The Höstreset: Embracing the Nordic Autumn Ritual of Slowness and Reflection
Around the last week of October, something shifts in Sweden. The clocks go back, and the evenings arrive early. By the end of the month in Stockholm, the sun sets at around four in the afternoon. You leave work and it's already dusk.
For years, I treated this as a problem to solve. I'd push harder, drink more coffee, and carry on at summer speed in winter light. It never worked.
What does work is something much older and simpler: letting the season change you a little. Slowing down when the light slows down. I call it the Höstreset, and this is how I do it.
A quick note before we start. Höst is the Swedish word for autumn. "Höstreset" is our own name for the habit, not an ancient Swedish tradition. But it borrows from things Swedes really do, like lighting candles in the afternoon, taking coffee and sitting down properly, and treating the dark season as something to settle into rather than endure.
What is the Höstreset?
It's a small, repeatable autumn ritual. Not a detox, not a challenge, and not a list of things you're failing at. It has three parts:
- Slow the evening down. A softer end to the day, with lower light and fewer screens.
- Reset your space and your body. Warm, simple comforts: something to drink, something to wear, something to smell.
- Reflect. A few quiet minutes to ask what this year has actually been, and what you want to carry into the dark months.
That's all. It takes 20 to 40 minutes, and you can do it in an evening or spread it across a week.
Why autumn is the right time to slow down
Spring and January get all the attention when it comes to fresh starts. But a lot of people tell me autumn is when they truly feel the need to reset. The summer is over, the year has a clear end in sight, and the days are getting shorter in a way you can't ignore.
Nature does the same thing. Trees let go of their leaves. Gardens are cut back. Nothing is trying to grow at full speed. If you work in a job that never slows down, autumn can be the one time of year when slowing down feels natural rather than lazy.
This also matches the long-term idea behind everything we make. We think good habits come from rhythm, not from intensity. A small ritual done every week beats a big overhaul you abandon in ten days.
Part one: Slow the evening down
Lower the light. The simplest autumn upgrade is to switch off the overhead lamp and use warmer, lower light. A few lamps, and a candle.
I light a candle in the late afternoon as soon as it gets dark, which is a very Swedish habit. Ours are hand-poured from beeswax and rapeseed wax with a cotton wick, and the amber jar has no sticker on it, so the light comes out all the way round. A 58g candle burns for at least 22 hours, so a small one lasts a good while. It's not about mood lighting for photos. It's a signal that the working part of the day is over.
Put the screen away earlier than feels natural. You don't need a strict rule. Try thirty minutes before bed for a week and see how you feel. It's much easier when there's something nicer to do instead.
Eat and drink slowly. In Sweden fika is more than a coffee break. It's a deliberate pause where you sit down, put your phone away and take the time to taste what you're having. The Höstreset borrows this attitude. One warm drink, drunk properly, is worth more than three drunk at your desk.
Part two: Reset your space and your body
Something warm to drink
I'm careful with big claims about what herbs can do, so I'll keep this simple: a warm, caffeine-free cup in the evening is a good ritual, and the ritual is the point.
Our botanical infusions are blended by hand in Sweden and filled into hand-folded corn fiber bags. They're based on a way of thinking from my family called yao shi tong yuan, which roughly means that food and plants belong in the same daily life. We use ingredients that people have used in kitchens and teapots for generations, such as goji, mulberry, hibiscus and chamomile. They're not medicine, and we make no medical claims. They taste of plants and fruit, and they're meant to be sipped slowly.
For autumn, I like something warm and fruity. In the evening I make it a habit to boil the kettle, wait for it to cool a little, and sit down with it. Ten minutes. Nothing else.
Something soft to rest on
When it's cold and dark, comfort matters more. Silk is one of the easiest ways I know to make a bedroom feel calmer.
A 30 momme silk pillowcase has real weight and a smooth, cool surface. It's good for your hair too, because silk causes less friction than cotton. In autumn, I switch to a silk sleep cap when the air gets dry from the heating, to keep my hair from tangling overnight. These are made in China to our own specification, in genuine mulberry silk. I'd rather tell you that plainly than let you assume otherwise.
If you wear your hair down and want soft waves in the morning, our heatless curlers are hand-sewn in Sweden, with silk on the outside, cotton inside and hand-sewn edges. You put them in as part of your evening routine and take them out in the morning, with no heat and no hurry.
Something to smell
A scent can mark the start of a ritual. I like to keep a small scented silk sachet near my pillow. It's filled with dried lavender and chamomile and finished with a touch of essential oil. There's no flame, so it also travels well, including into hotel rooms where candles aren't allowed.
If you prefer a candle at home and a sachet away from home, that's a good combination.
