I don’t know about you but the minute the season changes to fall, my mindset “falls” with the leaves. In nature, fall is a time of death. For humans, it’s a time of reflection and focus. How many poets and authors have penned masterpieces citing autumn as the backdrop for inspiration?

Anyway, back to the point of this post. Fall. Is. Not. My. Favorite. Season.

So what’s this girl to do? Listen to my mindchatter.

Fun fact: The Sanskrit term for mindchatter is citta vritti (pronounced: CHITTA VRITTIE). I love the way this word rolls off my tongue.

What is mindchatter? It’s that inner dialogue we have with ourselves. It’s the critical and harsh babble we hear when we are struggling. It’s also the positive and optimistic chitchat we hear when we’re doing something right.

When things start to go wonky, we are our own worst critic and tend to listen to the negative banter. There is an easy fix, though: flip the narrative and listen to the right citta vritti - the positive voices that motivate and drive you to take action.

Ode to autumn

What steps do I take to shift my storyline and get out of my funk? Glad you asked! Here are three ways I reframe my mindset to get my mojo back on track.

Community It may come as no surprise to those who know me – chatting with people is one of my favorite pastimes. And despite the pandemic pause (read travel on hold), my world has actually expanded. I regularly touch base with my coaching tribe, my meditation squad, my expat girl group, and friends and family abroad. Talk about empowering communities.

Fresh air This one is hard since I’m truly not a fan of the cold and damp. Good thing I live in Finland, right? To counter my aversion to cruddy weather, I made a pact with myself to go for a walk every day - even if only to the grocery store and back home. I liken this to how I combat jet lag when my mind is foggy. Being outside does wonders for the brain. Oh - and before you recite the Nordic phrase there’s no such thing as bad weather – only bad clothes, please don’t. You can go {fill in the blank with explicits} 😉

Purpose In a recent seminar the host asked us to identify our core values. Well, let me tell you, this exercise ignited an internal spark. By recognizing where my passions and work/life are out of whack, I gained clarity on what I need to change to increase my happiness and drive. Now all I want to do are cartwheels!

Hope these life hacks inspire you to eavesdrop on your inner voice and kick some ass in life! What makes you get out of bed in the morning?