ES Gal: New Season, New You?

Grow, Change, Adapt, Inspire! 

With our #OYS Campaign over and the beginning of a new season, a new academic year and a new way of life approaching, Elissa & Stef want to motivate you to shift and adapt to the new changes life throws at you. In the rest of the post, E&S want to highlight some of the changes you may be experiencing as we shift from one season to the next as well as giving you some top tips on how to grow and evolve alongside society. 

A New Academic Year

One of the most obvious new beginnings in the transition from August to September is the start of a new academic year. Whether you're going back to school or university yourself, or you have friends and children that are getting back into the education routine, it can be an exciting but also dreaded time. Summer break is a time for freedom and exploring, but this excitement doesn't have to end just because the beach trips and BBQ's are. See the new academic year as a chance to work your hardest, learn new things and explore different ways of soaking up and using the knowledge that will fill your days again.

A New Season

Saying goodbye to Summer and hello to Autumn means new trends and activities. It's finally time to whip out your long sleeve gym tops, hoodies and your favourite exercise jacket and adapt your style to fit the new season. The leaves will start to change colour and we can shift alongside them, exploring new leisure activities and swapping out park dates with cozy coffee shop catch-ups.

Going Back to Work

If you've been on furlough for the past few months, or you work in a profession such as teaching where your holidays coincide with the summer break, then a new month might mean back to work. Going back after so long can be daunting, but also beneficial as the routine and achievement we gain from the working day leaves us feeling motivated and secure. Treat yourself to a new notebook or laptop bag and take work by storm. 

A New Outlook on Life

I know that most of us make New Years Resolutions at the start of January each year, but maybe it's time to make Seasonal Resolutions instead? Breaking up our goals into quarters and setting out to achieve a new goal every few months can improve your outlook on life and make your ambitions seem more achievable. Whether it's something as simple as getting up a little earlier each day or trying new foods, set yourself some goals and achieve them before the start of the next season.

New Friendships and Relationships

Going back to school, work, new pass-times and hobbies etc. can be a great chance to meet new people and build new relationships. Maybe one of your seasonal goals can be talking to someone new in your lecture next semester or attending more work parties and social gatherings. We've all been in close social bubbles for so long and have probably become quite used to talking to the same people day-in-day-out, so branch out and say 'Hi' to someone new!

New Eating and Exercise Habits

Finally, it wouldn't be an #ESGal blog post without discussing diet and exercise. Chillier Autumn weather means that we can return to outdoor exercise without sweating before we've even begun. If you're a keen jogger or cyclist then the cool outdoor temperatures make it easier to get out and keep fit. Other team sports like football, tennis and basketball are also perfect to play outdoors. When it comes to eating, new season means new seasonal produce. Sweet potatoes, apples and butternut squash are some of our healthy autumn faves.

Although change can be scary and intimidating for us all, we should learn to take these new things in our stride in order to adapt and thrive. No matter what life may throw at you, as an #ESGal, you should be equipped to take on new challenges every day - and for the most part, change is for the better!

Author: Ellie-Jo Johnstone (E&S Blog Editor)

@elliejoj