What It Means to Live with the Seasons: A Beginner’s Guide

There is a quiet rhythm that lives beneath our busy lives... something steady, ancient, and always in flux. You can feel it in the glow of afternoon light, in the first frost clinging to dried grasses, in your own shifting energy as spring stirs or winter deepens.

For a long time, I didn’t notice it. Or perhaps I did, but I brushed it aside in favor of productivity, constancy, and all the things modern life tells us we should be. But the older I get, the more I recognize these seasonal shifts within myself...how my energy rises in spring, softens in summer, and pulls inward as the days grow cold.

Instead of fighting it, I’ve started listening. Letting myself ebb and flow with the seasons. And what I’ve found is not only a gentler way of living, but also a deeper kind of beauty.

Living with the Seasons Isn’t Complicated

You don’t need special tools or rituals to begin. Just a willingness to notice. In fact, you probably already do to some extent. This is just about broadening that awareness with intention.

It might be as simple as lighting a candle with a scent that matches the air outside, or changing the meals you make based on what the earth is growing. In winter, we crave the warmth of spices, soups and cozy stews. In summer, we reach for fruit, herbs, and fresh greens. These cravings aren’t random. They’re invitations from the Earth itself.

Even your energy knows the rhythm. We’re meant to slow down in winter, to rest more, to turn inward. Spring and fall bring activity in planting, harvesting, and moving our bodies. Summer may not be restful, but the heat asks us to soften, to stretch, to take our time.

Seasonal Living as a Form of Grace

For me, seasonal living means giving myself grace when I’m less inspired. It means noticing when the world outside is still and giving myself permission to be still as well. To take my time.

When we live with the seasons, we begin to move more gently; with less pressure and more presence. We eat differently, dress differently, create differently. And eventually, we begin to see that our own lives have seasons too. Both yearly and over the course of our lives.

How to Begin

If you’re curious, start by noticing what’s already there. Are there meals you crave as the weather changes? Do you clean or nest in a certain season? Does your energy rise and fall with the sun? I know mine does daily depending on sun and rain.

Lean into those patterns with intention.

In the autumn, I have a quiet ritual where I consciously walk barefoot in the cold waters of a creek or river. I make note that it may be my last of the season as the waters will grow colder and eventually freeze over until the following spring. It’s my way of honoring the change, of saying goodbye to warm afternoons and welcoming the still and quiet that comes next. It reminds me that things can be both beautiful and temporary.

To help you take more notice, you may like to keep a small seasonal journal or sketchbook. Let each season bring its own colors, its own notes, scribbles thoughts and dreams.

You may also want to swap out your hobbies, your playlists, your bedtime. Let the shifts be slow. Let them be yours.

There’s no right way to live seasonally. It's only the practice of paying attention.

Go Deeper

If you’d like a gentle companion on the journey, I am currently creating a booklet for each season. It will be filled with reflections, ritual ideas, prompts, and images to help you stay rooted in the present moment. Each one will be like a letter from the season itself to rediscover throughout the year.

You can join my newsletter here to be the first to receive them, along with quiet notes and seasonal inspiration from me.

In the meantime, step outside. Notice the light, the air, the sounds and smells of whatever season you are in.