7 Tips to Transition Into Fall
By Lynda Jensen
Summer has come to an end and fall is officially upon us. The play and adventure that exists during the summer can start to dwindle as we enter the fall. We tend to start staying indoors more, exercising less, eating foods that aren’t as fresh, and in general, we are less active. In the fall, it becomes easier to do things that aren’t really helping us be our most vibrant self. With that in mind, just because summer is over doesn’t mean that we can’t be physically active, have fun, or that we must forget all that we are learning. Below are 7 simple things to keep us on track, and encourage us to transition into fall by staying active and healthy in our body, heart, mind, and soul.
1. Stay Active
With fall upon us, cool, crisp air is the perfect time to still enjoy the outdoors. Activities like biking, hiking, and walking are all great ways to keep your body moving. Not only does it keep us moving but we get to be out in nature. Because it’s important to be physically active, establishing healthy workout now, while being outdoors is still enjoyable, will support you when winter comes around.
2. Eat Seasonal Food
One thing we can do to help our body transition more easily between summer and fall is to eat fall specific foods. Start by changing your meal plan to reflect the season. So many hearty and yummy foods are seasonally available in the fall. Fall foods like potatoes, carrots, beets, winter squash, root vegetables, pumpkins, beets, sweet potatoes, apples, and cabbage all boost your immune system. They also contain nutrients and enzymes our body needs during this time of year. It’s a good time of year to decrease dry, rough, cold foods. Raw foods and cold cereal tend to add to the imbalanced of going on. Warm, wet, deeply nourishing foods like soups and stews help create the balance we are looking for. Also, add in warm teas, tasty cider or even stewed apples to your diet, those coupled with aromatic spices will surely help you embrace the fall season.
3. Connect
Take time in the fall to connect with people. Research shows that when we don’t interact and connect with others on a social level, we are more likely to feel lonely, tend to be sick more often, and can suffer more often from depression. Take time to get together with friends, go out for coffee, invite others over to your home or even connect with them online.
4. Take Some Downtime
Downtime is more than just zoning out by watching tv, or scrolling through social media feeds or running errands. Real downtime means that we are giving ourselves a mental break as well. We need time in our lives to just let our brain be. Try taking a hot bath, enjoying the warmth of a fire, meditate, cuddling up on the couch with a good book, sleeping enough or even prayer can all be very nourishing downtime activities. These types of activities allow us to reflect, rest, reboot and refocus. It also gives us the mental energy our bodies need to refocus on other challenges in our life.
5. Read
There is so much you can learn about yourself by reading something new. You could be reading a motivational book, inspiring stories, or even a great novel. Books can teach you things and take you far away on an adventure. Reading stimulates our mind, improves our vocabulary, it’s very relaxing, improves our memory and knowledge, improves our focus, and thinking skills, and it can and it can teach us how to better express ourselves.
6. Get Creative
The summertime is full of opportunities to move, be outdoors, travel, relax & renew ourselves. These activities are highly nourishing. As we moving into the fall, the daylight lessens and our lives can become hectic as we get back into a routine. There is almost a shock to our system with the stress that school and work can bring. A few things we can do to avoid this are weekend trip away, enjoying the beauty of fall, going out in nature, or try and tap into your creative side. Expressing yourself by making something with your own hands or writing will nourish your soul like nothing else can! I encourage you to find a hobby that you enjoy and pursue it. Carve out time in your busy schedule and don’t feel guilty about doing it.
7. De-clutter & Deep Clean Your Home
Fall is a great time of year to go after the clutter in your life. It’s a great way to transition from one season to the next. As we release things that aren’t serving us and organize space within our home, we are providing nourishment for our mind, body, and soul. We feel less stressed when our physical space is in order. An organized house can be a refuge from the chaos in the world, and it can rejuvenate and refresh our souls when necessary. Rather than stuff, fill your home full of love, laughter, and delicious aromas of yummy food.
The focus of summer is often fun lovin’ and free-spirited. It’s time to refocus our intentions and start falling back into a successful routine. If you want a smooth transition into fall, then you need to decide now how you want to spend your time creating healthy habits for the next few months. Remember that your new routine should be created with balance in mind to help you be more successful with the fall transition.
