To some people, Fall is the best season of the year: season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, crisp and rich with nature’s bounty but also an indulgent, pleasant melancholy, all tinged with pumpkin spice. Truly they are Mr Autumn Man.
For the more summer inclined, October signals the end of the good times. From here on out, the days get shorter, the nights get colder and the weather closes in. We’re on our way into the dark, and Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are scant compensation for the cold, wet weather than is to come.
Whether it’s simply not your favourite season, or if you’re afflicted by a more serious Seasonal Affective Disorder, you need to find silver linings in this dark season and learn to enjoy the Fall.
Nesting Season
When the weather closes in, it’s the perfect excuse to stay home and create a nest. Put on your most comfortable clothes, whether that’s a pair of much loved pajamas or a cashmere track pant and hoodie combo for maximum comfort. Build yourself a blanket nest or a pillow fort, cook an old family recipe or order in some good food and find a series to binge on Netflix.
It’s a relief when the weather provides you with a perfect alibi to indulge your lazy side, so make the most of it. As well as laying back and enjoying it, you could also find some low stress but useful things to catch up on at home: scrapbooking is a good project to throw yourself into at this time of year. The fall can be melancholy and reflective anyway, so using it as a time to review and display pictures from the year that’s coming to an end is fitting!
Getting Outdoors
Don’t let the colder weather turn you into a hermit, though! One of the main contributors to SAD is the lack of sunlight in the autumn and winter months, which lowers the level of serotonin in your brain.
Counteract this by getting outside in the company of friends! Going for a long walk to appreciate the change of the leaves in the fall is a good social occasion, but it also makes sure you get the most of the available sunlight, boosting your serotonin levels without having to resort to special lamps or lightboxes.
It’s easy if you live in a small town, but if you’re based in the heart of a big city it can take more planning. A weekend trip can be quite an undertaking, but it’s well worth it to get away into the heart of nature for a few days, to relax and soak up the fall colours.