Is your work 'working'? September Stirrings and Career Change

There's something about late August that makes us pause and take notice.

Maybe it's the slanted light through office windows or Labor Day approaching like a gentle deadline. This time of year brings 'September Stirrings'. It's the urge to reassess whether our work lives are truly working for us.

Do you feel it too?

September has always been the real New Year for me. Years of conditioning where September meant new beginnings: new grades, new teachers, new possibilities run deep. Even decades into our careers, something awakens, whispering: "What do I want this year to look like?"

Unlike January's energy, September's call feels organic. Summer's slower pace creates space to notice what we've been too busy to see. Anticipating a return to routine highlights what's working and what isn't as we've had time to observe our work patterns, energy, and satisfaction without holiday stress or winter blues.

There's research behind September Stirrings, too!  

According to research, our decision-making and self-reflection abilities peak during specific times of the year. Significant dates cue us to organize our lives (from the concept of Temporal Landmarks). Studies also indicate that people are more likely to make important life changes during months that feel like natural beginnings.

We are primed to change when we can feel autumn arriving. My addition... because as animals, our bodies are more attuned to the changing seasons than we may consciously realize, these shifts subtly influence our thoughts and behaviors—a process psychologists call ‘bottom-up’ processing.

Recognizing Your September Stirrings

Your stirrings might show up as:

• Sunday night anxiety that feels heavier than usual (the Sunday Super Scaries)

• Daydreaming about different career paths during meetings

• Feeling envious when friends talk about their work projects

• A persistent sense that you're capable of more

• Physical symptoms like fatigue or restlessness (or worse) that seem work-related

• Randomly browsing job boards "just to see what's out there"

The key is distinguishing between temporary late-summer blues and genuine signals that change might be needed. Which leads me to...

Making Space for Honest Assessment

Before you update your resume or start networking, let yourself listen to tyour September Stirrings. Listen does not mean obey; approach this as a fact-finding mission about your own work life.

Set aside time for genuine reflection to find clarity on what your work experience actually is right now, beyond the stories you tell yourself about what it should be.

Many of my clients begin with a solo “retreat” — an hour, half-day, or weekend — answering customized questions that reveal patterns, gaps, and possibilities they hadn’t seen before.

I've created a September Stirrings Self-Check. It's a guided set of questions to help you distinguish between seasonal restlessness and genuine signals for change.

The raw data will surface what’s coming up for you. The next step is making sense of it, to put the puzzle pieces together, and more often than not, that’s where a professional "question-asker" comes in.

Contact me, if you'd like me to send it to you.

Judy Garfinkel helps you clarify "what's next." Her expertise in building confidence and resilience supports personal development and the ability to navigate career and work transitions, especially now! She is a PCC credentialed coach, certified Trauma-Informed, Whole Person, and Life Purpose and Career Coach. Judy also crafts bespoke resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and bios that open doors for her clients and land jobs. Judy is a Past President of the International Coaching Federation - Connecticut Chapter, where she led 250+ member coaches. You can reach her at judy@moveintochange.com.