Though my fall series is already in full swing, as of earlier this week, it is officially autumn! I’m such a summer girl but I do love a change in season. Fall is arguably the BEST shift in seasons, even though we exit my favorite one. Life would be boring if things stayed the same all the time. With that being said, I love intentionally celebrating my seasons, with some intentional changes and activities.
If you’re like me and absolutely exhausted after work, it is so tempting to just plop on the couch and scroll until bedtime. Between work and the gym, it sometimes feels like life is only sleeping, working, and exercising. While you may love your job (I hope!) and love working out (yes!) it leaves very little time for you and living your own life that you love. Those precious moments before work or between dinner and bed are often spent watching tv or looking through our phones.
There is nothing inherently wrong with a little doom scroll, but it can lead to a sort of routine that starts to feel icky. Do you remember being little, and being so excited about every little thing? Life can feel like that still! Yes we have bills to pay and adult problems now, but we should still be able to feel an underlying sense of joy at the change in season! I’ve compiled a guide that will help pull you out of a routine that feels like a slump and gets your brain excited about life! My guide is anti-rot FALL but you can really implement this for any season, with minor adjustments.
***SWAP DOOM SCROLLING WITH REAL ACTIVITIES***
Light a candle that you love and read a book. Use your absolute favorite fall candle, the one you have been saving for when it’s “fall” enough. Then put your phone in another room, get yourself cozy, and read. If you don’t like your book, change it! Reading is such a nice break from the rush rush rush. It’s also a great way to relax if you’re actually tired and can’t be bothered to do anything else. Just read and breathe. As a bonus, put a fall ambiance youtube video on in the background.
Crochet a mini creature. I’ve never actually done this but how cozy is crocheting!? And you can get these one time use mini kits to crochet a little creature. The Woobles from Amazon are the cutest!! Then if you find out you love it, you can get yourself some more yarn and wallah, you have a new hobby! My mom is an expert crocheter. We have scarves, hats, and blankets all courtesy of my mom. Another really relaxing activity that doesn’t take too much brain power.
Create a fall vision or mood board. Creation is so fun. Even if no one else is going to see your mood board except you, I promise you’ll enjoy making it! You can make any version of a mood board. You can make up the vibes you want for the fall, you can make it more a bucket list, it’s completely yours to create. I love making mood boards that include my vision for the season, my bucket list, and my playlist for the season.
Create a playlist for the season. Speaking of playlists… As long as I can remember, I’ve had songs that I listen to on repeat for a few months at a time (I’m sure you can relate?) and they become my anthems for that time of year. I’ve taken to making Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall playlists and saving them every year. These can be songs that you naturally learn to love during this time or songs you want to add to the list because they fit the vibe. Once again it’s up to you and it’s such a fun way to emphasize the season.
Plan out a day or weekend getaway. I do love planning a weekend trip. In the states, there are so many destinations less than 3 hours away on a flight, no matter where you live! Even if you don’t end up getting to go for a few months, it can be super exciting to plan. Take a look around at fun destinations and cheap flights.
Pick up a hobby you loved as a child. You saw this one coming. When I think of fall as a child, I think of playing outside with my brother – we used to jump on the trampoline, take turns on our tree swing, and collect acorns. Seeing as my brother is in Colorado, I can’t exactly do these activities with him. But I do have a fiancé! And we absolutely will do variations of fun fall things I used to love. While a lot of our childhood hobbies aren’t actually reasonable or fun as adults, try to find a variation. If you loved playing dress up, try going through your closet to create different outfits or clean it out. If you loved collecting acorns, go for a walk and take photos of the leaves or the foliage.
Go for a walk or drive to a coffee shop and have your favorite seasonal drink. This is another way to emphasize the season. Go to a local coffee shop, or a chain, honestly whatever you love, and buy something seasonal. These little variations are what make life fun!
Cook or bake something seasonal for your friends or coworkers. Yummmmmy. I am no chef nor a baker, but anyone can get a premixed bag of cookies from the store, add an egg and butter!! Not only will your coworkers thank you, but your home will smell delicious. Cooking and baking are also very grounding activities. It can be as easy or complex as you want, and it helps to get you out of your own head.
Decorate for fall. Time to break out the fall decor! Kind of like cooking, this can be as simple or fancy as you’d like. I live with a Halloween fanatic so our decorations air more on the spooky side, but if you love fall, then go with that theme!
Bonus: Take a nap. Going back to being tired – instead of scrolling, just take a nap if you need to. Napping is not only allowed, it’s encouraged. If you’re going to be a better you after a nap, then nap! Your body and brain probably need it.
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***SWITCH UP YOUR ROUTINE***
Go to sleep earlier or later. If you notice you scroll a lot at night, I highly recommend going to sleep instead of scrolling. And if you’re scrolling in the morning, get up out of bed and start your day. I know the phones are addicting, but your brain (and body) will thank you so much for this switch.
Set a time limit on your social media. And actually obey it. I know you can “ignore” the limit, but try to make a promise to yourself to honor it. You can set something realistic to start. No need to make a drastic change right away. But you could if you want!!
Once a week, do something different and special. Also known as a “side quest,” this could be something like stopping for a special coffee on the way to work rather than bringing your own or going for a walk somewhere other than your usual route. Maybe stop at the mall on your way home from work. This deviation from routine rewires your brain and makes life just a little more fun!
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***IMPROVE YOUR WELLBEING***
Start a workout routine. You totally don’t have to wait until January to start a workout routine. And you also totally don’t need a gym membership or a fancy ‘at home’ gym. Something as simple as going for a 10 minute walk is a great place to start. From there, add on a 5 minute stretching routine. And from there try to do 10 pushups. Every single ‘fit’ person you see started somewhere. And this time of year really is the best time for walks!
Eat seasonal, nourishing foods. Head to your local farmer’s market to see what foods are in season. Fall is usually great for things like apples, pears, carrots, squash, Brussels sprouts, and mushrooms. Eating seasonally is great for you and for the environment. I also love soups during this time of year, even when it’s still pretty hot outside.
Identify and limit stressors. I know that it’s virtually impossible to get rid of every stressful thing in our lives, but if we know what our stressors are, maybe we can manage better. Try to think about what stresses you out. Is it work? Keeping a tidy home? Bills? A combo of things? I used to stress out really easily and what has helped me most, is focusing on my blessings and what I’m thankful for during stressful times. It puts things into perspective.
Sleep. OMG go to sleep. Getting 8 hours of sleep every night has changed my life. I love a night out, I really do, but 6 out of my 7 nights of the week are usually going to be filled with at least 8 hours of sleep. It’s the best.
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I really feel that life stays magical past childhood, as long as we let it. Don’t forget to celebrate and romanticize the little things, because if you think about it, that is what childhood was all along.
Enjoy your autumn, and until next time! xo
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Shop This Post:
Pink Stanley x Wicked – Walmart
“The Third Gilmore Girl” – Amazon
The Woobles Crochet Kit – Amazon
Old Fashioned Alarm Clock – Amazon
