The October Reset: Why Starting Slow Now Beats the January Rush

Halloween decorations are out, the mornings are cooler, and suddenly everyone’s talking about the holidays.

It’s the time of year when life starts moving faster — school events, family gatherings, and end-of-year deadlines pile up all at once.

And yet… this is also one of the best moments to slow down.

Because while everyone else is waiting for January to “start fresh,” waiting often means overwhelm and feeling like we have a craft these big lofty goals in addition to everything we are already carrying.

What if this October became your quiet reset — a time to gently get your life, routines, and family systems in order before the chaos hits?

Welcome to the October Reset, a slower, kinder way to create change that lasts.

Why October Is the Perfect Time to Reset

There’s something grounding about this season.
The air cools. The pace of summer fades. Kids are back in their routines.

In this small pocket, you have something that’s hard to find later: space.  October gives us the pause we need before the holidays — enough time to reflect, reset, and start implementing small but impactful shifts that carry us into the new year.

Unlike January, you’re not running on empty or reacting to resolutions you made in a burst of motivation. You’re building rhythms that fit real life.

If you’ve ever felt like your New Year’s goals fizzle by February, this is why: you were trying to make big changes at the hardest possible time.

October invites us to do it differently — to ease into better habits before life speeds up again.

The All-or-Nothing Trap (and Why It Doesn’t Work for Caregivers)

As caregivers, we’re masters of juggling all the things. But that super-human ability you have, it’s part of what leads caregivers to burnout.

You’ve probably heard it a hundred times: “Go big or go home.” Some of us embrace it head on thinking this is a phase we just need to push through. But when you’re caring for kids, aging parents, and maybe even working full-time, “going big” often means… not going at all.

The all-or-nothing mindset sounds powerful, but it’s really just another form of pressure. This kind of pressure makes ,any if us feel like if w can;t do the thing 100%, then it’s just better to wait. If you don’t have 45 minutes to exercise, then maybe it’s better to wait until things feel simpler.

When we tell ourselves we’ll start next week, after the holidays, or when things calm down. We postpone peace, moments for ourselves, making plans with friends, or starting a work out plan. But what if the real secret wasn’t intensity — it was consistency?

Small, steady actions don’t delay progress — they support it.

 What an October Reset Looks Like (for Caregivers & Families)

An October Reset isn’t about overhauling your life. It’s about aligning your daily rhythm with what truly matters — one shift at a time.

Here’s how can this look in different parts of your life:

 For You

• Choose one 10-minute ritual that’s just for you — a morning stretch, journaling, or that quiet cup of tea before anyone wakes up.
• Revisit your sleep schedule. Go to bed 20 minutes earlier this week and notice how your body responds.
• Make a “don’t do” list — habits or commitments that drain your energy without giving much back.
• My personal favorite: stop hitting the snooze button! There’s a lot of research behind this, however, allowing yourself to fall back asleep for 15 minutes will not help you feel rested. Set your alarm for the time you are waking up and just sleep for those 15 minutes instead of hitting snooze.

 For Your Parents

• Each week, gather one piece of important health information — a medication list, provider contact, important past medical history/ surgical history, allergies.
• If they’re open to it, start creating a shared folder or binder so everyone stays informed.
• Ask: “What would help you feel more prepared for the holidays or the winter months?”
• My favorite: a synched google calendar that lets everyone know what’s on the schedule.

 For Your Kids

• Revisit routines that drifted off during summer — bedtime, morning prep, screen time.
• Get them involved in simple household resets like organizing school papers or choosing outfits the night before.
• Use October to teach small skills that build independence (it’ll help them and you later).
• My favorite: get backpacks and water bottles ready the night before.

 For Your Household

• Pick one system to simplify — bills, meals, cleaning schedule, or health records.
• Try a 15-minute nightly reset where each person gets an age appropriate chore instead of a stressful weekend deep-clean.
• Review upcoming holiday plans now to reduce last-minute pressure later.
• My favorite: Sunday check-in to review what’s coming up in the next week.

