The evening air is turning slightly brisk, the sun is setting a tidbit earlier than in the warmer months. It’s official, our favorite season is upon us.
Into the memory vault summer goes, because ready or not, here comes fall.
Now, fall isn’t just pumpkin spice lattes and cozy flannel shirts, it’s a new season filled with opportunity for growth, self-reflection, and gathering.
“Autumn is the time of year when Mother Nature says, “Look how easy, how healthy, and how beautiful letting go can be.”
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As we move into the latter part of the year, here are a few tips for some autumnal self-care. Ways to create more time for you as you find space to enjoy the beauty of the season.
Happy almost fall y’all!
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Cook, Bake, Create!
Try that recipe you have been dying to get after. Bake Grandma’s top-secret zucchini bread. Get to the farmer’s market and create the freshest meal of the year! Homing in on the process of kitchen creations will no doubt have you feeling present and proud of your effort. Fill the bellies of the ones you love!
Idea: Check out cookbooks from your local library and explore new ideas without committing to buying a whole cookbook.
Take a fika.
What’s a fika you ask? It’s a coffee break…with a sweet. Traditionally, it comes by way of Sweden and is as popular as the siesta in Italy. Everybody is doing it. Now a fika isn’t just a stop in line at your local Starbucks glued to your phone…it is so much more. It’s self-care. It’s a catch-up sesh with a friend or a hot date with your book. It’s the opportunity to spend twenty minutes doing nothing else but enjoying the simple things in life.
Tip: Grab a book and head to a coffee shop you’ve never been to. Ditch your phone and order a danish!
Let shit go for the new season ahead.
Why move into a fresh season with baggage from the previous one? Why not let something or some stuff go. It’s hard. I get it. But when we’re able to let go of the BS, it creates space for so much more beauty in our lives. Let fall be your season to shed your own leaves of seasons past as you move into this new time of the year. It’ll provide you with a clear head and an open heart.
Idea: Fall clean! Maybe it’s as easy as letting go of some items in your closet. Donate what you don’t need or wear to make space. Letting go things we don’t use feels so good!
Create a fall bucket list.
Make a list of everything you want to do this fall. Personal and professional stuff. We’re not talking just apple picking and pumpkin patches (but definitely think about jotting those down), go deeper within. What didn’t you do this summer that is still nagging to be done? Jot it down. And then go for it.
Embrace hygge!
Light candles, build a bonfire, enjoy craft beers with your friends! Learn to knit, find solace in solitude, cozy up with a good book, have a small dinner gathering (no phones allowed). Hygge is all about being present, embracing the season/life, and well, getting down with being cozy. As the days grow darker and colder, hygge really is the perfect medication for seasonal transitions.
Hygge Mantra: Make moments this fall.
Fill your home with yummy smells.
Whether it’s a candle, freshly baked bread, or mulling spices simmering over the stovetop – get your home filled with autumn scents to keep your senses stimulated. The aromas of the season will add warmth to your abode as the chillier temps slowly roll in.
Take an autumn stroll.
Let your feet smush the leaves below. Let your ears listen to the sounds of nature and humans. There is so much life happening around us all so ditch the earphones for this one…you’ll be really happy you did.
Idea: While on your walk, find a spot to sit. Take five minutes to observe the world, people, and sky. You will feel unbelievably in the moment. It’s like nature’s magic.
Get your meditation on.
It is proven thru research that a consistent practice of mindful breathing can change the way your brain works, isn’t that incredible?! Just like anything else, meditation takes practice. Don’t beat yourself up if get interrupted by thoughts – that’s part of the practice. Go back to your breathing. Begin low and slow, two minutes. Build up to five minutes. Eventually, take it to ten minutes. You will get there, I promise.
Tip: After this post, put down what you’re reading it on and close your eyes. Take ten slow, full breaths. How do you feel?
Build a bonfire.
There is something so disgustingly perfect about sitting around a bonfire with your favorite glass of – insert your favorite fall beverage here – wrapped in a cozy blanket, and enjoying life. It’s like an autumn rite of passage. I don’t know about you guys, but smelling like a bonfire is my favorite pastime.
Idea: Head over to Hygge Life for the perfect fall blanket.
Explore a cemetery.
Ok, I know this one may come across as odd to some folks, but have you ever taken a walk thru a beautiful cemetery? There is something exceptionally meditative and peaceful about it. Since everyone there is, well, dead – you may find some unique beauty in strolling among them. Plus, the older the cemetery grounds, the cooler the tombstones. Just be sure to announce your presence and thank them for having you. I know I wouldn’t want to piss off any spirits.
Tip: People of Chicago, you have some breathtaking graveyards! Check them out!
Take control of your own destiny.
Don’t like your current situation, do something about it. It’s always “new year, new you”…why not just “new you”. Reinvent yourself. Change what you don’t dig about your life and move forward. Making moves and creating change can be frightening, but when one door closes, another door is waiting to open up just for you.
Tip: Listen to Gary John Bishop’s audiobook, Unf*ck Yourself. He will change the way you think. Trust us.
Wishing you all a very beautiful fall season filled with warmth, cozy vibes, and self-love.
xo, Lauren
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