September notes from Lauren….
On looking back, looking up and making a little more space for what feels good.

“September always makes me pause. A little reflection on the year so far, what still matters, and why perhaps the answer isn’t to do more.“

One minute it was Christmas. Then somehow it was summer. And now we’re in September. How did that happen?

September has always had its own particular energy. Even long after we’ve left school, there’s something about it that feels like a new beginning. Holidays end, diaries fill up, work speeds up and suddenly the final stretch of the year comes into view.

And almost immediately, there’s pressure to do more.
More plans. More goals. More routines. More things we should probably sort out before Christmas.

But what if, before we add anything else, we stopped for a moment? Not for a September reset. We’re not sure anything needs resetting. Think of this instead as a September check-in: a chance to reflect on the year so far, reassess what still matters and decide what we want from the final four months of 2026.

Before the year runs away with us

Think back to January. What did you imagine for this year? Maybe there were big plans, places you wanted to go, things you wanted to change, something you wanted to create or something you quietly hoped would happen.

Now think about what actually has happened. We’re very good at measuring a year by what remains undone. The project we haven’t started. The trip we haven’t taken. The habit that lasted approximately eleven days. We’re less good at remembering everything we’ve already lived through. The brilliant bits and the difficult ones. The things that didn’t go to plan but led somewhere else. The people we’ve met. The things we’ve learnt. The moments that would never have appeared on a January goals list but ended up mattering far more.

Perhaps September is a good moment to ask what we wanted from this year, what has actually made us happiest and whether what we wanted in January still matters now. Because we’re allowed to change our minds.

Look up

I went to the final day of Celestial this week and came out feeling rather different from when I went in. The exhibition explored our relationship with the sun, moon and stars, and the ways humans have looked to the skies for rhythm, meaning and connection across time.

It was spectacular, but it was the feeling it left me with that stayed with me. We spend an extraordinary amount of our lives looking down. At our phones. Our inboxes. Our diaries. Our to-do lists. The next thing that needs doing.

Then you spend an hour contemplating the sun, moon and the sheer scale of everything beyond us and somehow all that noise feels a little smaller. It reminded me that some things are simply good for the soul.

Art can do it. Nature can do it. Music can do it. Swimming can do it. Looking at the moon can do it. So can laughing until your stomach hurts with someone you love.

When wellness becomes another job

There is so much happening in wellness that fascinates us at Bright Souls. The science, the technology, the treatments and the brilliant people finding new ways to help us live and feel better. We want to know about all of it.

But sometimes wellness can make feeling well seem like another job. Another supplement. Another appointment. Another device. Another metric to track. Another thing we’re somehow failing to fit into the day.

Maybe some of what we need is much simpler. Morning light on your face. Walking without measuring the steps. Getting into water because you love how it feels. Music turned up loud. Looking at something beautiful. Being outside. Dinner with someone who makes you exhale. Ten minutes when nobody needs anything from you.

Nothing to track. Nothing to perfect. Most of it costs nothing. Perhaps that’s worth remembering. There are still almost four months of 2026 left.

What do you want from the rest of the year?

That’s plenty of time for things to happen. But perhaps we don’t need to respond by trying to cram every unfinished ambition into the space between now and Christmas.

Maybe the September question isn’t what haven’t I achieved yet?
Maybe it’s: What do I want the rest of this year to feel like?

There might be something you still really want to make happen. Something you thought about in January that matters just as much now. Or something completely new that wasn’t even on the radar then.

There might also be something you’re ready to let go of. What still matters? What can go? And what could you do less of to make more room for what does? We don’t need to race towards December. We can look back at where we’ve been, notice where we are and decide where we’d like to go next. And perhaps leave a little space for whatever we haven’t planned yet.

Oh, and remember to look up!

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September Reset Journaling Prompts

If you take nothing else from this, take five minutes with these three questions:

• What has this year taught me so far?
  Write down a few moments, experiences or lessons that have shaped your year so far — including the ones you didn’t plan for.
• Where am I now?
  What matters to me now, rather than what I thought would matter in January?
  Write down what feels most important to you right now, and anything that no longer feels as relevant or necessary.
• Where am I going?
  Write down a few words to describe how you want the next four months to feel, and what you’d like to make more space for.
• What do I truly want the rest of 2026 to feel like?
  Save them. Write them down. Talk about them over dinner. Or just think about them on your next walk.
• What could I do less of?
  Write down what you could reduce, release or simply stop giving so much time to — creating a little more space for the things that matter most.

I’m going to be asking myself these questions too. September always feels like a natural moment to notice where I am, without putting pressure on myself to have everything figured out.

For the rest of this year, I’m trying to make a little more space for the things that genuinely make me feel good, and a little less for the things I think I should be doing.

Whatever the next few months look like for you, I hope there’s space for more of what matters to you too.

And don’t forget to look up.

With Love,

Lauren x

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If this September check-in has inspired you to create a little more space for reflection and intention, we love the Magic of I Astrological Planner.

A beautiful companion for looking ahead with intention, while staying connected to the natural rhythms and cycles around us.

Not about filling every space in the diary — but being a little more thoughtful about what we choose to fill it with.

Head to The Bright Edit for the best community discounts on these products and more.

What I’m Listening Too: Regulated Woman

Talking of music being good for the soul, The Regulated Woman starts slowly and gradually becomes warmer, lighter and more uplifting.

Weyes Blood, The Staves, First Aid Kit, Beautiful Chorus and more, for Sunday mornings, cooking, walking, long drives or simply changing the energy in the room.

What’s On In Wellness

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And one little thing from us…

We’re increasingly helping brands and agencies navigate the wellness world too — from finding brilliant practitioners and experts to spaces, ideas and experiences.

Not sure who, what or where? Start with us.

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Stay Connected with Us

For more calm moments and curated wellness:

Bright Souls is a referral partner of the Health Optimisation Summit and may receive a commission when tickets are purchased through our link. As always, anything we share or recommend is selected independently by Bright Souls.