Autumn is here and with it comes a feeling of change, transformation and - most importantly - letting go. The trees say goodbye to their leaves, the sky changes color and life becomes quieter. This season brings with it a special wisdom: we can learn to separate ourselves from what no longer serves us, just as trees shed their leaves to save energy for the coming winter.
The process of letting go in autumn reminds us, as nature shows us, that shedding the old is necessary to make room for the new. This blog post is the result of these reflections - and an invitation to you to experience this process in a personal way.
The Parallel to Autumn: Why Letting Go is Part of Life
Autumn is a season of change and letting go. Nature reminds us that nothing lasts forever and that it is healthy to shed the old to make room for the new. Watching the trees shed their leaves reminds us that there are things in our lives that we must let go of too: relationships that are no longer good for us, outdated beliefs that stand in our way, or even career dreams that no longer suit us.
Letting go is often associated with a fear of loss - we fear losing something that was part of our life, even if it no longer makes us happy. But as the trees show us, this process is necessary. Without letting go, no growth can take place. Autumn is a symbol of transformation, a time when we learn that every ending can also be the beginning of something new.
The Difficulty of Letting Go
Why is it so hard for us to let go? One reason for this is that we humans cling to what is familiar. Our brains are programmed to seek security and stability, even when it harms us. A toxic relationship, an unhealthy habit or an outdated belief can give us a false sense of security. Letting go of what is familiar feels like a leap into the unknown, and that is exactly what scares us. We don't know what will come after we let go - maybe pain, maybe loneliness, maybe insecurity.
But that is not the whole truth. Autumn shows us that letting go creates space - space for new things, space for growth. Trees shed their leaves to save energy and prepare for the coming winter. They do not hold on to the old leaves because they know that new ones will grow when the time is right. Likewise, we should learn to have faith that after every letting go, something new can emerge.
The Process of Letting Go: Step by Step
Accept your feelings : The first step in the process of letting go is acceptance. Allow yourself to grieve - whether it's about a relationship, a lost dream, or an image of yourself that you need to let go of. Allow all feelings to come without suppressing or judging them. Crying, anger, sadness - all of these are part of letting go. A study by the American Psychological Association shows that allowing grief helps promote healthy emotional processing.
Forgiveness : Forgiveness does not mean excusing or forgetting the behavior of others, it means finding your own peace. Forgiving yourself is also important, especially if you are holding on to feelings of guilt. Studies have shown that forgiveness has a positive impact on our mental health as it helps us find inner peace.
Make room for new things : Once you let go, a void is created - this void can be frightening, but it is also full of potential. Like a garden in autumn that you clear of weeds, you now have to replant. Fill this space with things that do you good: new hobbies, friendships or simply times of rest. This space is a gift that allows you to rediscover yourself.
Rituals of letting go : Rituals can help you visualize and become aware of letting go. A simple example is to write a letter in which you write down all your feelings and then burn it as a symbolic act of letting go. Such rituals are powerful because they bring the inner process to the outside.
Develop self-love : After letting go of something familiar, it is especially important to find yourself again. Self-love is the soil on which new dreams can grow. Take small steps to value yourself more - be it through mindful self-care, finding new routines or rewarding small steps forward.
Courage to Let Go: The Freedom Behind It
Letting go means giving up control - something we don't like to do. We want to believe that we are in control of everything in life, but that is an illusion. Life is full of uncertainty and change. When we learn to embrace these uncertainties instead of fighting them, freedom arises. Autumn teaches us just that: the leaves fall because the trees trust that the time for something new will come. There is no standstill in nature, and we too must learn to move with this flow.
Having the courage to let go also means letting go of the belief that we always have to be perfect. We have to learn to embrace our mistakes and our vulnerabilities, because these are the things that make us human. Life is not just a smooth, perfect path; it is full of detours, dead ends and setbacks. Letting go means accepting these detours and trusting that they will still take us forward.
Final thoughts: Letting go as a source of strength
I hope that this blog post inspires you to see the art of letting go as an opportunity, not as something that weakens you. Autumn shows us that letting go is not an end, but a beginning. It's about creating space, freeing yourself from old burdens and seeing uncertainty as an opportunity.
I invite you to think about what you can let go of in your life now that it's fall. Maybe it's a toxic relationship, maybe a grudge you hold against someone, or maybe just an outdated idea of who you should be. Write it down, grieve it, let it go - and watch as space is created for something new.
Sources:
American Psychological Association. (2021). "The Role of Emotional Acceptance in Mental Health Recovery."
Worthington, E. L. (2014). Forgiveness and Health: Scientific Evidence and Theories Relating Forgiveness to Better Health .
Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA). (2022). "The art of letting go and its importance for mental health." Retrieved from https://www.bzga.de.
Schmidt, A. (2021). Learning to let go: The path to inner freedom . Berlin: Fischer Verlag.
Deutsches Ärzteblatt. (2020). "Grief and emotional letting go - strategies for mental health." Retrieved from https://www.aerzteblatt.de.
Kopp-Wichmann, R. (2019). "Why it is so difficult for us to let go." Retrieved from https://www.persoenlichkeits-blog.de.
University of Hamburg. (2018). "Forgiveness and its effects on health." Retrieved from https://www.uni-hamburg.de.
German Depression Help Foundation. (2020). "Mindfulness and letting go as ways out of depression." Retrieved from https://www.deutsche-depressionshilfe.de.
Comments