How to Beat the Autumn Blues Through Self Care

Don’t let the gloom get you down! Discover how you can beat the autumn blues by taking good care of yourself.

The concept of self-care has been a hot trending topic of late. But the idea is nothing new. By the time you wore Dynasty shoulder pads as all the rage in the 80s, self-care had already entered popular awareness and had been getting ever hotter. And for a good reason.

It is a great way to think of your own needs and put yourself first, helping you to relieve stress and anxiety, increase productivity, and have a more fulfilling life.

Who wouldn’t want that?

There are many ways to practice self-care and even more benefits for your total health and wellness. One benefit we love is helping to reduce the anxiety that you might experience when the summer turns into fall.

Curious to learn more?

Let’s see how to practice self-care in the fall season and set up the perfect self-care routine.

5 Types of Self Care to Banish the Autumn Blues and Feel Fabulous

If you are a self-care novice, you might be envisioning bubble baths and reading in front of a fire during the fall season.

While these can be enjoyable activities, they don’t even begin to cover the plethora of strategies that can help you be anxiety-free and vivacious, despite the diminishing sunlight.

There are actually many different types of self-care, depending on what your needs are, what you are dealing with, and what is available to you.

Self-care is a personal, unique experience, so just because your best friend prefers going hiking on the weekends as a form of self-care, doesn’t mean you have to if you don’t enjoy hiking.

Here are some of our personal favorite types of self-care activities:

Physical Self-Care

The first type of self-care is physical self-care. This includes activities that involve your physical self aka moving, but also those that improve your physical health.

For example, going for a walk at the beach or in the forest can be a great activity that moves your body. Also, spending time in nature is a wonderful and powerful way to boost your overall sense of wellness. Though of course it also fits into other types, such as your emotional health and even social if you choose to do it with a friend. There is nothing better to silence the autumn blues than moving!

Some other physical strategies include:

• Doing yoga in the morning
• Adding more nutrients to your diet
• Participating in fun exercise, like riding your bike or going swimming
• Walking your dogs

Physical self-care, even when including exercise, should be relaxing and enjoyable. Don’t use it as an excuse to add intense workouts that are only used for weight loss.

Emotional and Mental Self-Care Are Both Critical In Dealing With the Autumn Blues

Then you have the emotional and mental self-care activities, which naturally take care of your emotional health.

As with all types of self-care, some of these blend in with other categories, but might include:

• Writing in your journal to express your emotions
• Doing a brain dump when you feel stress
• Using essential oils to relax and reduce anxiety
• Seeing a therapist for your mental health condition
• Listening to music
• Meditating or practicing mindfulness

Social Self-Care

Many people see self-care as only a solo activity, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, being part of a community supports your sense of belonging and is very important for your overall health and wellbeing. And not just when you’re going through the autumn blues. You can definitely practice self-care in the fall with friends or family.

Some social self-care activities might include:

• Family dance party in the living room
• Having coffee with a friend
• Meeting a co-worker for drinks after work
• Trying a new workout class with a friend
• Walking the dog after dinner in the evenings
• Going on a family bike ride

Creative Self-Care

One of our personal favorite types of self-care is one that helps you to explore your creative side, which is often combined with intellectual self-care (like reading or learning new things).

The creative self-care activities might include:

• Drawing or painting
• Learning a new craft
• Working on your hobby
• Photography
• Creative writing

Really, it can be any type of activity that you enjoy doing, helps you relax and unwind, and helps to tap into your inner creativity.

Spiritual Self-Care

Lastly, there is spiritual self-care. If you have a religion, this can definitely include things like going to church and reading your bible as part of spiritual self-care.

However, for other people, it often includes:

• Practicing mindfulness
• Meditating,
• Doing yoga
• Reading a book on spirituality
• Listening to music
• Meeting with like-minded people

Now that we have covered the types of self-care and brainstormed some activities, I hope that you’re inspired to try at least one activity in each area.

Autumn doesn’t have to be the corpse bride’s ominous misty veil trailing in summer’s wake.

That magical bridge between summer’s languorous frivolities and winter’s dazzling festivities can be an opportunity to reflect and reconnect.

While inward reflection and reconnecting with our inner selves are important, sometimes the best way to do that is through connecting with others.

So, let’s have a look at three strategies that will help you to connect both internally and externally.

Strategy 1 Is FUN!

Fun Activities to Boost Your Mental Health and Banish Autumn Blues

Do you want to practice self-care in the fall? Then fully embrace it! You can do this by finding some fun activities this season that make you excited and are something look forward to. Think of it as a fall bucket list of things to do.

Remember that they can include any type of self-care, from physical activities to creative crafts and more. They can be solo or social activities as well.

Here are some different ideas, though you should explore what you would personally enjoy the most.

