September Awaits....

As August Comes to an End… A New Season, A New Rhythm

There is something about the end of August that always feels a little bit like a deep breath.

Summer isn’t quite over, but we can feel it changing.

The evenings are beginning to draw in, the light has a different quality, the mornings feel a little cooler and September is sitting there waiting for us.

And for many of us, September feels like a second New Year.

New routines. New timetables. School starts again. Holidays finish. Work becomes busier. Diaries fill up. We start thinking about what we want to change, what we haven’t achieved and what we should be doing.

But perhaps we don’t need another list of things to fix.

Perhaps September can be about noticing what we need.

Mental health is still very much on the agenda

There have been some significant developments in mental health services in England this summer.

The NHS has announced plans for up to 159 new mental health facilities across England, with a focus on bringing support closer to people’s communities and helping people earlier, rather than waiting until they reach crisis point. (gov.uk⁠)

At the same time, demand remains incredibly high. June figures showed more than half a million new referrals to mental health services in England in that month alone, while the number of open referrals has continued to rise. (gov.uk⁠)

And there has been growing concern around access to ADHD and autism services too, with official figures showing a substantial increase in complaints about assessment and support. (theguardian.com⁠)

So there is progress, but there is also a very clear message:

People need support earlier.

And I think that applies whether you’re accessing professional support or simply trying to look after yourself.

We don’t have to wait until we’re completely overwhelmed before we pay attention to how we’re doing.

The September effect

I actually quite like September. There is something psychologically reassuring about a change of season.

We naturally start thinking about routines again. Sleep becomes a little more predictable. We return to work or school. We see people we haven’t seen for a while. We start making plans.

There is a sense of starting again. But I’d encourage you to think about September as a reset rather than a reinvention. You don’t need a completely new you. You probably just need to reconnect with the parts of your life that make you feel like yourself. Perhaps that’s getting back into a regular sleep routine. Perhaps it’s seeing friends more often. Perhaps it’s getting outside. Perhaps it’s putting some boundaries back around your work. Perhaps it’s finally making that appointment you’ve been putting off. Or perhaps it’s simply admitting that you’ve been finding things harder than you’d like.

And then there is the light…We often talk about seasonal affective disorder as though feeling affected by the seasons only happens in winter. It isn’t quite that simple.

Our mood, energy, sleep and routines can all be influenced by changes in daylight and our environment. Seasonal affective disorder is a recognised form of depression, and the NHS recommends things such as getting natural daylight, exercising, maintaining social contact and keeping regular sleep patterns as part of managing symptoms. (nhs.uk⁠) That doesn’t mean that feeling a little flat in September automatically means you have SAD. Sometimes you’re simply tired. Sometimes you’ve had a very full summer. Sometimes the transition from long, light evenings to darker ones reminds us that life is moving on. And sometimes change is just… uncomfortable.

You don’t have to rush the transition ….I think we’re very quick to put pressure on ourselves. Right. September. Time to get organised. Time to get back on track. Time to sort myself out. But what if you didn’t?

What if you allowed yourself a gradual transition?

Notice your sleep.

Notice your mood.

Notice how much you’re doing.

Notice what you’re looking forward to — and what you’re dreading.

Notice which relationships leave you feeling energised and which ones leave you depleted.

Notice where you’re saying yes when you really mean no.

These small observations can tell us an enormous amount about how we’re doing.

A little September challenge

As August comes to an end, rather than writing a huge list of things you want to change, ask yourself three questions:

What do I want to keep from this summer?

What am I ready to let go of?

What do I need more of this autumn?

Not what should I do. Not what would make me more productive. Not what would make me look like I’ve got everything together. What do I actually need? Because good mental health isn’t about feeling happy all the time. It’s about being able to notice ourselves, understand ourselves and respond to what we need. So as we wave goodbye to August, perhaps September doesn’t need to be a dramatic new beginning. Maybe it’s simply an opportunity to slow down, reset our rhythm and start listening to ourselves again. And if you’re struggling as the seasons change, don’t wait until things become unbearable before reaching out.

You don’t have to be in crisis to deserve support.

Sometimes asking for help is the healthiest part of starting again.