LISTEN. This is NOT a drill!

DO YOU HEAR ME? NOT A DRILL.

🍂 Fall is about to roll up on us in full swing—pumpkins, scarves, and Bath and Body Works candles already trying to take our whole paycheck. 

Yes. We love the colors, the crisp air, the cute boots, and yes, even the seasonal lattes.

But here’s the thing nobody really says out loud (BUT WIDELY KNOWN IN THE MENTAL HEALTH FIELD): fall is sneaky. It’s not just pretty leaves and cozy sweaters.

It’s also the slow build-up into a season that makes us feel everything.

Summer lets you live outside of yourself—cookouts, music festivals, long days, and easy excuses not to sit with your thoughts.

But fall? Fall turns into that sentimental auntie (with a glass of wine in her hand) that wants you to look at the old photo albums she pulled out, replay old school songs, and start reflecting on what could have been.

And once fall shifts into winter? Whew. That’s when the emotional roller coaster has the audacity to add extra loops.

This is why you’ve got to get your wellness health toolbox ready NOW. Not when you’re already in the middle of a mood dip. Not when daylight savings has you feeling like it’s midnight at 5:30 p.m. You need to prep your tools ahead of time like you do with crockpot recipes and fuzzy socks.

So what does that look like?

• Boundaries: Decide now who’s not getting your emotional real estate this season. You can’t entertain everybody and still have energy left for you.

• Support Systems: Line up your check-in crew—the friend who answers FaceTime with a bonnet on, your therapist, your journal, your group chat. You’ll need them when the reflective feels get too loud.

• Self-Care Routines: Choose what grounds you. Maybe it’s your morning walk, tea before bed, or blasting gospel before work. These become your anchors when moods start shifting.

• Joy Sparks: Have a running list of small joys—movies that always make you laugh, comfort foods that don’t send you spiraling, playlists that remind you you’re still that girl.

Fall is beautiful, yes. But it’s also a season of emotional excavation. It pulls things up from the soil of your soul—both good and hard. And that’s not a bad thing, sis. That’s just the rhythm of life. But the difference between being pulled under and staying present is whether or not you’re ready to pull out your tools.

So here’s your gentle nudge: don’t wait until you’re caught in the fall-to-winter feels. Rummage through your toolbox NOW, dust it off, and keep it close. Because this season is not about surviving—it’s about thriving.

#THRIVENOW

Sharell D. Cannady, CEO of Docked Ships