The lazy hazy days of summer may feel like a distant memory as September shifts our energy back to business and forward to new adventures. It's the month when many of us embark on a new chapter, whether it's university, college or a new job or simply getting back to work and the school run. It's also the time that "September Reset" trends on social media - the kind, chill sister of New Year's Resolutions.
Instead of strict rules and major life overhauls, creators are sharing small changes aimed at finishing the year strong. "It's getting ahead of the game," says Cami Sophia, 24, who has shared her new rituals on TikTok. Here's why September could be the right time for a reset and how to create a new routine that lasts.
Should you get back into a routine? For Cami, a content creator and podcast host from Northampton, September spells the end of summer spontaneity and a time to restore order. "If you've been away for the summer you've probably not had a massive routine," she says.
"And if you're a parent, then you've got kids at home and it's just a bit more chaotic," she says. September feels like "back to school...getting back into your own rhythm", she adds. It is the perfect time to "get everything sorted", she says "So when you get to January you're not trying to do everything at once.
For Bas Verplanken, professor emeritus of social psychology at the University of Bath, September is a chance to "reorient yourself". He says his research suggests people who experienced a big change such as moving house "were more responsive to an intervention aimed at promoting sustainable behaviours" than comparable people who had not moved house. "It's really an exciting way of looking at disruption," he told Chris and Xand van Tulleken on their What's Up Docs? podcast.
If your daily commute or school run works for you then relax back into them. "But if there are alternative ways of doing things, explore it, this is the time to do it, and to make those changes," says Verplanken. TikTok is awash with videos on how to "lock in" starting small - declutter your room, clear out your wardrobe, go for a walk, start a new book.
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