As you say goodbye to summer and welcome autumn, you might find yourself feeling a little more emotional and
your mood may be a little low.
This is natural and happens to a lot of people during changing seasons. The good news is that this can be treated easily and naturally.
Here are 7 ways to feel better during the change of season.
1 – Be a Morning Person
Take advantage of the daylight and wake up early. As days become shorter and sunlight is less available, the first way to get a lighter mood is to wake up earlier every day and take advantage of the morning sun by going for a 30 minute walk.
2 – Supplement with Vitamin D
The technical name for the autumn blues is “Seasonal Affective Disorder” or SAD. This can easily be minimized by upping your daily dose of Vitamin D. Now, without a doubt, sunlight is the richest source of Vitamin D but if you have an trouble getting out, then a supplement can help. Be sure to check in with your naturopath for more information.
3 – Set Small and Achievable Goals
With the summer now gone, and the Christmas still a long way, sometimes it can be tough to feel motivated and energetic, and this can leave you feeling down, emotional and anxious. Beat the emotional downturn by setting small, achievable goals and celebrate every win. Turn it into a game and make the process as fun as the reward!
4 – Get Quality Sleep
If you do nothing else this autumn but focus on getting yourself quality sleep, you will feel refreshed, energetic and alive. To prevent yourself waking up completely exhausted and drained, understand that you need more sleep as the weather cools down, and then follow a regiment. Go to bed at a fixed time and wake up at a fixed time – and ensure you get no less than 8 ours of sleep.
5 – Eat High Fibre Seasonal Foods
What you eat has a considerable affect on your mood and your emotions, so make sure that you eat high fibre and low caloric index foods. Foods such as pumpkin, sweet potatoes, yams, and taro are great to eat in the cooler weather, and are can be cooked in a variety of ways. Fruit like apples, pears, plums and figs are great to eat for fibre and you’ll find they give you a refreshing boost of energy as well.
6 – Meditate
Whilst enriching your mind, body and soul, the focus of mediation for autumn is to help you relax and unwind. Meditation is a wonderful practice that will help combat the autumn blues and help you stay centred. It doesn’t have to be anything ritualistic or complex – just get comfortable and observe your own breath. With every breath out, focus on relaxing your body. Do this for 10 minutes daily and you will feel less anxious and more energetic.
7 – Exercise
Walk, run, swim, stretch or do a complete work out at the gym. Exercise is good way of dealing with seasonal shifts in emotion, anxiety and depression. Push yourself to exercise at least every alternate day, and vary it up a bit – this is also a good time to escape from the world and focus on yourself.
Take on these tips, but if you need further help, please give Capalaba Natural Health a call on (07) 3823 3103 and we can create you a customised program to help you overcome the autumn blues.