Think of it as setting your future self up for success.
By January, you won’t be “starting over” — you’ll simply be continuing what’s already working (and maybe sprinkling in a few other things you want to integrate like exercise).

The Mindset Shift: Ease Is Not Laziness

We’ve been taught that progress means pushing harder.
But sustainable caregiving, and sustainable living, come from ease, not force. When we slow down, we don’t lose momentum. We build stability and that’s where real change happens.

It’s deciding that 10 minutes of reading that helps you reset matters more than another task checked off. It’s choosing systems that simplify your life rather than overwhelm you. And it’s giving yourself permission to grow gently but steadily instead of perfectly.

Reset With (Not Against) Your Nervous System

When life runs at full speed for too long, your nervous system never gets a chance to recover.
You start waking up tired, craving sugar or caffeine, and feeling like rest never actually recharges you.

That’s because your body is living in a constant low-grade stress state — fight, flight, or freeze.

The October Reset is your invitation to exit survival mode. Here’s how to support your nervous system through small daily resets:

• Breathe first, react later. Before answering a text or jumping to the next task, take 2-3 slow breaths.
• Use sensory anchors. Light a candle, play soft music, or step outside for a minute — small cues that tell your body it’s safe to slow down. This can take just a few minutes, but the pause is what matters more than what you do during the pause.
• Pair calm with consistency. Do the same tiny ritual each morning or evening. Predictability creates calm.

Reflect: Your October Reset Questions

Take a few minutes to check in:

1. What part of your daily rhythm feels most chaotic right now?
2. What would feel lighter by December if you started it this week?
3. What’s one thing you could easily simplify?

Write it down and take one small action toward it.

Practical Ways to Start Your Reset Today

Here are ten realistic steps to begin your own fall reset:

1. Create or update your Medical Organizer.
   Gather current medications, provider contacts, and allergies.
2. Plan one self-care micro-habit — five deep breaths before you pick up your phone, or a two-minute gratitude note before bed.
3. Declutter one drawer or folder that always frustrates you.
4. Schedule one appointment now — whether it’s your parent’s checkup or your own overdue visit.
5. Set a family reset night. Light a candle, order takeout, and talk about what each person wants more (or less) of this season.
6. Review health insurance renewals or benefits before year-end deadlines.
7. Prep a small winter emergency bag for your parents’ car or home.
8. Update passwords and contacts for shared family accounts.
9. Batch errands or calls into one block to free up mental space.
10. Add one joyful activity to your weekly rhythm — something with no productivity attached.

Small, steady moves build the strongest foundations.

 

Start Before You’re Ready

Change doesn’t need to wait for January. It can start now with one small decision to make things easier and lighter.  If you’ve been meaning to get your family’s medical information in order, or just want to feel a little more prepared, this is your moment.

Download your free Medical Organizer — a simple, real-world system that helps you keep medications, provider info, and health details in one place.
Because peace of mind isn’t a January goal — it’s something we can start building today.

👉 [Download your free Medical Organizer here → https://caregiverscoffee.myflodesk.com/opr49idrl3

Remember one page, one section, one conversation at a time and this will be done by January.

Give Yourself Grace This Season

The October Reset isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence.

It’s recognizing that meaningful change doesn’t happen when the calendar flips — it happens in the quiet moments, when we choose ease over urgency and consistency over chaos.

So, take a breath.
Light a candle.
And give yourself permission to reset, right now — before the world speeds up again and the holiday season is in full swing.

What’s the first step of your October reset? I would love to know. I am tackling one bin of old papers at a time so that I can finally eliminate the clutter that makes me feel like, “I should be doing that.”

References

1. “How to Overcome All-or-Nothing Thinking” — Verywell Mind
   This article describes how all-or-nothing (black-and-white) thinking is a cognitive distortion that can reduce motivation, harm self-esteem, and lead to mental health challenges — and offers strategies to shift that mindset.
   Verywell Mind
2. “Routines Provide a Framework of Stability …” — WithinReach Therapy (blog post)
   This piece explains how routines aligned with seasons give us structure, reduce decision fatigue, and help us feel grounded. It supports your idea of using October, before the rush, to reset.
   Within Reach Therapy