Autumn is the perfect season to practice self-care. The days may be getting shorter but this is the perfect time to wind down, take some time for yourself, and prepare your body and mind for the winter ahead.
We’ve compiled a list of some easy and effective ways to look after yourself in these months.
Allocate time to rest
It’s easy to get into a mindset where you constantly beat yourself up about your productivity. While it’s good to have goals, both professional and personal, constantly thinking that you need to be doing more can indeed be more of a hindrance than a help. We don’t need to ‘earn’ the time we take to rest, everyone should be able to enjoy rest time as a part of their day.
Enjoy a cup of your favourite tea
Staying hydrated when the weather gets colder can be a little more challenging. Sure, when it’s hot and sunny outside you can effortlessly spend all day drinking, and enjoying, glasses of cool water. But when you start spending the days thinking about how high the heating can go up, ice cold water is a rather unpleasant thought. But when you’re dehydrated your brain and body will not function as well as they should. Instead, how about finding a new favourite tea (we would suggest non-caffeinated) to keep yourself warm, calm, and rejuvenated throughout the day.
Cosy nights at home Create a relaxing cosy environment at home on these dark nights. Our new product range can help. Soothing baths, chill time with candles and essential oil blends to aid sleep.
Stretch
It sounds so simple and it can be easy to ignore the little things that ultimately make a big difference. Stretching for a few minutes every morning will help get your blood circulating through your body and, importantly, to your brain. Also, taking this time to be present with yourself in the morning, rather than staring at your phone, can be incredibly beneficial. Perhaps think about introducing yoga and meditation to your morning routine.
Journaling
There is something about Autumn that is perfect for journaling. It’s important to process our emotions and an easy way to start doing this is by keeping a journal. Bottling things up never does any good, and sometimes we can get the clarity we need by simply seeing our thoughts in front of us as words on a page. It's also helpful to write down what you're thankful for. Sometimes we’re so obsessed with where we’re going, that we forget that where we are is actually pretty damn good. There are always positives, silver linings, and things to be thankful for, whether it’s friends and family, or maybe something you’ve accomplished - take the time to remember what you’ve done and how far you have come. write down what you wish to let go off too. Negative thoughts, feelings, and emotions can weigh us down. Even if we don’t realise it at the time, once we let go of the things pulling us down, we feel a lot lighter, mentally, and emotionally. Letting go of these can be easier said than done, but writing them down can be a good exercise to start disentangling any potentially toxic thoughts from our mindset.
Snuggle up with a good book We’re all sick of screen time. For many of us, we look at screens for work, we look at screens to get the news, we look at screens to communicate with our friends and family, and at the end of the day, when we want to unwind, we generally resort to looking at another screen. It’s tiring for our brain and eyes to have this much screen time, and it doesn’t help towards getting a good night’s sleep. Next time you want to chill out and escape into a story, try picking up a book. Of course, it doesn’t have to be War and Peace - very few people find the prospect of this relaxing! Look for an easy read that feels like a pleasure, not a chore.
Listen to your favourite song A quick injection of happiness (or heartbreak, or angst, depending on what you’re into) can add a real boost to your day. When no one’s home take a minute (or four) to put the speakers on full blast, put your favourite song on, and sing your heart out.
Cooking With the nights spent at home, it is easy for dinner to become the highlight of the day, so how about making it a special occasion? Try a new recipe and cook for your family and friends.
Try CBD The way that this compound interacts with the body can be incredibly therapeutic, people champion it’s use for purposes such as managing stress, improving sleep quality, and relaxing sore muscles. Whichever way you look at it, CBD is synonymous with self-care and could definitely be your new best friend this Autumn as you hunker down.
Take a walk in nature Even when it’s cold, and perhaps the sun isn’t shining, it’s still important to get some time outside. Natural daylight is a great booster for our serotonin levels (the happiness chemical), and you can feel this boost even on days that are clouded over. We get the bulk of our crucial vitamin D from the sun (and thus being outside) which improves our bone health and immune system. And last, but certainly not least, it’s super beneficial to get some fresh air into your airways. This will clear your system after being in the same place all day, and potentially feeling a bit stale. It can also help flush bacteria out of your airways and lungs.
Try a new hobby Is there something you’ve always wanted to, but it seems like time just flew by and you never got round to it? Perhaps it’s starting to learn a new language or a new instrument, perhaps you’ve always pictured yourself as a knitter making scarves for your loved ones at Christmas, or perhaps you’ve always fancied your hand at painting. Whatever it is that fixates you, there’s no time to start like the present. Autumn is the perfect season for learning something new.