🍂 My 5 Autumn Wellness Shifts 🍂

As the seasons change, I like to make a few simple adjustments to my own routine to better preserve my energy and adapt to the changing seasons. Nothing drastic—just small shifts that help me move from summer’s go-go-go energy toward a little more grounding, nourishment and stillness.

1. I go to bed a little earlier. With the days getting shorter and darkness arriving earlier, I try to listen to my body’s cues and wind down sooner. Earlier evenings give me more time to unplug, relax and prepare for a good night’s sleep. I love a cup of hot herbal tea or a hot bath before laying in bed with a cozy novel until my eyes can’t stay open (it’s earlier than you’d guess!).

I love getting into bed by 9pm with my book so that I am asleep before ten. I believe this extra-early sleep time helps me build up a reserve of good quality sleep (shuteye before midnight is more beneficial than sleeping in) before the hecticness of holiday prep starts in November.

Getting to bed earlier often means taking advantage of the first part of the night, when we typically get more of our deep, restorative slow-wave sleep. This stage of sleep is important for physical recovery, memory and immune function. My immune also system gets a needed boost so that I can combat the frequent change of season colds.

2. I trade some cold foods and drinks for warm ones. Summer is all about salads, smoothies and iced drinks. Come fall, I naturally gravitate toward warm soups, stews and chilis; roasted vegetables; and hot beverages. I have already done more cooking and meal prep these last two weeks than most of the summer!

Some of my favorites are vegetarian 3-bean chili; meatball soup with veggies and protein pasta; and gypsy soup with a combo of orange and green veggies plus protein, such as sweet potato and bell pepper with chickpeas or white beans. There is something very grounding about a warm meal on a cool autumn day.

I’ve also switched out my iced coffees and lattes for hot black, green or herbal teas. Tea is chock full of antioxidants and healthy polyphenols, which are micronutrients that are found in plant-based foods. Herbal teas can help decrease stress and tension so that the days and nights are more relaxing.  

3. I dial down the intensity—but keep moving. I don't stop exercising when fall arrives, but I do pay more attention to what my body needs. I may trade some of the higher-intensity workouts for strength, mobility, walking and more restorative movement.

I love long walks in autumn when you no longer sweat or get too dehydrated. It's a great time to get outside and do a hike in nature and observe the changing season! Strength training also seems more pleasant when it’s already slightly chilly out. It's not about doing less; it's about giving my body a little more space for recovery.

4. I add more Yin Yoga. This is one of my favorite ways to embrace the shift into autumn. Longer-held, quieter poses encourage me to slow down, tune into my body and simply be still for a while. After a summer filled with activity, Yin feels like a welcome exhale. It also helps ground me emotionally.

According to Ayurveda, autumn is a Vata time of year, when dry, cool, windy weather predominates. All that movement and dry air can really exacerbate my Vata tendencies, resulting in anxiety. Holding Yin Yoga poses for a longer period helps calm the nervous system and brings grounding. It is only the last few years when I’ve been observant enough to realize how that affects my body and mind. Now I give my body the slow moving, long-

held stretches of Yin Yoga that my body and mind crave.

5. I make more room for reflection and stillness. This may be the biggest shift of all and the hardest for me. I try to carve out more time for meditation, quiet mornings or evenings, journaling or simply sitting without needing to accomplish anything. As a natural type A person, this is hard for me, but the colder, darker weather makes it a little bit easier to turn inwards.

Autumn feels like a natural time to reflect on what is working, what I want to carry forward—and perhaps what I am ready to let go of. I love Insight Timer and am a devoted Sarah Blondin fan! Fall is the one time in the year that I find meditation easier.  I often can get a good streak going, sometimes throughout the winter. Other times, I let my meditation drop during the holidays (even though I know that is when I need it most!) before getting back on track in the New Year. Hey, I’m human too!!

None of these changes are complicated. They are simply little reminders to me that wellness doesn't have to look the same in every season or for every person. Sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is listen, adjust and move with the season rather than against it.