Fall can be a hard time to stay cheery, upbeat, or happy.
The days are longer, the nights are shorter, and everything is a little darker.
If we don’t take steps to protect ourselves and to actively keep ourselves happy during Fall time, we can very easily fall into a pattern of feeling sleepy and down. It can very easily take a knock out of our productivity and our social lives too.
But if we do take steps to protect ourselves, we can make Fall a season where we have just as much happiness, productivity, energy and fun as every other season in the year.
These are some things that we think you can do to keep yourself cheery all Fall long, check them out.
Go to bed earlier and get up earlier
The nights getting darker in Fall is something we can’t run away from, it’s always going to happen. With daylight saving time too, the days get only shorter.
The best thing you can do to combat the more negative effects of this is to go to bed earlier and then get up earlier in the morning. Our bodies are programmed to want to sleep whenever it is dark outside as the darkness causes us to produce more melatonin. Therefore, trying to stay awake late and be productive or do work in the Fall nights can make us feel groggy.
It is far better, then, to just go to sleep in the darkness and get your rest. Get your time back by getting up earlier the next morning and try to be more productive then instead.
It might take a little bit of routine tweaking but it will ultimately feel better once you get into the swing of things.
Stay active and stay social
When it is dark and cold outside it is very tempting to stay inside more and more. This can make us feel cozy and relaxed at first but if we do it all season long, we can end up feeling isolated and a little down. It’s important to remember that it is very often our behaviours that causes our thoughts and feelings, rather than the other way around.
Try and stay as active and as social as you can during Fall time to avoid this negative downturn in feelings. Wrap up warm and get back out there.
A pair of thermal socks will take you a long way.
Consider some vitamins and supplements
The sun is really important to us for lots of reasons, and one of those reasons is that it provides us with the vitamins and nutrients that we need to stay healthy and happy.
In Fall time, we can experience a lack of vitamin D and other important nutrients that we need to feel good. This can make us feel tired, lacking in energy, and can contribute to us getting sick more easily and more often.
Combat any of this by getting in there early and getting any extra support you need from vitamins and supplements. You can have a chat with your local pharmacist to see what will work best for you.
You can also tackle this problem by making sure that you are eating enough and making sure that you are getting enough vitamins, minerals, and nutrients from your diet. Try and eating a balanced and green-heavy diet through Fall and you should see a nice little lift in your mood and mental performance.
Fall can be a beautiful and cosy time and it doesn’t have to change our moods too much if we don’t let it.
Look after yourself and take care of yourself as you would a small child or a pet, and you will see yourself flourish all season.