Something heavy over your eyes
An eye pillow, filled with flaxseed and dried botanicals, is a lovely thing to lie down with for ten minutes. You can warm it gently, or use it cool. Then, when it's time to sleep, switch to a silk eye mask that blocks light. Dark mornings in November are a gift for sleeping; summer light can come back later.
Part three: Reflect
This is the part people skip, and it's the part that matters most.
You don't need to write a journal entry. A few quiet questions, answered in a sentence each, are enough. Here's the set I use:
- What did this year give me that I want to keep?
- What am I still carrying that I'd like to put down before winter?
- What is one thing I'd like more of in the dark months? (Rest? Time with a friend? A walk each day?)
- What is one thing I'd like less of?
- What am I looking forward to?
I answer these at the kitchen table, with a candle and a warm drink, and I don't aim to be wise. Some years the answers are practical: Sleep more. Say no to more things. Some years they surprise me.
If you're feeling heavy rather than reflective, that's worth taking seriously. Low mood in the dark months is common, and it isn't something a candle fixes. Talk to your doctor or someone you trust if it lasts or gets in the way of daily life. A ritual can support a good routine, but it's not a treatment.
A simple Höstreset evening
Here's what it looks like in practice. Adjust anything.
4:30 pm. It's getting dark. Light a candle.
6:30 pm. Cook something warm and simple. Eat slowly, without your phone.
8:00 pm. Make a warm botanical infusion. Sit down with it for ten minutes.
8:30 pm. Answer two or three of the reflection questions. Write a sentence each.
9:00 pm. Put the screen away. Lie down with the eye pillow for ten minutes, or read.
9:30 pm. Put in the heatless curlers if you use them. Place a sachet near your pillow. Blow out the candle.
10:00 pm. Silk pillowcase, silk eye mask. Sleep.
You don't need all of it. One or two pieces done consistently are better than the full list done once.
Making it a habit, not a project
A few things I've learned about keeping a ritual going:
- Start small. Pick one thing for the first week. Just the candle and the drink, for instance.
- Attach it to something you already do. After dinner, or when the dishwasher goes on.
- Don't make it a test. If you miss three nights, nothing has gone wrong. Start again on the fourth.
- Keep the tools simple and nearby. The more you have to get out, the less likely you are to bother.
- Do it with someone. A partner, a friend, or a child. It's a nice thing to share.
If you like the idea of having the pieces gathered for you, our seasonal ritual boxes are built around exactly this. But you don't need a box. A candle, a mug and ten quiet minutes are enough.
The bottom line
Autumn in the north is not a problem to be fixed. It's a change of pace, and it comes with a built-in invitation to slow down, look back and get ready for the quiet months.
The Höstreset is just a way of accepting that invitation. Light a candle. Make something warm. Rest on something soft. Ask yourself a few honest questions. Then sleep well.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Höstreset mean? Höst is Swedish for autumn, and reset is the English word. The Höstreset is our own name for a slow autumn ritual. It isn't a traditional Swedish custom, but it borrows from real Nordic habits such as candlelight in the afternoon and fika.
What is a Nordic autumn ritual? There's no single official one. In Sweden, people often respond to the dark season by lighting candles, making warm drinks, spending time indoors with friends and family, and taking walks while there's still light. The Höstreset collects those ideas into one simple evening routine.
How long does the Höstreset take? Between 20 and 40 minutes. You can do the whole thing in one evening or spread it across the week.
When should I start my autumn reset? Whenever you feel the season change. Many people find it easiest around the end of October, when the clocks go back and the evenings get dark early.
Do I need to buy anything? No. A candle, a warm drink and a quiet ten minutes are enough. The other items we mention, such as silk, a sachet or an eye pillow, are comforts you can add if you like them.
Are your botanical infusions medicine? No. They are a food product based on traditional ingredients, meant to be enjoyed as a warm drink. They are not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any condition. If you take medication or have a health condition, check with your doctor before trying new herbs.
Is this the same as hygge or mys? They're related. Hygge is Danish and mys is the Swedish word for cosy comfort. The Höstreset adds a reflective part: a few honest questions about the year, to go with the comfort.
What if I feel low in autumn and winter? It's common to feel low when the light drops, and a ritual can support your routine. But if your mood stays low or affects your daily life, talk to your doctor or someone you trust. A candle and a warm drink are not a replacement for support.
Which products are made in Sweden? Our candles, heatless curlers, eye pillows, aroma sachets, pearl jewelry and botanical infusions are made in Sweden. Our silk pillowcases, sleep caps, eye masks and scrunchies are made in China to our own specification in 30 momme mulberry silk.
