Boost your autumn mood
Fall is usually the season when we start to hibernate a bit, cozy up as the evenings draw in, and spend more time indoors. After all the restrictions of the past year, thankfully made tolerable by the wonderful weather, many of us are dreading the dark autumn nights and the prospect of new lockdowns.
How to improve our autumn mood?
– What are your expectations for autumn? the factors that shaped your existing thinking? For some, it is their favorite season; the thought of curling up warm, kicking through falling leaves on a walk in the woods, cups of hot chocolate, board games around the fire. For others, it is a dark, miserable season filled with gloomy days where there is nothing to look forward to. How do you feel? Remember that your childhood memories and experiences don’t have to repeat themselves as you move into adulthood. Now you can make your own choices and use your ability to take control of your environment. Why not choose to improve your autumn mood?
– As the days grow shorter our melatonin and serotonin levels are affected. This is where dog walkers have a definite advantage as they often take their dogs on regular walks regardless of the weather. Try to follow the example of the dog walker and get outside, even for short breaks, so that you can feel some daylight, improve your serotonin levels and therefore your mood.
– Keep in touch with close friends and family so you can talk if you’re feeling down, need some relief, or need some human contact in your life. Share your fears and concerns, especially in this current climate, and agree to support each other. It often helps to know that you are not alone and that others are thinking of you.
– Commit to achieving a positive experience, success or achievement every day, even if it’s just washing your hair, sorting your sock drawer, walking to the corner store. Only you know how significant each result is! Share your good news and congratulate each other.
– Our diet often changes as the winter months approach. People enjoy the idea of salad less when it’s cold and dark, often preferring more comforting food like soups, casseroles and stews. Try to eat a healthy diet and include all the fall colors, vegetables and berries that are in season this time of year. You can make something that slow cooks, snuggle up in a warm coat and go for a walk knowing you’ll come home to a delicious meal.
– Focus on making the home cozier and soothing than perhaps in the summer months. Warm fabrics, colors and scents can enhance your fall mood by adding light to your home. Red, gold, bronze, silver used for pillows, throws, prints can brighten up a room. Unique items can often be purchased locally at markets and craft fairs. Scented candles can enhance the atmosphere and add a welcome aroma to the room.
– Lighting is important during the darker months. Overhead lighting can be quite harsh, so consider sconces or smaller lamps that offer mood-enhancing ways to illuminate your room. Or candles, used safely, can add an inviting glow.
– Socializing often requires more thought, especially right now with so many changing restrictions. Online communication is a lifeline for those with internet access, providing invaluable ways to stay in touch with friends and family. Groups of friends have found ingenious ways to entertain each other using quiz nights, book clubs, recipe samples, all online. And it’s nice to have something to look forward to.
– Online lessons and studying can be a good use of your time in the autumn, enhancing your education, giving you something extra to add to your CV and improving your chances of getting a job if you’re in the market for a new career.
– Autumn is a good time to plan Christmas, making your Christmas cakes and puddings. Or you can spend hours making personalized Christmas cards and gifts using your craft, drawing, knitting, needlework skills. Kids often enjoy tinkering with glitter and glue!
– I work from home is an increasingly familiar option, but fall can become a time when you start to feel like a pit pony, walking into your home office and hardly ever stepping out into the daylight; there is often little else to do! Improve your autumn mood by planning regular breaks, for meals, to call a friend for a pleasant conversation, to get outside and stretch your legs. Your work will thank you, as breaks have been found to improve productivity upon return.
– Add some homemade goodies, things you might not do during the typical summer months. Take a thirty-minute bath with candles, lots of bubbles, and warm towels, look through your photos or music catalog, and laugh or cry at the memories they evoke.
A little planning can help you improve your fall mood and make sure you stay healthy, take good care of yourself and have positive things in your life that support you both mentally and physically.
#Boost #autumn #mood
