Stay with me for a minute—I think I can make a pretty convincing case.
I’ve never completely bought into the idea that January is the best time to reset our habits. If you ask me, September makes much more sense—and I think most people live this way whether they realize it or not.
The calendar may begin in January, but much of life runs on a school-year schedule. By September, summer travel is winding down and school is back in session. Community activities pick up again. Work schedules become more predictable. Even for those of us without school- age children at home, there is a familiar return to routine this time of year.
And routine can be very useful for our health.
Think about what happens during summer. We stay up later because the days are long. Meals happen at odd times. A beautiful Montana evening can easily take priority over whatever we had planned. I don’t necessarily think any of that needs to be “fixed.” It’s part of enjoying the season.
September naturally gives us a little more structure to work with. Regular sleep schedules become easier to establish (or re-establish). We start planning meals again. Exercise can find a place on the calendar instead of being squeezed in when there’s time. Supplements that have been sitting untouched since June may even make their way back into the daily routine.
This is also a useful time to look at what you want the next several months to look like. Maybe there is a health goal you’ve been putting off. Maybe your routine simply needs some attention after a busy summer. You don’t have to wait for January 1st to decide something is worth working on.
If you’ve followed these articles this year, you know I keep coming back to foundational health. The basics we’ve talked about—sleep, nutrition, regular movement, managing stress, adequate protein—continue to come up because our bodies rely on them every day.
September gives us a natural place to begin again—not with resolutions, but with routines. By the time January 1st rolls around, you could already have four months of consistency behind you. Instead of starting the new year trying to get going, you’re already well on your way.
See? September really is the new January!
Erin and Harley Brotherton are the owners of Evergreen Compounding Pharmacy located at 2640 US HWY 2 East in Kalispell. (406) 257-2083
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