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This time of year can be a real struggle for people, as the nights draw in, it gets a little colder and people start dropping the C-word (Christmas). It can at times feel like the year slipped from right under your feet.
I love this time of year, it's one of natures most transitional points and those natural transformations lend themselves to emotional metaphors and a feeling in the air that harks of pathetic fallacy as if the season was written just to suit our impending slug-like mood.
Embrace the little things that make a difference to your day!
Autumn can actually be a really abundant and comforting season and I am a total advocate for embracing the tone of these next few months and optimising it in terms of your own personal change.
The hang over of summer ( literal or metaphorically) tends to be naturally slowed and cooled by the turn of September.
I often use this time of year as a time for reflection, and begin to plan for the year ahead. I do this for two reasons 1) there is more excuse to be indoors and generally pondering in the warmth 2) When it gets to December I am ahead of the game in terms of thinking about what I want to achieve for the year ahead and for me that means I begin with the momentum.
That said, this (autumn) is the season of enjoying a slightly slower pace and with that comes walks in the outdoors ( rainy or not) enjoying the crunch and swish of leaves under my feet and the colours that surround. These for me are moments of mindfulness, of being with that moment. Allowing your mind to explore any thoughts of the day whilst dipping in and out of the sights, smells and sounds of the natural and changing world. The benefit of getting out in this space means you keep moving in those darker colder months which will generate all those useful happy hormones in your mind and body too.
This is a great time to start journalling, if you don't already. Particularly if you are feeling like your mood has or is shifting into something a little less motivated and energised. Journalling doesn't have to be an arduous task to feel compelled to do every day and pressure yourself into! It can equally be adhoc and fluid. You may even prefer not to write words at all. There are plenty of ways to capture your mood and thoughts through doodles, photos, diagrams/flowcharts or even good old college cut & stick style for those more crafty ones amongst us. The great thing about these sort of processes is they give you the time and space to relax and reflect in a way that is right for you and really help you to check in with how you are feeling/thinking.
Other little ways I embrace autumn:
Make Soup - I love soup and the process of cooking and making fresh stuff from seasonal ingredients in itself is a mood lifter for me.
Get an Autumn playlist - find tracks to inspire you during this season.
Hibernate - ok so not actually - comfort is on my radar even more at autumn and that means great books, longer baths, fires, blankets and NEW WOOLY SOCKS! ( it is the little things after all!).
Autumn wardrobe - with this comes organising and tidying away bits of summer, but also out comes all my autumn colours and cosier fabrics ( I bloody love a chunky knit me!) this just adds to the comfort and enjoyment of this season.
Oooh Thank you's! ( I think this is what other coaches/therapists would call affirmations or gratitude statements)... for me it's literally as I describe... extra focus on the things I am really thankful for "oooh thank you"! noticing these types of things keeps you smiling and broadens your opportunity to invite even more gratitude and positivity into your life.
What are the little things that will make a difference to you this season?
Maybe you are already shifting into new routines and activities without consciously realising?
If this time of year feels a bit more of a slump for you, you could consider jotting down 5-10 things you are going to incorporate into your autumn month to keep you happy, cozy and content. Be playful with it, after all this is all about keeping your mood open and refreshed.
Enjoy and please feel free to comment and share your ways to autumn well-being, after all you may have a genius idea we can all benefit from.
