Rachel's blog: From Sunlight to Shadows

I feel like the autumn champions started earlier this year; clamouring all over my socials for their pumpkin spice latte and ushering in the colder nights so they can 'cosy up' in their favourite jumpers and woolly socks. And July hadn’t even drawn to a close!

As the golden days of summer fade into the crisp embrace of autumn, many of us feel a subtle emotional shift. For those, like me, who thrive in the summer months, this transition can feel like a quiet kind of grief—a natural response to the loss of light, warmth, and the carefree energy that summer brings.

I love the summer! I love the lighter nights, the warmer days and the feel of sunshine on my skin. People are nicer to each other mostly (although maybe not when we're in a national heat wave!) with sunglass-donned happy faces scattered across beer gardens, parks and beaches.

I spent many very happy moments on Devon beaches when I was small, frolicking in the waves and building sand castles with my dad and I put my love of the summer down to this.

Over my adult years I've made a very conscious effort to ensure I embrace summer, jetting off to this place or that for some summer sun. Even as a student, I racked up the airmiles and escaped with friends to Rome, Sardinia and Barcelona. This year it was the turn of Portugal, although even those weeks seem like a distant memory already.

The emotional dip we feel isn’t just imagined; it’s physiological. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects millions of us each year, often beginning as the days shorten and sunlight becomes scarce. And it’s more than just the “winter blues.” SAD can bring fatigue, low mood, difficulty concentrating, and a longing for the brightness of summer. For some, it’s a gentle melancholy; for others, it’s a more profound struggle.

If, like I do, you find yourself mourning the end of summer, let’s allow ourselves that space to grieve – it’s ok to feel the loss and not want to immediately embrace the fall season.

But let’s also remember autumn isn’t all bad and there are gifts to be found in it if you’re willing to look; for example finding awe in the changing colours of the leaves on the trees, which are meant to be even bolder this year thanks to the long, hot summer. For those who really grapple with the changing seasons, light therapy, exercise, and talking to friends, family or even a professional can help manage SAD symptoms. Perhaps we can even create cozy new routines to help us cope – I love a new, fluffy blanket for the sofa or an autumn scented candle to burn into the evenings and I love making soups and stews to enjoy for dinner. One tradition my husband and I started a few years ago was a pumpkin carving date night! This year he’s suggested we incorporate a day trip to a pumpkin patch to pick our own and make it that bit more special.

I’ve found it helps to reframe autumn; it isn’t just the end of summer - it’s the beginning of a new season that invites us to turn inward, to find light in new places, and to prepare for the quiet magic of winter.

So, maybe I will have that pumpkin spiced latte after all.

Rachel is a commercial property lawyer who has worked in a range of private practice firms as well as inhouse. Rachel sees great value in building legal community and the sharing of ideas, both to support more efficient working as well as prioritising wellbeing and satisfaction in our legal careers. She’s passionate about motivating and mobilising those around her to make a positive impact in the legal sector and the wider world. Rachel loves to travel and spends the occasional spare minute day-dreaming about her next adventure.

Tags:
• Wellbeing