Autumn's Embrace: Mental Wellbeing for the Changing Season.
As we reach mid-October I still find myself mourning the loss of the summer. This autumn has begun in a surprisingly dry and occasionally warm manner. That said, each morning and evening I notice that I’m walking my dogs in ever diminishing light. There is a certain melancholy that I associate with the receding of the sun. The long, bright days of summer are behind us and the cold, damp, dark days of winter are ahead. I remind myself, however, that despite the initial farewells, autumn’s arrival brings with it abundance; opportunities for reflection, rejuvenation and therapeutic connection with nature. Read on to find out some tips for connecting with nature this autumn…
1. Feed the senses
Autumn is known as the ‘season of abundance’ due to the plentiful harvests of fruits, nuts, vegetables etc. But it also provides a feast for all of the senses.
Go out for a sensory walk in a local woodland and you’ll notice the palette change of colours, from the deep greens of late summer leaves, to the gold, amber, rust and ochre rich tones of autumn. Look up, look around, look close.
Notice the distinct crunch of the leaves on the ground under your feet. Listen to the chatter of the birds as they prepare to migrate, or feed from the hedgerows building up their fat reserves as winter approaches.
Feel the cooler air against your skin. Set an intention to notice textures around you, touch that tree trunk, stroke that moss.
Notice the damp, musty and earthy smells arising from the decomposing leaves. The smell of mushrooms.
2. Be in awe and appreciate
Find beauty, fascination and inspiration in what’s around you. Autumn’s visual displays are perfect for this.
Take some time to practice mindful photography. Take your time, pay attention to your surroundings, find what captures you, focus on the process and not the outcome.
Indulge your creativity. Collect some fallen items (leaves, seeds, sticks, pinecones), take them home and create a nature mandala. Or, use some leaves to create a ‘hapazome’ print.
3. Listen to what is nature trying to tell you
Autumn provides a rich opportunity to observe metaphors. Find some meaning in what’s around you.
Notice how nature does not fight the transition from green to brown. Trees are beginning to shed their leaves in a deliberate act known as abscission. It is an act of willingness triggered by the changing light levels and reduction in temperature. It is a survival strategy that allows them to conserve energy over the colder months.
Consider your mind like a tree in autumn. The leaves are the thoughts and feelings, notice how you can observe them and practice the act of “letting go”. At the same time, the trunk and branches remain consistent – this is the part of you that also remains consistent and can observe that these thoughts and feelings without being them. Below the trunk are the roots, these provide stability and retain nutrients and water throughout the winter – they represent your values which similarly provide you with stability, direction and commitment to what is important.
4. Allow nature to nurture you
Compassion-Focussed Therapy (CFT) proposes that humans have three systems that regulate emotions: the threat system, the drive system, and the soothing system. It suggests that may psychological difficulties arise when the Threat system is overactive and the Soothing system is under-developed or poorly accessible.
Spending time in nature is known to activate our parasympathetic nervous system leading to a reduction in cortisol, and a lowering of our heart rate and blood pressure. This physiological shift is aligned with the activation of our soothing system.
Notice the feelings that autumn nature inspires within you. Seek out more of these feelings. Find joy – look out for birds playing, squirrels out gathering, vivid autumn sunsets (and sunrises if you’re an early riser). Find calm – sit near a stream or in a quiet forest and appreciate the feeling that come. Look for the opportunities that nature is providing you to sooth.
5. Find compassion and take action
We have a reciprocal relationship with nature, in fact, we are part of nature. Kinship and care is the foundation of any relationship of this nature. Find ways in which you can offer compassion to nature this autumn…
Provide food and water - Feed the birds some high energy food like fat balls, suet and quality seed mixes. Clean your feeders regularly to prevent disease.
Provide shelter - Leave a small, undisturbed pile of leaves as shelter for small mammals and invertebrates over winter. Make hedgehog houses and bug hotels. Install nest boxes.
Plant for the future – plant bulbs and seeds in autumn so that you, and the pollinators, can look forward to them in spring.
In Our Nature combines the science of nature connectedness with evidence-based psychological principles, seeking to create unique and powerful therapeutic experiences in the outdoors. Go to the Contact page and send a message to find out how I can support you.