Bring Pumpkin and Fall Spices into the House

Fall is not just a season of autumnal melancholy but also the season for pumpkin, cinnamon, and all those delicious autumn spices. You can really embrace fall and practice self-care at the same time by bringing more of these pieces into your home.

Here are a few ideas:

• Go to a nearby pumpkin patch to pick out your pumpkins for carving.
• Pick up a pumpkin spice latte and enjoy it while reading a book.
• Bake pumpkin and other seasonal treats with your kids.
• Decorate your home for fall.
• Make crafts alone or with friends themed for the fall season.

Get Cozy with Fall Hygge

Hygge is the Danish practice of being cozy and comfortable and unwinding. It is about taking time out for yourself and slowing down, as so many people feel rushed and busy all day long.

Fall is the perfect season for hygge, as you can cuddle under a fuzzy blanket to read, watch a movie while laying on the couch with your significant other, or sitting in front of the fireplace with a cup of cocoa and a good book. These are all amazing ways of practicing self-care.

Take Your Family Apple Picking

For more social self-care activities in the fall, why not go apple picking? This not only helps you add some healthy fruit to your diet, but it is both physical activity and something you can do as a family.

It helps everyone get out of the house in the fall, so you don’t feel isolated and alone. It also gets your bodies moving, helps you try a fun, new activity, and is great for family bonding. Turn off your phones and head to the nearest apple orchard.

Run a 5K for Charity

Why not combine self-care with something that helps other people? There are many 5K walks and runs in the fall season. It’s great fun to meet people and challenge yourself, so consider signing up.

This is going to provide you with a few benefits.

• You can involve your children or grandchildren to show them how important it is to help other people.
• Your donation is often for a local charity that needs your help.
• You get physical exercise both in the training and the 5K itself.
• You are able to find fulfillment through an outdoor activity.

Enjoy a Fall Stroll at a Nearby Park

When the fall season begins, the leaves change, the weather cools, and everything smells different. Choose a day when it isn’t too cold, and head to a nearby park. This allows you to really embrace the beauty of fall with the changing, falling leaves, the critters who come out during this time of year, and a lot of peace and calm.

Strategy 2 Is a New Start!

Start a New Daily Routine To Make the Most of the Autumn Season and Avoid the Blues

In order to be sure you get enough time for self-care this fall, it helps to create a new daily routine. One of the most common reasons people have for their lack of self-care is lack of time. But in most cases, you do have the time, you just aren’t setting that free time aside for yourself.

It is very easy to get wrapped up in work and personal responsibilities, but you have to make yourself a priority. This starts with a new daily routine.

Creating a New Routine for Fall

Your daily routine can be in the morning or evening, depending on what types of self-care activities you are interested in, and when you tend to have more time to yourself. For some people, this is the morning, when you are able to wake up a little earlier and have quiet time before the rest of the house gets up.

For others, it is in the evening before bed, when the kids are tucked in. You can also think about what self-care activities you are interested in. Journaling is great in both the morning and evening, but yoga you might prefer doing in the morning, while many people like to meditate at night before bed.

As you start working on your fall routine, here are some things to keep in mind:

• What time of day do you need more time to yourself?
• When do you tend to waste more time, that could be better spent on self-care?
• What activities are in your own personal self-care to-do list?
• In what ways does your current daily routine need to be updated for fall?
• How is the fall season going to change your routine?

Once you answer these questions, it will become much easier to figure out a routine that not only keeps you happy and productive but fits in some self-care time as well.

Strategy 3 Is All About You

Make Your Own Needs a Priority To Enjoy Strong Health Throughout Fall

Lastly, we want to touch one more time on making self-care a priority. Stop making excuses about how you don’t have money for self-care activities, you lack time, or you just aren’t motivated.

You have to be your own first priority. If your needs are not met, it becomes harder to help your significant other, kids, and other people in your life.

Self-care is not a selfish act. It is something everyone should do more of. It can help your physical health, boost your happiness, make you feel fulfilled, relieve stress and anxiety, and do so much more for your overall wellness.

Some last things to keep in mind when it comes to self-care:

• It doesn’t have to cost anything. Self-care comes in many forms and can include just spending time doing what you love.
• You can practice self-care with your family or friends; it is not always a solo activity.
• Simply making more time for activities you love is a great form of self-care.

Let’s give autumn a better name than just a depressing, cold season that pushed our lovely summer out!

We can turn the autumn blues into a soothing, pleasant melody.

Let’s see her in her true colours and smell her true scents.

Here’s to you flourishing at every time of the year!

Disclaimer:

This article was written by Zuzana Halliwell. I am not a doctor or health professional and cannot be held liable for the information written here. This article is meant to provide information about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. The content is based on my own personal experience and on information provided by medical professionals that is available to the public. It is not intended to provide medical advice. Do not use it as an alternative to seeking help from a medical professional.