All of these things can be self-care, and a change of season is a terrific time to reassess and strategize around your self-care routines, says William W. Li, MD, a Boston-based internal medicine physician and author of Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself. Self-care is all the steps and actions you take to tend to your physical and emotional health in the ways you are best able to do so. Exercise, talking with a friend, or cleaning your house all count, says Dr. Li. “Self-care serves your physical, mental, and emotional needs.” And given changes in your schedule and personal wants and needs that might come with a new season, what it takes to take care of your physical and emotional health can also change over the course of the year. “As the holidays approach and the weather is colder, you may find yourself at home more. This is a great time to go through your schedule and your goals, and reassess,” says Sanam Hafeez, PsyD, a psychologist in private practice in New York City and faculty member at Columbia University in New York City. Think about what summer self-care routines might need adjusting, she says. Maybe, for example, your garden needs less attention? Maybe less evening sunlight has left you skipping a post-work run? “Keep what works and discard what doesn’t,” explains Gail Saltz, MD, associate professor of psychiatry at the NY Presbyterian Hospital Weill-Cornell School of Medicine in New York City and the host of the How Can I Help? podcast from iHeartRadio. And remember there’s no right or wrong way to do self-care. Dr. Saltz says: “Ask, ‘What sustains you?’” And remember, when it comes to self-care (like other to-dos in your life), setting out to do too much can defeat the point of it. “Boundaries are essential for self-care, and help you prioritize,” Dr. Hafeez says. This is especially important in fall, which may mean busier schedules (thanks to the start of school and other activities that went on break for summer for many) and a lead into the holiday season in the later months (which for many can bring its own hecticness), she adds. For some fall self-care inspiration, consider the following.
1. Layer Up and Take a Walk
Just because al fresco conditions are starting to chill out doesn’t mean that your outdoor time should, too, if that fills your cup. Research suggests that being outside while the sun is shining might decrease symptoms of depression, boost happiness levels, improve sleep, and reduce neuroticism, according to a study in the December 2021 Journal of Affective Disorders. The topic of eco-therapy is a growing one when it comes to research and clinician and patient interest, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). Dress for the weather, wearing a layer you can shed and carry with you if your body warms up as you walk. But many people prefer spending time outdoors in brisk fall air compared with warmer summer weather, Li notes. “As temperatures lower, it can be very pleasant and relaxing to be outside and get your circulation going with a 30-minute walk,” he says. Get double the self-care out of your time by walking outdoors with a friend, or talking to a loved one on the phone. A partner can help keep you accountable to sticking with the exercise (and self-care) practice, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Plus it can make it way more fun, which boosts your energy and mood, Li says.
2. Spruce Up Your Space
A change of any season can be a great time to do some deeper cleaning and ready your personal space for the months ahead. “Whether it’s your kitchen, your living room, your closet, or your garage, fall is the time to put away your summer things and use this as an opportunity to get rid of items that you don’t need and unclutter your living space,” Li. “Organizing your nest is a common self-care practice that makes most people feel better.” A cleaner, less cluttered space can help relieve anxiety and stress, Hafeez says. A study published in June 2015 in the journal Sleep found that people with fewer hoarding tendencies also reported getting better, more restful sleep.
3. Refresh Your Life Bucket List
As the typical vacation time is coming to a close, it’s an ideal moment to either start or touch-up your bucket list. “Take the time to dream and imagine what you would love to do someday and write down a list that you can refer to from time to time. Aspiring to a goal or a dream can be grounding by making you appreciate where you are today, and where you would like to be in the future,” Li says. According to the American Heart Association, having a bucket list can yield brain and body benefits, including boosting creativity, helping combat stagnation, and keeping what’s important to you in focus (rather than allowing the daily stresses and scheduled “shoulds” to take over). Pro tip: Is there anything from your bucket list that you can check off? Is there anything on it you can schedule for the coming months or year? A change of seasons is the perfect time to take stock of when you might want to tackle short- or long-term goals, and what steps you need to take now to get there, Li says.
4. Dive Into Fall Recipes — Apples, Broccoli, and Squash, We’re Looking at You!
Start planning your autumn menu, Li suggests. Eating more in-season fall ingredients, such as broccoli, squash, apples, pumpkin and pears, has nutrition, price, and environmental benefits. One study found, for example, that broccoli was more vitamin C-rich, when bought from supermarkets during peak season compared with broccoli bought at other times of year. “I like to break out my fall recipe book and cook meals with healthy ingredients that remind me of the season,” Li says. “This usually involves soups, stews, and other hearty warming dishes I associate with the cooler season, and it brings back pleasant memories I have of the past because fall is my favorite season.”
5. Embrace the Sunlight (or Consider Light Therapy)
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), also known as “major depressive disorder with a seasonal pattern,” impacts about 1 in every 20 Americans, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). It can be triggered by the change of season, and happen either due to the spring transition from cooler to warmer weather or due to the fall transition from warmer to cooler weather. Some people notice the same effect, but experience less severe symptoms (ones that don’t interfere with daily functioning enough to be considered a clinical diagnosis). Clinicians often refer to this phenomenon as the “winter blues.” If you notice that your mood dips with shortening days and cooler weather, temperatures or your time outside does the same, talk to your doctor. If you have SAD, your doctor can make sure you’re taking the right steps to treat the condition, which might include light therapy. Light therapy involves using a light of a specific brightness for a specific amount of time each day, which has been proven to help with mood and SAD symptoms, among other mental health conditions, research shows. Whether or not you have SAD, getting outside in the natural sunlight (particularly earlier in the day), can have a similar effect on mood. “For my patients who get seasonal affective disorder, or down mood related to shorter days and less sunlight, I recommend using a therapeutic light box as soon as we turn the clock back in the fall,” Saltz says.
6. Bust Out Your Favorite Cozy Sweaters
Sweater weather has arrived, and little feels cozier than a soft cocoon-like layer on a brisk day. Not only can this feel good to the touch as a soft, soothing sensation (hygge 101!), but it can also boost your mood. There’s value in wearing clothing that makes us feel good, according to Penn Medicine. The idea is that if what you wear triggers joy, it also triggers the release of the dopamine, a hormone that lights up the reward center of our brain and leaves us wanting more of that trigger. The trend has the attention of the internet; #DopamineDressing has more than 107,000 posts on Instagram.
7. Go Ahead, Embrace Pumpkin Spice Everything
If you count down to the launch day of the pumpkin spice latte (PSL) each year, go ahead and enjoy that autumnal treat when it hits the coffee shop near you (or try making your own at home). Its limited availability gives us something to look forward to. Research shows, for instance, that scarcity motivates and attracts us. Plus, that PSL smell alone may lift your day. Positive scent-sparked memories can increase positive emotions, reduce stress, and decrease inflammation, other research suggests.
