes.

Ballet Flats

Yay! We couldn’t be happier about the return of ballet flats. Wear ’em with dress pants or jeans for max comfort. Checkout Camper, Dolce Vita, and Madewell for lots of great and colorful options.

A Crossbody Bag

Downsize to a mini crossbody bag that basically just fits your phone and a lipstick,” Tricola says. Anthropologie has some inexpensive ones. Lighten your load and look cute doing it!

Get More Protein at Breakfast

Thanks to the steak and burgers of it all, many people eat as much as three times more protein at dinner than at breakfast. But some research shows you build more muscle when you distribute protein evenly throughout each meal, and protein in the morning can help you feel full until lunch. To get that a.m. boost, try two eggs with cheddar cheese and a piece of sprouted-grain toast smeared with peanut butter (33 grams), or Greek yogurt with pumpkin seeds (28 grams).

Be a Good Citizen of the World

On a deeper note: Between the crises in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, and other places around the globe (not to mention extreme weather events, rollbacks of human rights, and mass shootings), it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and hopeless, says Michael Z. Cahana, senior rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in Portland, Oregon, who served as a copetitioner of a local ballot measure for gun safety legislation. “My mother was a survivor of Auschwitz. I grew up knowing that even in the darkest places, the human heart can find light and hope when we come together.” His suggestion: Do what you can. “Feed a hungry person, volunteer at a shelter, speak up for voting rights. You might not influence events on the other side of the planet, but you can help someone in your community, and that makes a difference.”

Stop Ranting and Raving

It feels so good to vent about your colleague or the person who cut you off in traffic, or to go for a really hard run after a fight with your partner. Don’t. Because you’re not actually “blowing off steam.” According to researchers at The Ohio State University, venting and running don’t lower your physiological arousal level. In fact, they increase it! Unfortunately for those who prefer to smash it out in a rage room, the proven ways to relax are through deep breathing, meditation, slow-flow yoga, or simply stepping away from the drama.

Start Prepping for Next Summer’s Vacation

It’s never too early! Do you hope to re-create this year’s beach day with friends, white water rafting trip, or grown-up tennis camp? Was there something you wish you’d done? Make your goals for 2025 and start saving, Garcia says. Set a dollar amount to automatically transfer into a high-yield savings account every month. “Given the short-term nature of the goal, you don’t want to put the money at risk, and with the current interest rates starting at around 4%, the earnings can add up.” Come spring, book away.

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