Embracing Autumn with Mindfulness

 How do you see autumn?

An article from the New York times shared that the poet Percy Bysshe Shelly once compared the falling leaves of autumn to decaying corpses in the grave. 

How do you see about the season?

In some recent small studies it has been found that those who tend to ruminate or are more easily preoccupied with thoughts in the autumn season also are more likely to be affected by season depression in the winter (SAD).

The studies also found that unlike the "spring forward" time change, the "fall back" negatively impacts mental health. More depressive episodes occur around the autumn time change than the spring time change.

Autumn is a time of change. The sunlight is becoming less. The temperature is dropping. Leaves and plants are dying. Many people begin to reflect on nature's change and relate it to their own lives. 

Autumn becomes a time of discomfort with change. A mourning period for the lost summer sun and days at the beach.

Autumn does not have to be "Death's second self" as William Shakespeare once said. This season is a perfect time to build a mindfulness routine. Dr. Wilson of the University of Mississippi has called fall the prefect time to "harvest" the good from the summer and be present and enjoy the fall.

We can use fall as a season to build resilience. 

Resilience is ones capacity to adapt to challenging life experiences. 

Dr. Kecmanovic the founder of Arlington/DC Behavior Therapy Institute, shares that autumn is a time to work on acceptance of uncertainty. Accepting uncertainty is a great way to build resilience.

In some recent studies it has been found that the "intolerance of uncertainty" is associated with poor mental health.

While we are all faced with uncertainty at times we do not have to be intolerant. We can use mindfulness to learn to lean in and cultivate rather than run from the uncertainty. 

Dr. Kecmanovic encourages us to put aside what makes us comfortable and in control and face uncertainty, lean in, build resilience. 

A great mindfulness practice for fall is, Step Back-Observe. 

 Instead of seeing autumn through the eyes of the poet Shelly or the playwriter Shakespeare, Step Back-Observe and embrace and enjoy.

See the leaves not as merely dying, but as going thought a beautiful transformation in their lives. Take time to sit out in the crisp fall air and observe the changing colors. Notice the sounds of fall. Be with nature not separate from nature. 

We all have a life cycle. Embrace each moment of the cycle without focusing on the end. Mindfulness teaches us to be present in the moment, on purpose, without judgement. This is a perfect way to embrace autumn. In the moment, on purpose, without judgement. 

Embrace the season to help support positive mental health.

NY Times Article https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/21/well/live/fall-autumn-mindfulness.html