With the beginning of September comes the welcoming of autumn for those of us within the northern hemisphere. This means longer nights, more time spent outside of sunlight hours, and the possibility of colder weather. It can be all too easy to slip into a ‘winter depression‘, and exacerbate pre-existing mental health problems.
Although self-care is important throughout the year, it’s especially important during the darker months. Some of us might like to curl up under a blanket and read, while others will take pleasure in a warm fire and hot chocolate. If it provides comfort and allows you to unwind, it can be considered self-care. Some people find pleasure in words and walks, while others enjoy scented candles and bubble baths. Self-care is entirely up to the user’s discretion, but it can easily creep into self-soothing territory.
Need some help? Check out this wonderful post by The Wild Essence for more simple and inexpensive self-care ideas!
By The Wild essence.
Whether you like it or not, summer is over. For some of us, it can be quite challenging to find a reason to be happy about this season. Fortunately, autumn brings us more special moments to use seasonal self-care ideas.
With autumn comes gloomier days and colder weather. It can be more difficult to find inspiration and to feel motivated. Darker days bring with them darker moods, increased stress levels, and low mood. Some might even find themselves suffering from SAD, known as seasonal affective disorder wherein they become increasingly depressed in the darker months. But autumn can also be a really inspiring season! Just look around and notice how beautiful fall can be. Something magical is going on in the air – nature starts changing its color. Together it brings new changes in our lives.
Celebrate this season through self-care practices! Allow me to introduce you to some indoor and outdoor practices to try this fall. All of these ideas help to support our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs in some form. Bring these practices to your daily or weekly routine to make the most of your fall season.
Admire colorful scenery.
Warm autumn colors positively affect your emotions. Let the autumn colors inspire you. Go on a hike, have an autumn picnic, walk through fallen leaves. It’s a great chance to enjoy the last moments of warm weather and sunny days. Sunlight also provides us with Vitamin D that inturn keeps our minds and bodies healthy! With lockdown, it’s quite possible that many people are no lacking in essential stores of vitamin D, so use the dry, crisp weather to replenish your lost resources.
Taste autumn.
Bake a pumpkin pie or try a pumpkin spice latte! There are so many recipes on the internet. Make some homemade fall beverages with cinnamon, apple, and spices. Not only are these comforting, but these seasonal tastes will give you that special, fall feeling.
This post on Hygge goes into more detail about how to make the most of the dark, winter nights.
Light up candles.
Candles will make your home warmer and more inviting. Scented candles create a more meditative and calming atmosphere. Not sure what candles and scents to go for? Check out some of these ideas from Amazon.
Do autumn housekeeping.
Decorate your home for fall, use autumn leaves, seasonal flowers, cushions, scented candles. You can easily preserve picked leaves for longer use. Just spay hair spray on the leaves, place them in the old newspaper inside a book, and put something heavy on the book. Voila! You’ve got yourself preserved, fall leaves to help decorate your home.
Prepare your wardrobe for autumn.
Transform your wardrobe from summer to autumn. Warmer clothes, socks, cozy knitwear, jumpers will be in the first place. It’s also a great time to get rid of summer clothes you haven’t worn this summer from your wardrobe. Removing unnecessary things from your wardrobe will make you feel refreshed and ready for the new season.
How gorgeous is this fall knitted cardi from BMJL at Amazon? Who says you need to spend a fortune to feel and look good?
Reconnect with your hobby, or find a new one!
Darker evenings are a great time for getting lost in some interesting hobbies. Pick up something you used to love or discover something new to immerse yourself in. Finish off that book, painting, or stitching project you started. Or why not knit something for yourself? Knitting is a fantastic way to relax and it’s so easy to lose yourself in the motions.
But don’t stop there! There are so many great ways to get creative! Art can be a fantastic way to enhance our minds and stabilize our mental health.
Learn new skills.
Now you’ll probably be spending more time at home (much like the rest of this year). It’s a perfect time to start learning something new. Put your time into something you like. Cultivating your interests and discovering new ones will make you feel more empowered and is an essential component of personal self-care.
Don’t forget to exercise.
Exercise is a must for your self-care routine. There are so many physical activities that can be done at home. If you haven’t exercised before, you don’t need to wait for the new year. You can start right now with some simple, easy to learn routines. But of course, not all of us like to exercise. So why not try a walk? Pop in your headphones, turn up the volume and admire the beautiful, fall scenery. And finally, this wouldn’t be an exercise section without mentioning yoga!
Prevent the cold and flu.
Self-care is about taking good care of your health. Eat healthy food, wash your hands more often, and increase positivity in your daily life. Did you know that positive thought has a huge impact on your immune system? Even more reason to practice gratiude, take your medication and purposely be kinder to yourself and others.
Check out Nyxie’s gratitude journal below! You can get your copy by signing up to the newsletter OR by following the link below.
Thewildessence.com is a blog around yoga, wellness, and a healthy lifestyle. There you can find motivational wall art decors that are created from a sense of connection and love for a holistic lifestyle and nature.
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YES! These are such awesome options. I've been really trying to practice self-care right now because my job has been so difficult.
Thanks for reading lovely!
Some of these things like scented candles are for me really a must for pampering and relaxation, but also a nice long and enveloping cardigan. They are good for the mood!
I love a good cardi for the autumn time! I'm on the hunt for some halloween ones at the moment but can't seem to find any eloquent ones.
The apple pie candles sounds delicious! Hehe awesome post, puts one in such a good mood.
Thank you so much for reading :)
I think you're bang on that the seasonal changes definitely call for switching up your self care routine. Autumn definitely calls for all sorts of cozy routines. ❤️
Thanks for reading!
What a Beautiful post! I love this and I also love how you incorporated SAD in there, I don't think people realize this is a thing and it does happen! But I love every bit of this post and tips with links!
I'm glad you enjoyed! Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment.
That apple pie candle sounds fantastic. I love being able to take hot baths with epsom salt as the weather gets cooler. Great tips as always!
Thank you so much for reading and commenting :)
Fab post! This makes me SO excited for Autumn, I especially love the taste of autumn section - I can't wait for all the autumnal flavours! Thanks for sharing x
Sophie | http://www.loveandliterature.co.uk
Thank you :D
Yes! Loved this - so important, especially when we have the winter dark nights and naturally feeling lower - to look after ourselves and continue self care. Thank you for sharing your tips and advice! Emma x
I loved this- I adore this time of year but it's so bad for my mental health, so it's important to practice self-care. I'm so excited for cardigans and candles :)
For some it might sound very silly but, from experience, I can tell change in weather and light hours affect both mood and health. When I started working early two years ago in the morning and under artificial lights I felt weird and got ill. I'm still taking high dosage of vitamin D and try to stay out as much as I can.
These tips are great: simple, effective and for everyone.
Thank you for sharing these and xoxo