Back to school

I've just been into the garden to pick some apples. It's been raining heavily on and off for the past 24 hours, the moss-filled grass is spongey and wet, the leaves on the trees are starting to turn, and the petals on my cosmos are starting to curl and go brown. The petals on my smiley sunflower from a couple of newsletters ago have completely disappeared.

What's happened to summer? Gone overnight.

This time of year always feels a bit like standing on a threshold.

Warmth, light and long evenings are behind us. Ahead, the darker mornings that remind us winter is nearby and the school rhythms that still seem to shape the year, whether there are children in our lives or not.

Work life goes through a transition at this time of year too. Summer brought a certain peace. Holidays, pauses in board cycles, a chance to take a breath. September, though, always comes screeching round the corner: appeals deadlines, events season, targets looming, and so much for thinly-stretched teams to do.

There is sadness for what’s ending and excitement for what’s beginning. There is freshness and fatigue. Sometimes, a little anxiety too.

How do we cross this threshold with steadiness, instead of being swept along?

Many of us power through, ignoring the sadness of summer’s ending or the nervousness about what’s next. But research tells us that simply voicing how you feel reduces stress and makes the adjustment smoother.

Prioritise rest. Just as children don’t adapt overnight to early alarms and packed lunches, neither should adults fling themselves into September with full force. If you can, try to start with lighter routines. Build momentum gradually.

Stay connected. Autumn can feel like time for retreating indoors and shutting down. Meeting up with friends and going outdoors are even more important.

Create seasonal rituals. We often resist winter rather than working with it. It can help to develop rituals to look forward to. For me, something like burning a scented candle during my morning yoga when it's dark outside. In our house we've already had the conversation about whether it's time to reintroduce home made vegetable soup onto the menu!

Hold onto purpose. Sadness at endings is natural, but it doesn’t have to rob you of joy in what’s next. Aligning your autumn plans with your core purpose - whether that’s in your work, a personal project, or simply how you spend your weekends - helps keep energy flowing into the darker months.

I recognise and expect this tug each September. Loss and anticipation sharing the same space. But I’ve also learned to pace myself, continue to connect with others, and follow routines that lift me up instead of wearing me down, in the hope that autumn can be less of a slog and more of a re‑set.

In last week's newsletter I wrote about the AI course and experimenting I've been doing. I realise that I didn't mention the very many legitimate concerns there are about the use and possible abuse of these tools which, of course, I share. Hopefully, my readers already know where I stand on issues of, for example, equity, sustainability, accountability, privacy, inclusivity.

This podcast featuring Ambassador Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s first Digital Minister and a Fellow of the Accelerator Fellowship Programme Institute for Ethics in AI, University of Oxford, is very interesting on AI and democracy, drawing on examples from Taiwan.

Useful links 🔗

Zoe Amar Digital has launched AI Leadership Essentials: From the Charity AI Leadership Accelerator and here are some more resources that she and her team have put together.

And here is a series of events on Human-centred AI

Joy-giving things 😍

Sorry it's a short one this week.

Have a great weekend

Lucy

If it’s your first time reading this newsletter, find out more about me here.

I write this newsletter because I believe in sharing ideas that help us work towards a truly equal world, particularly in the workplace.

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ChangeOut is created by Lucy Caldicott. You can find more about my work at ChangeOut.org. If you’re looking to have a chat about culture, leadership, purpose, equity, or a facilitated team discussion about any of those things, get in touch. You can also find me on Bluesky, Instagram, and, LinkedIn.

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