Sep 15, 2026 · 10 min · 7 segments
Something in the air changes every September, even when your calendar looks the same as it did in July. This episode explores why fall might be an even more powerful time than January to reset your…
Julianne AugustHost
It doesn't matter if your kids have been back in school for a few weeks already, if you don't have kids at all, or if your schedule looks exactly the same as it did in July, there is something in the air that feels like a reset.
And so today I want to talk about new seasons and what they offer us when it comes to our digital habits, because I think September might be an underused opportunity for building a different relationship with our screens.
Back in January on the podcast, I talked about something called the fresh start effect.
And she found that people are far more likely to go after their goals at what she calls temporal landmarks.
But I think it works just as well for any moment that feels like a turning point.
Like I mentioned, a new week, month, or year, but also a new season, right? Like spring or fall, a birthday, the start of a school year, the start of a new ministry year if you serve at a church.
It carries the same fresh start energy as January, but it also brings back the structure and routine that summer tends to loosen.
So what's the problem with summer habits? Well, I think what often happens over the summer months with our phone is that the structure loosens.
But without the anchoring routines of a regular week, our phone habits tend to drift too.
And we tell ourselves that we'll be sure to reset when things get back to normal.
It doesn't matter if your kids have been back in school for a few weeks already, if you don't have kids at all, or if your schedule looks exactly the same as it did in July, there is something in the air that feels like a reset.
And so today I want to talk about new seasons and what they offer us when it comes to our digital habits, because I think September might be an underused opportunity for building a different relationship with our screens.
Back in January on the podcast, I talked about something called the fresh start effect.
And she found that people are far more likely to go after their goals at what she calls temporal landmarks.
But I think it works just as well for any moment that feels like a turning point.
Like I mentioned, a new week, month, or year, but also a new season, right? Like spring or fall, a birthday, the start of a school year, the start of a new ministry year if you serve at a church.
It carries the same fresh start energy as January, but it also brings back the structure and routine that summer tends to loosen.
So what's the problem with summer habits? Well, I think what often happens over the summer months with our phone is that the structure loosens.
But without the anchoring routines of a regular week, our phone habits tend to drift too.
And we tell ourselves that we'll be sure to reset when things get back to normal.
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