Fall Leaf Inspiration: Orange - Embracing the Beauty and Fear of Life's Shifts
A tree with orange leaves in front of a pond and next to a picnic table. There are also orange leaves on the ground with green grass to the right of the image.
Last week we were inspired by the yellow leaves. This week the leaf color orange is the inspiration. Maybe as we look or go outside, we can see a landscape ablaze with brilliant shades of orange. Sugar Maple and Shumard Oak leaves turn pumpkin and copper, glowing warmly against cool autumn skies. Seeing these colors is one of the most stunning visual displays in nature—yet biologically for the tree, it is a marker of transformation and the tree prepares for winter. The tree is letting go of what was, preparing for what is coming, and adapting to a brand-new season.
We often admire the changing leaves or even take time to play in them when they fall. In other words, we may have an easier time adjusting to this change while we resist or struggle with change in our own lives. We are human and change is hard. Whether we are navigating a career shift, retiring from a sport, adjusting to a new school schedule, or moving through a personal loss, life shifts can be challenging or uncomfortable. And yet, nature makes transition look effortless, but for the human brain, change feels challenging.
Learning how to navigate life shifts isn't about rushing to embrace the unknown—it’s about learning how to be gentle with yourself while your system learns to feel safe again.
Why Change Feels So Scary
Have you ever wondered why even positive changes—like moving into a dream home, starting an exciting new job, or stepping into a new season of life—can trigger a spike in anxiety?
From a nervous system perspective, predictability equals safety (Berkman, 2018). Your autonomic nervous system loves familiar routines because they require less energy to monitor for threats. When a major life change occurs, your internal landscape loses its map. The amygdala registers the unfamiliarity as potential danger, triggering physical symptoms like a tight chest, restless energy, racing thoughts, or a knot in your stomach. Knowing this, hopefully, we can all find some more self-compassion for ourselves. We as humans aren't "bad at handling change," nor are we failing. Our bodies are simply doing their job: trying to protect us in unfamiliar territory.
How to Accept New Routines Without Overwhelming Your System
When a new season forces a shift in our lives, forcing ourselves to "just adapt and get over it" only heightens your internal stress response. We do need the time and space to honor our emotions, thoughts, and experiences. And we need to hold our experiences with self-compassion and gentleness. Consider giving one of these low-friction, body-led strategies to navigate transition with gentleness:
1. Keep One "Somatic Anchor" Intact
When everything around you is shifting, hold onto one small, predictable physical ritual every day. It could be drinking your morning tea out of the same mug, doing a 3-minute stretch upon waking, or taking a short walk at sunset. This constant signal tells your nervous system: Some things remain steady.
2. Titrate the New Routine
Don't expect yourself to master a brand-new lifestyle, training program, or schedule on day one. Break the transition into tiny, manageable steps. If you are building a new daily routine, adopt one micro-habit at a time rather than overhauling your entire life overnight. Give yourself every advantage you can!
3. Practice Physical "Gentleness"
When we feel out of control emotionally, we often unconsciously tense our physical bodies—clenching our teeth, hunching our shoulders against the cold, or taking shallow breaths. Notice where you are holding the friction of this new season in your body. Soften your belly, drop your shoulders, and give yourself physical room to adjust.
4. Reframe the "Bare Season"
A tree turning orange isn't failing; it is trusting its root system to store its resources until spring. Transition requires a temporary period of letting go of what was so you can conserve energy for what comes next. Give yourself permission to feel messy, tired, or uncertain during the in-between phase. Also remember that luminal space, or the in-between phase, also contains possibilities not just unknowns. Remembering that later piece is also helpful.
Change forces us to drop the leaves of some of our habits, roles, and comforts. While that shedding process can feel scary and vulnerable, remember that it is also the very mechanism that allows you to grow. As you look at the orange leaves this week, let them serve as a gentle reminder: change doesn't mean you are breaking down. It simply means you are making room for your next season.
take action today moment:
Give some of the above strategies a try during times of change. You may also want to consider reflecting on how you move through change. Here are just a few questions to consider. What are some body sensations? What are some of the thoughts that go through your mind? What are some of your behaviors? What are some of your favorite go to resources that help you through change? Keep writing with any other thoughts that strike you!
Learn More About Change:
References
Berkman E. T. (2018). The neuroscience of goals and behavior change. Consulting Psychology Journal, 70(1), 28–44. https://doi.org/10.1037/cpb0000094