Coming Back Together: Finding Community in Fall
What does coming home look like for you this season?
Coming Back to Community This Fall
As the final days of September arrive, the pace shifts naturally around us. After the loose and often scattered rhythms of summer, our routines start to settle back in, bringing a sense of steadiness. Summer tends to pull us in different directions and sometimes away from our community through travel and changing schedules. Autumn offers a gentle invitation to reconnect with our usual circles and find a different pace.
Fall Brings Us Back Together
September draws people back into community, whether it is returning to work, school, social groups, and routines that may have been lighter or paused over the past few months. These changes may feel sudden, but we can mindfully reestablish connections that might have stretched or loosened at our own pace. Maybe that means scheduling a coffee date or two with some close friends (vs filling your entire social calendar), or easing back into your workout routine (with one or two classes a week instead of five). Within a return to structure, we can still find flexibility.
If summer stretches us outward, fall reminds us to pull in closer. We return to rituals and connections that remind us we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. Consider what you most value and want to move closer to.
Closing One Chapter, Opening Another
Summer is hardly the same experience for everyone; some find it energizing and refreshing, while others may have felt tired or off-balance. And perhaps for most, it is a mix of both. September is a great time to pause and identify what worked during the summer season and what didn’t. This isn’t a moment for judgment but rather an opportunity to become more aware of which habits or routines supported your well-being, and which felt out of sync. Ask yourself:
What parts of my summer felt truly nourishing, and how can I bring more of that into the fall?
Which routines have run their course and are ready to be released?
What support, whether from people, practices or spaces, do I need to feel steadier as the season shifts?
Where might I need to create more room for rest or for new growth in this coming season?
How can I stay gentle with myself while stepping into the changes ahead?
Small Ways to Reconnect
Reconnecting can be as simple as scheduling a regular walk with someone you enjoy spending time with or sharing a meal in a low-key way, it doesn’t have to mean more obligations. Small gestures help rebuild ties and restore a sense of belonging without added pressure.
It can look like:
– Meeting a friend for a walk as the air cools
– Cooking a warm meal and sharing it with someone
– Restarting a weekly ritual that keeps you feeling anchored
– Just checking in on the people who matter to you
These small choices are what stitch us back together after summer’s looseness.
Navigating the Shift Together
Of course, this season also brings its own challenges. Shorter days, less sunlight, and busier schedules can stir up fatigue or low moods. Talking about that openly with friends, family, or in spaces like therapy that feel supportive can help us remember we’re all going through it together. Change feels easier when it’s carried together.
An Invitation
As we settle into fall, maybe the goal doesn’t have to be more productivity or an overstuffed calendar. It can simply be reconnecting to what steadies you and to the people who help you feel rooted. As you come home to your community, practice embracing this externally through interpersonal experiences and intrapersonally by reflecting on and embodying what it means to be in connection with others, an innate human need.
Olivia Reasoner, LMSW
Olivia is an associate therapist at Sōhum Therapy. She offers a warm and collaborative space for clients navigating anxiety, self-doubt, stress, and major life transitions. She views therapy as a process of exploration and partnership, walking alongside clients with care and intention as they uncover and shift patterns that may be holding them back. Grounded in curiosity, compassion, and authenticity, Olivia supports individuals in connecting more deeply with themselves, fostering resilience, and moving toward lives of greater fulfillment and meaning. Her approach emphasizes self-compassion and living in alignment with personal values, helping clients cultivate peace, authenticity, and a stronger sense of who they truly are.
