8 Weeks to Autumn: Why Think About Autumn Before Summer Ends?

Hello in July. The peak of Summer, long, hot days that often erupt in sudden storms, balmy evenings, gardens in bloom... You sip your favourite cold drink, enjoying the warmth and lushness of nature… and yet, you find yourself thinking about autumn. Why?

Why Do You Think Of Autumn Before Summer Ends?

Let me reassure you that you are not odd. You are certainly not alone in this feeling. I have been doing Autumn countdowns in short-form content for several years, and the biggest, most-viewed videos in this series were always posted 5-8 weeks before September each year. So basically, in the middle of Summer. I observe these fluctuations with interest, not just as a candle business owner but also as a slow living practitioner. I think it shows how deeply connected humans are to the natural world and the old ways of life, even though most don't realise it.

📅 Saturday, July 4th, 2026
8 weeks until Autumn!

Seasonal Instinct

What I think happens is the seasonal instinct kicking in. Think about it. Since the dawn of time, humans have had to spend the entire summer preparing for autumn and winter, growing, gathering, harvesting, and getting their homes ready. Summer was always a time of abundance, designed to prepare for scarcity. It’s only in modern times that the threat of cold and hunger has been removed (we’re talking about first-world countries, of course). We can now happily spend summer months barbecuing, hanging out on the beach, or gardening for pleasure, because in winter, radiators will keep us warm and shops will be stocked with food from every corner of the world. 

I dedicated a whole chapter to why we feel this internal call in my book ‘Slow Living for Modern Women - the life-changing guide to reconnect with nature and self’, which I think really explains why this modern era of abundance can’t completely silence that ancient voice inside us (thankfully!).

Many American and UK shops are putting Autumn decor early in summer (never mind us; YR Studio stocks autumn candles all year round anyway, haha!). Some say it’s the shops pushing us into the next season, but as a business owner, I think differently. Yes, consumerism has many, many faults, but in this case, I do think it’s simply the market reacting to customers. If people want to shop, the demand will be met. If pumpkins go viral in January, then sellers will flood the market with them, and trust me, no one will care what month it is. No supermarket will fill entire aisles with stock that won’t be selling for another couple of months; that’s just not how it works. People think about and want to start preparing for Autumn in Summer, and it’s reflected in the market.

And we do it because Summer is deeply rooted in us as a time of preparation and harvesting - a survival instinct that, although smoothed and calmed, still lives in us. We are extremely privileged that, for us, “preparing for Autumn” means collecting ceramic pumpkins and scented candles, not long hours in fields or the kitchen, gathering, harvesting, and preserving; nevertheless, this ancestral sentiment remains the same.

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Burnout

The second important reason why autumn might linger at the back of your mind is burnout. Long days and heat are enough to make anyone feel tired, but Summer is also the social time of the year. Many of us cherish a slower pace of life, but invitations to BBQs, weddings, and pub meetings keep coming when the weather is nice. We often enter Summer full of energy and eagerness to socialise, but much of this energy is spent during the first few meet-ups. Especially if we are naturally more introverted, we begin to yearn for our quiet routines and for cooler weather to return.

Autumn promises a relief with long, quiet evenings and much less socialising (at least until Christmas parties kick off). September, October, and November are months of calm, grounded energy and rest. After a time of uplift, busyness, and sometimes even chaos in the summer, children will go back to school in September, and home will be quiet for those few hours a day. Our world will feel grounded and peaceful again.

Nostalgia

Many of us associate autumn (and winter, at least December) with many happy childhood memories. Mum baking, grandparents visiting for Christmas, family movie nights, pumpkin patch visits. Of course, Summer can bring up lots of lovely memories too, but they are usually more extroverted - friends’ gatherings, pool parties, holidays. As we get older, many of us start to appreciate the tighter-knit family memories and the feelings they stir. I’ll forever remember my parents cooking together in the kitchen of our 4th-floor flat I grew up in, or my grandma sitting at the kitchen table, reading a romance book, waiting for the cheesecake to bake. Autumn brings the feelings of warmth, flickering candlelight, comfort, safety, and love - of course, we are looking forward to it!

Personal preference

The seasonal living niche has become a bit of a seasonal police force... It’s ok; you can live in tune with the seasons AND still have a favourite season. It’s like having a varied diet but still having a firm favourite dish. It’s not against any laws, and in a world that has become so niche, everyone is even freer to express their personality, likes, and hobbies.

I will always encourage you to enjoy every season and make the most of what it has to offer, but if you want to put up Autumn decor in August, go for it. The older I get, the more I see that at the end of our days, we will look back on our lives and remember either days filled with purpose and joy or endless suffering from trying to mould ourselves into versions of ourselves that fit certain groups or earn approval. Honestly, screw it, you have one life, enjoy it. Genuinely, thinking of autumn in summer is rather a microscopic issue in the grand scheme of things, and I’m certain that it won’t come up on your judgment day.

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It's hard to ignore the changes

Anyone who observes nature can see that the bright green of spring is long gone, and the deeper, darker shade of green prevails in the woods, signalling maturity. And where there is fulfilment, the decline begins. There is no hard line between the seasons, which slowly merge into one another, so if you look closely in the woods at the height of Summer, you'll notice touches of yellow and orange, fallen leaves, and treetops that turn colour a little earlier than their neighbours. It doesn't mean autumn has already come, but it reminds us that the wheel of the year never stands still and that the seasons are always in motion. 

All the pictures below were taken in the first days of July

Reverse SAD syndrome

Lastly, but not least, the Seasonal Affective Disorder, but in reverse. Usually, SAD is associated with winter and a lack of sunlight, but it also affects many people around the world who struggle with too much sunlight and high temperatures. There might be many reasons for it, from a preference to health problems that worsen in very hot weather, to trouble sleeping due to the sun setting very late and rising very early and much more.

It’s a fact that cooler air is also better for our respiratory system, and scientists confirmed that in colder temperatures we think more clearly. I personally turn into a hot potato during heatwaves, and my thinking and creativity definitely tank, lol!

A few closing words

Autumn is the most creatively rewarding time for me. September feels like a slow descent into the comfort and quiet of home, where I know I have a safe, calm space to write and film, with candles burning, a teapot by my laptop, and nature transforming into its most beautiful shades of copper and gold. I’m already looking forward to it!

Many of you shared your reasons for loving Autumn in the previous post, and I loved reading them! I’m sorry I’m not replying to each one individually. There are so many beautiful sentiments being shared, and I don’t want to flood the comment section. Just know that I have read every single one of your comments and I love them!

I’d love it if you shared whether you get the seasonal instinct nudge and how. For me, it is definitely through work: I want to finish writing my short Halloween ghost story and read a few books (including a pretty hefty tome on English folk song), so I have no “outstanding” things to do in September and can hunker down and get into writing my new book. Also, I particularly love the harvest vibes. I genuinely love watching tractors and fields turning gold; it makes me slightly melancholic about the passage of time and the incoming Autumn. Harvest season is truly a border between summer and autumn. And of course my favourite exercise: finding spots of orange and first fallen leaves in the woods. Let me know how Autumn is showing herself in your summer.

Until next week
Adriana x