Summer sped by and fall is here. It’s one of my favorite seasons.
It’s always a reminder that change is natural and can be beautiful (and sometimes bittersweet). Each season offers both gifts and challenges. This year I’m embracing the slower energy of autumn and the reminder to be mindful.
Self-Care Tips
- Do a fall reset. Prepare your home to support you as you enjoy fall and look toward the upcoming holidays.
- Make a list of ways to enjoy the season. Think fall festivals, fire pits, football, cozy blankets and candles, pumpkin bread…
- Consider a digital detox. For a day or an evening, or maybe the hour before bed or the first hour in the morning.
- Try to pair a new habit with a reward (declutter for 15 minutes, then take time to relax).
- Set a goal – what is one thing you want to experience this season? One thing to focus on, or let go of?
- Consider one new thing you would like to try this season. Maybe a recipe, a walking path, a new restaurant, etc.
- Look for and appreciate the simple things. Find good moments each day (even if there are stressful moments too).
- Pause and just breathe…
Interesting Reads:
An animal’s journey from grief to love shows how much humans need each other, too. by Lydialyle Gibson.
I thought this was an interesting read with takeaways that speak to love and attachment:
- Chronic loneliness is so corrosive that some researchers have described it as more dangerous than obesity, smoking, or alcoholism.
- There’s a very strong neurobiological tie between love and grief.
- In acute grief…the brain’s alarm center, the amygdala, fires up, putting the body in a perpetual fight-or-flight state. Meanwhile, the prefrontal cortex, the region responsible for planning, organizing, and decision-making, dims.
- The brain rewires itself when you fall in love,” Stephanie Cacioppo says, “and it has to rewire itself again in grief”.
- Inner Work: How to Start When You Feel Stuck. Inner Work: How to Start When You Feel Stuck – Intelligent Change
- I’m always on the lookout for ideas like this: 6 Little Ways to Make Every Day Better Underrated sensory experiences proven to make you feel good.
- I frequently hear concerns about this issue. This article suggests some simple life changes that may prevent cognitive decline
More of us are living longer, but our brains don’t always show the same resilience as our bodies…Cognitive decline refers to the slowing or dulling of our memory, concentration and ability to think. It’s quite common to become more forgetful as we age – but when do frequent episodes indicate something more?
Read in BBC Science Focus Magazine https://apple.news/AqDeGPWiLRrK2vAi3i3UOmQ
- Family Estrangement
Unfortunately, I hear about this topic more and more. It is heartbreaking for so many.
Dealing with Family Estrangement — Katie Couric Media
- Change can be hard and life is busy! But I know small steps can help.
The Small Micro-Habit That Makes Decluttering Your Home—and Mind—Easier
- Expert tips to support your emotional health.
10 Psychologist Recommended Emotional Habits (Ranked) – Parade
- Social media has become a part of daily life, and most of us consume too much. It can be addictive and lead to issues such as depression. More Than 150 Minutes of Social Media Daily Tied to Depression in Adults
Quotes & Inspiration
“Life will change. People will disappoint us. Plans will fall apart. We will experience success and failure, beginnings and endings, joy and grief. People we love will struggle. We will struggle. Peace isn’t the absence of those experiences. Peace is how we learn to meet them.”
Peace Is Personal Before It Becomes Global – CEOWORLD magazine
“All things are symbols: the external shows of nature have their image in the mind, as flowers and fruits and falling of the leaves.” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears. — Nelson Mandela
