October Reset: How I Do My Annual Wind Down
There’s just something about October that makes me want to hit snooze on everything. Suddenly, I morph into a human sloth, just floating through the days until the year wraps up. Conveniently, my birthday lands right at this seasonal shift, so it feels like a built-in excuse to pause, recharge, and start scheming for what I want next year to look like (universe, I see you).
Fall has this cozy, “main character in a coming-of-age movie” energy that makes me want to throw on fuzzy pajamas, line up a Scream marathon, and grab my laptop to start planning out my next 365 days. No rules and no limits, just ✨vibes✨. Whether it’s taking that solo trip abroad or even just trying the new restaurant around the corner, it all makes the list.
Most people wait until January to do this kind of stuff (hello, resolutions), but I swear doing it in October just hits different. So here’s my breakdown for what I think is the perfect October wind-down:
1. Essential Fall Uniform: Cozy Loungewear 🛋️ ☕️
This is not the time for jeans. Grab the comfiest sweats, oversized hoodies, and fuzzy socks you can find. Because if we’re being honest, most of the October “work” we’re going to be doing is happening on the couch.
But in all seriousness, comfort counts. Especially in the fall season! Here are a few loungewear recs that have earned a permanent spot in my dresser.
My loungewear essentials:
- If it’s not a baggy t-shirt, then I’m probably lounging in a crewneck. Aaand yep, it’s probably from Gap. Their sweat sets never let me down.
- Abercrombie kinda nails versatile loungewear. If you wanted, you could leave your couch, run errands, do a coffee run, and come right back to lounging without even having to change.
- If you’re ever in the mood to splurge…Negative Underwear is the place to do it. They have redefined what “buttery-soft” means for me.
- An oversized hoodie belongs in my Hall of Fame (pants optional). Boys Lie just knows how to do a oversized hoodie right. The perfect slouch, fit, and feel that make you want to never take it off.
2. Spooky, Cozy, Nostalgic: Build Your Lineup 📺
This is where nostalgia really shines. Think back to every spooky but not-too-scary, autumnal, comfort-watch show or movie you’ve ever loved. The stuff that makes you want to curl up with a blanket and a bowl of popcorn the size of your head. Queue them all up because this is their moment. The goal is to curate a lineup that makes you want to curl up under a blanket and never leave. If you’re looking for ideas, take a gander at my trusted fall watchlist:
TV Shows
- One Tree Hill: Teen angst, emotional plot-lines, and a moody small-town vibe. Basically a fall sweater for your feelings.
- Only Murders in the Building: True-crime-obsessed neighbors, witty banter, and cozy New York vibes. Season one set the bar high, but I keep coming back for the trio.
- Wednesday: The perfect October stream: goth moodiness, deadpan humor, and a spooky boarding-school backdrop that screams Halloween.
- Gossip Girl: Plaid coats, big-city drama, and decadent 2010s fall fashion. Gossip Girl might not be the obvious fall watch, but it absolutely delivers.
- Friends: Somehow this show was made for fall. Of course I’ll never let them live down their Living Single plagiarism but I can admit it is comfort TV in full form.
- American Horror Story: Coven: A fan-favorite season for a reason. It’s witchy, atmospheric, and eerie in a way that pairs perfectly with crisp autumn nights.
Looking for more TV recs? Check out this post where I recommend shows based on your mood.
Movies
- Scream: Before this franchise, I didn’t know scary movies could be fun and campy. They’ve changed Halloween movie nights for the better.
- I Know What You Did Last Summer: A true ’90s slasher classic. Suspenseful, dramatic, and just creepy enough to keep you bundled under a blanket.
- Addams Family Values: I’m biased toward the 1993 version. Dark, funny, and delightfully gothic? The perfect Halloween watch.
- Us: No matter how many rewatches, this one still spooks me. A tense, surreal horror that’s perfect for a stormy October night.
- Knives Out: Chris Evans in that cable-knit sweater lives rent-free in my brain. A clever whodunit that features a cozy mansion and a autumn mystery.
- Soul Food: A fall must-watch if you ask me. It’s warm, family-centered, and comforting (with a little family drama). A Thanksgiving classic.
- The Parent Trap: A yearly watch since childhood. Nostalgic, feel-good, and perfect for curling up with a warm blanket and a bowl of soup (or chili 😉).
3. Create Your October “Wind-down Wishlist” 📝
This part is fun! The goal is to dream big; the sky is the limit here. This is where you can really let your delusions run wild, we don’t live in reality when it comes to this wishlist (that’s for New Year’s resolutions). Want to attend a movie premiere? Add it. Want to try out a new recipe every week? On the list. Want to pull a dramatic “Eat, Pray, Love” move? That goes on the list too. Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
- Try a new seasonal recipe.
- Make a bucket list for the last 90 days of the year.
- Pick one room in your home to declutter, reorganize, or refresh.
- Journal about what went well this year so far and what you’d like to carry forward.
- Start a “gratitude jar” with little notes for the rest of the year.
- Take on a small creative project (painting, knitting, collage, photo album).
- Try a new seasonal coffee or tea flavor (pumpkin spice, chai, caramel apple)
4. Star Your Standouts 🌟
Once you’ve brain-dumped your list, skim through and put a little star next to the ones that really light you up. These are your golden ideas, the ones that could easily roll into next year’s resolutions. And a bonus: you’ve got three whole months left in the year to actually try a few of them out. Imagine how smug you’ll feel rolling into January with goals already in progress.
So that’s my October reset routine: cozy clothes, comfort watches, and a quaint little wishlist for the last three months of the year. What about you? Are you team “slow down and reset” or team “full sprint to December 31”?
