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5 simple ways to reset your routine for fall

These simple reset ideas can help you get your routines, home, health, finances and plans ready for the season ahead

Clay Banks / Unsplash

Fall has a way of making us feel like we should suddenly have our lives together. The days get shorter, school starts back up, summer schedules disappear and somehow everyone expects us to know exactly where the lunchboxes, winter clothes and car emergency kits are hiding. No pressure.

The good news? A fall reset doesn’t have to mean reinventing your entire life before the first pumpkin-spice latte hits the menu. A few thoughtful changes can make the transition into a busier season feel considerably less chaotic. And according to Reader’s Digest, fall can actually be a useful time to step back, reevaluate your routines and prepare for the months ahead.

That might mean putting some vacation days on the calendar before they mysteriously disappear, creating a better system for family schedules or clearing out the summer clutter that has somehow multiplied in every closet. It can also mean taking a closer look at your pantry, your car, your finances and even the habits that helped you coast through the slower days of summer.

The trick is not to treat your fall reset like another enormous to-do list. Instead, think of it as a handful of small tuneups that can make everyday life run a little more smoothly. You don’t need to do everything at once, and you certainly don’t need to become the person who color-codes every drawer by Labor Day.

From getting your calendar under control to preparing your home and car for cooler weather, these five ideas can help you head into fall feeling a little more organized, and hopefully a lot less overwhelmed.

1. Put some actual downtime on your calendar

Aleksandar Cvetanovic / Unsplash

It may seem strange to think about taking time off when summer vacation is barely over, but planning your next break now could save you some headaches later. Reader’s Digest suggests booking vacation days early so you actually use your paid time off.

The logic is pretty simple: If you wait until you desperately need a break to think about taking one, your preferred dates may already be gone. Work deadlines, school schedules, holidays and everyone else’s vacation plans have a sneaky way of filling up........

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