Finding Your Anchor: 3 Gentle Ways to Navigate the Autumn Shift
- Venita Tomlinson
- Sep 20
- 4 min read
The September Exhale
There's a particular quality to September light—golden, slanted, carrying whispers of change. For those of us who've spent decades in classrooms, this shift feels cellular. Even years after leaving the chalk dust behind, our bodies remember: the quickening pulse of "back-to-school," the familiar dance between anticipation and overwhelm.
I feel it every year—that bittersweet tug between summer's gentle rhythms and autumn's insistent tempo. The world seems to collectively inhale, hold its breath, then release into a whirlwind of schedules, responsibilities, and endless to-do lists.
But here's what I've learned after 50+ years of Septembers: This season of transition doesn't have to sweep you away.
Instead, it can become an invitation—a call to root yourself more deeply, to find those practices that keep you steady when everything else is in motion. Today, I'm sharing three anchors that have transformed my autumn experience from survival to renewal.
1. The Body Anchor: Your Five-Minute Sanctuary
When the world speeds up, slow down with intention.
Our bodies tell the truth about our stress long before our minds catch up. That ache between your shoulder blades? The tension creeping up your neck? Your body is sending an SOS.
The most radical thing you can do in a culture that glorifies busy? Listen. And respond with gentle, accessible movement.
Try This Now: The Seated Liberation
Find yourself in any chair—your kitchen chair, your office chair, even your car seat in the parking lot:
Ground yourself: Feet flat, hands on knees, spine tall but not rigid
Inhale: Gently arch your back, lift your heart toward the sky, let your face follow
Exhale: Round your spine like a cat, chin to chest, creating space between each vertebra
Repeat: 3-5 times, letting each movement flow like water
This simple seated Cat-Cow can release a day's worth of tension in under 60 seconds. No yoga mat required. No special clothes. Just you, showing up for yourself.
This is the revolutionary simplicity of chair yoga—it meets you exactly where you are, with exactly what you have.
If this single movement brought you a whisper of relief, imagine having an entire toolkit at your fingertips. That's why I poured my heart into CHAIR YOGA FOR WOMEN 40+: 20-minute sequences that slip into the cracks of your busiest days, building strength and serenity without strain.
2. The Planning Anchor: Intentional Living in Action
Stop reacting to life. Start designing it.
The overwhelm we feel often comes from living in constant response mode—putting out fires, meeting everyone else's needs, letting our own well-being become an afterthought.
But what if planning became a sacred act? What if your planner held not just meetings and deadlines, but promises to yourself?
The Non-Negotiable List
This autumn, try creating a different kind of to-do list:
Morning ritual: 5 minutes of movement before email
Afternoon pause: Step outside, breathe deeply, reset
Evening boundary: Phone off by 8 PM
Weekly joy: One activity that's purely for pleasure
For my educator friends still in the trenches, I see you. I remember the weight of lesson plans, the endless grading, the emotional labor that follows you home. That's why I created Plan, Reflect, Protect: Teacher's Wellness Planner 2025-2026—because your well-being isn't optional, it's essential.
My memoir, UNCENSORED: What No One Tells You About Teaching In America's Toughest Schools, tells the raw truth about why this matters. And when you need ready-made resources to reclaim your time? V. Tomlinson's Teaching Resources has your back.
3. The Horizon Anchor: Permission to Dream
Sometimes the best stress relief is having something beautiful to anticipate.
When the daily grind threatens to blur your days into one long obligation, you need a horizon—something shimmering in the distance that reminds you life is vast and full of wonder.
For me, that horizon is solo travel. There's something profoundly liberating about planning a journey that's entirely yours. No compromises. No explanations. Just you and the world, meeting on your terms.
Start Small, Dream Big
Your horizon anchor doesn't require a passport:
Local adventure: That museum you've never visited in your own city
Weekend escape: A cabin rental two hours away
Dream planning: Create a vision board for your 2026 adventure
Micro-journeys: Explore a new neighborhood with fresh eyes
For Black women over 50, solo travel is more than vacation—it's revolution. It's claiming space, writing our own narratives, celebrating ourselves unapologetically. This spirit of celebration infuses every page of 60 & SENSATIONAL: A Milestone Celebration Book for Black Women.
And remember: wonder doesn't require distance. Sometimes the greatest adventures happen in our own backyards, as I explored in The Wonder Finders: A Brooklyn Tale of Wonder, Creativity, and Community.
Your Autumn Invitation
These three anchors—immediate relief, intentional planning, and inspiring horizons—aren't just coping mechanisms. They're declarations of self-worth. They're promises that your peace matters, your dreams are valid, and your well-being is non-negotiable.
As the season shifts around you, you don't have to be swept away by its current. You can stand firm, rooted in practices that nourish you, connected to a vision that inspires you.
This autumn, what if you chose differently? What if you chose yourself?
Join the Conversation
What anchor will you reach for this week? Share your commitment in the comments below. Let's create a community of women who refuse to let autumn's rush diminish our light.
Remember: You are not too busy for joy. You are not too old for adventure. You are not too tired for renewal. You are exactly where you need to be, with everything you need to begin.
💫 Follow the journey: Subscribe for monthly wisdom on travel, wellness, and living uncensored after 50.
Comments