Seasonal Living Isn't that Simple

Why It’s Harder Than It Looks and How to Make it Work.

The approaching solstice means there is a golden light stretching across my kitchen floor every evening. I can feel the energy shifting each day: more light, more time, more movement in my bones.

I’ve been writing about seasonal living for years—about preparing and eating local foods, getting outside to watch the subtle shifts in the world around us, weaving seasonal rituals into our days, and adjusting our rhythms to match the energy of each season.

Some of this sounds so intuitive. Go to bed earlier when it’s cold and dark outside. Harness the sun’s energy in autumn and gather the fruits of what you’ve worked hard to grow. Eat green and clean in the spring as our ancestors once did.

Yet living this way isn’t always as easy as it sounds—and this cognitive dissonance can be hard to put into words. There’s a quiet tug-of-war inside me that asks me to weigh each decision: Should I choose what’s seasonal or what’s convenient? Seasonal or simply what’s needed right now? Seasonal or what seems healthiest for my family?

The tension shows up in the smallest of choices. In winter, there’s a rainbow of fruits and vegetables available at the store. A diverse diet is supposed to be good for the gut—so should I buy the mangoes and grapes? I already buy chocolate and oranges, which don’t grow anywhere near here. What about the chia seeds or avocados—grown thousands of miles away?

Spring brings its own calling: the pull to dig and plant, to feel the sun on my skin and the earth under my hands. But for those of us who spend hours behind a desk, how do we reconcile that restless, embodied energy with the stillness of office life?

And then there’s winter’s holiday season. A time when our bodies and minds are longing for deep rest, just as the outside world goes to sleep. Yet it’s also a time we’re often overloaded with travel, endless to-do lists, special occasions, late nights, and family gatherings.

This is what I’ve learned: seasonal living isn’t as simple as it sounds. It’s layered and tender, and for modern families juggling multiple ages, stages, and schedules, it can feel overwhelming. When a family decides to answer the call of seasonal living, there’s often one person carrying the weight of these decisions. That cognitive overload—deciding what aligns and what doesn’t—can be a lot to hold.

Here’s how I’ve learned to make peace with that tension, to carry the weight of these choices without letting it become too heavy, and to keep it all feeling rooted and true for our family: