Fall. Love it or hate it, you can’t deny that the change in season brings a change in your routines, your wardrobe, and your general outlook. While fall lovers might be excited, there is a significant number of people who see this season change and dread it. The cooler temperatures signal less time with friends and more time inside, alone and isolated. If you are like me, fall means that the ‘countdown’ in your mind has started. Questions have popped up. ‘When am I going to start feeling bad again? Is it going to be this week?’
Living in that state of anxiety and sadness can really be difficult. Take these tips to make your transition to fall smoother this year.
- Find your Positive Routine
There is something about fall that makes us want to have a routine. Maybe because summer is filled with adventures and vacations, we crave schedules in the fall. However, if you don’t set yourself up with a positive routine, the same sadness that sweeps over you every time this season will do so again.
Your morning routine needs to include a devotional or bible study. Starting the day with the Lord is always essential, no matter the season. Make it a priority this fall to start every day out by reading the Word of God and letting it fill you. I’ve got a great Bible Study in my shop that you can start with!
Also, starting your day in prayer is essential. Talking with God first thing in the morning is so important to your outlook on your day. God is WITH YOU! Starting your day talking with Him will give you peace that is unexplainable.
Starting your day with a positive affirmation is also a great way to start shifting your mindset. (Check out this list of 25 Fall Christian Affirmations that I’ll be posting next week, or this list of 100 Christian Affirmations!)
Positive affirmations can feel quite silly at first (*Kendall, you really want me to stand in front of my mirror and say this sentence out loud to myself 5 times?) but over time you will notice that the more positive things you say about yourself, the better you will feel. Do you know how many negative thoughts that we have about ourselves daily? A study found that nearly 80% of most people’s thoughts are negative every single day! If we don’t start speaking some positivity into our lives, we can’t expect to start feeling better! Pick one affirmation for every day, or print a list of affirmations and then start saying them!
2. Gently move your body
I don’t mean start an intense workout regimen, nor do I mean to say that movement is good for everyone (If your Eating Disorder treatment says not to do this, then don’t!). BUT, we know that sitting around, unless you are in recovery from an ED, or if you are sick, isn’t great. It makes us feel… ugh.
While it’s cold, or cooler outside, we tend to sit snuggled in blankets instead of moving. Doing peaceful movement, like yoga, walking, or playing with your dog is the best bet to make you feel better throughout the day. Make an intentional time to do this a few times a week. Personally, I schedule out my yoga classes and put them in my calendar so that I don’t miss them! I do this with my walks as well.
Gently moving our bodies will give us time to focus on the present. By doing that, we can accept that Fall isn’t THAT bad, and maybe we can even find some joy in this time of year. When we sit and stew in our thoughts, they often spiral into even worse thoughts. When we choose to move intentionally, and with a mentally healthy purpose, we can process our day. For me, yoga helps me focus my mind and challenges me in a way that I find both exciting and relaxing. Walking is PROVEN to help us process emotions because it triggers both the left and right side of our brains.
If you don’t know where to start with gentle, mentally healthy movement, I recommend trying 10 minutes of intentional walking. This means that there are no distractions. Take your earbuds out, put your phone in your pocket and walk. Whether it’s outside (which is GREAT, but sometimes cold) or even if its around your home, the purpose is moving to process.
3. Plan a few events
As a summer lover, I have events, vacations, and family stuff scheduled all the time. I love being outside with family, eating summer foods, and fellowship with the people during summer. But in the fall, that seems to drop off as people start to get back into routines of school and work.
This fall, I’ve planned a few events to keep that summer energy alive. Plan a dinner or brunch at your home and invite the people that you love. Grab a friend and go pick apples, or have a pumpkin carving contest. Bake all of your favorite fall goodies! (I’ll be posting about some of these events on my social media! Follow me @heightsinheels on Instagram to see!) Take a weekend away with family or friends.
The fun doesn’t have to stop because it is fall. Purposefully planning things that give off the same vibe as summer does will make fall more bearable. Take the parts that you love about summer and put them into fall activities.
4. Set Fall Goals
Fall is a great time to get started on projects that you’ve been putting off. What’s something that really needs to be done inside of your home. Do you have a hobby that you’ve always wanted to try? This fall, I’ve got a watercolor class scheduled! It’s something I’ve always wanted to try, and so… I’m going to!
What other goals can you set for this fall that will make it something that you will look forward to instead of dread? Setting small things up weekly, or every other week, so that you have things to look forward to with other people will really help to boost your mood throughout the fall season.
Another thing that you can do is declutter your home. I know that seems like more of a spring thing, but personally, I tend to do this in the fall and the spring. Knowing that the things in my home have a purpose and that they are serving me in this season of life is really essential to me feeling a sense of control. When things are cluttered, my mind feels more cluttered. Go through your clothes, your closets, your kitchen, and those junk drawers. Give donations to your local charities and throw away what isn’t serving you in this season.
5. Plan to REST
Fall can also be really overwhelming. As a teacher, I know that fall is when the students are more comfortable, so bad behaviors start to arise, and there are NO BREAKS until the end of November. It makes for a very long September through November. By the middle of October, I’m TIRED. Teachers call October ‘Shocktober’ because of how shocking behavior is, how tired we are and how mentally drained we all are.
Do you go through ‘Shocktober’ too in your own way?
It’s important to rest when we start feeling these overwhelming times come over us. Because if we don’t rest when we need to, we know that turning towards unhealthy and unhelpful behaviors can happen. When we feel out of control, we latch onto something that we can control, our anxiety or depression skyrockets, and our other emotions start to seep in, telling us how terrible everything is.
To stop this cycle from happening again this fall, I’ve decided that I am actually going to rest. Not all of my weekends are going to be packed with activities. Not all of my days are going to have movement. And that’s okay. Resting my body and mind is essential! And it’s essential for you too.
Last week, I was starting to get really overwhelmed and I immediately picked up my phone and started scrolling as a way to distract myself. And then I thought about it. I need to feel these emotions. If I don’t, I’m going to get stuck in the cycle again! So, I put my phone down and spent some time journaling, praying, and (I’m a little embarrassed to admit) starting at a blank wall. My mind needed some time to process and heal. 30 minutes later I felt SO much better. The situation that I was so overcome by didn’t seem so big anymore. My brain needed some time to get a handle on it!
When you feel yourself starting to get overwhelmed this fall, take a break. It is so important to keeping you happier during this season.
Fall is here. And while it might not be your favorite season, it doesn’t mean that you have to have a ‘bad’ fall. I’ve had bad falls for the past 7 years. This year though? I’m going to take my own advice and try to see some positives. I’m going to set myself up so that I have things to look forward to. I’m going to take my favorite parts of summer and incorporate them as much as I can into fall. Most importantly, I’m going to rest when my mind and body need it. And I’m not just going to keep distracting myself.
I hope that your fall is filled with fun, laughter and joy this year. Take a few seconds to join my email list! Every week I send out devotional content, articles, as well as bible studies!
I am always praying for you,
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