As the sun sets earlier in the sky, so does my joy, ugh. I love the longer light filled days of spring and summer and feel the anxiety creep up my chest as I think about the upcoming seasonal changes. I also know myself well enough to know the more I think about all this, the worst it is for me. No overthinking! My attitude towards the upcoming short days has to be improved and I am doing that by nurturing myself this autumn.
The past few years I’ve written about winter blues, but usually it’s come January or February. I want to combat any of it before it even starts; not letting it in the front door!
Nurture Creativity
Creative projects are the butter to my bread. Putting paint on canvas, making bead crafts, doodling and drawing, dot journaling, playing around with a recipe, etc., all contribute to lower stress (read here). Usually in summer I use our dining room for craft central and I have already cleaned it up for the upcoming holiday seasons. Hogwash! It can still be used! I now keep my rolling craft cart in the corner so we will always have supplies at the ready.
I’ve been enjoying making chunky blankets the last couple of years and just purchased more yarn so I stay on top of the hobby. How do you stay creative as a busy adult?
Nurture Your Space
For me being creative also means home projects and decluttering and this autumn these are at the forefront of my mind. Having a less cluttered space as I head into winter will be a refreshing change. I took time this year to paint and refurnish the family room. The room has a lot less clutter/decor since I refinished it and I find myself using the space more often. I can breathe easier in there!
How are you nurturing your space for your needs?
Nurture Your Body
I was in a good place over the late winter and spring, regularly working out and moving my body. I let it slide come summer and into autumn. I 100% know getting back on track is what I need and somehow I let everything else get in the way. I’m looking for new ways to inspire me to move more. Having a friend to keep me accountable is helpful, also, because I love fashion, getting new workout clothes helps me personally.
I am constantly telling the kids about the importance of taking care of their physical bodies and know I have to make sure I’m setting good example. The October leaves beg me to come explore and I plan to get out to hike and walk regularly. This leads into me nurturing nature as well as my body. In what ways do you nurture your body?
Nurture Downtime
In my opinion, this is the easiest advice to say out loud but the hardest to actually do. Downtime likely looks different for each person. I’ve mostly seen vacation (except for Disney trips!) as downtime, away from everything, but that’s not enough. We’ve got to look at the little moments.
When my children were little and not napping more than 20 minutes (oh, it was rough!), I learned to ignore the advice to sleep when the baby sleeps. That didn’t work for me. I also learned that showering during that time wasn’t worth it either. I needed to make nap time my mental down time; it was the only thing that worked to stabilize myself back then. When I worked I used my 30 minute lunch to include downtime, to either read or honestly just sit and eat my lunch in silence.
Now, when the kids are at school and the husband is at work, I’m finding it difficult to carve in downtime. Sounds like a joke right?! I’m too busy with volunteer work, the puppies, housework, yada yada yada. Nurturing myself means renewing my commitment to downtime.
Nurturing The Family
As an at home parent I have always seen nurturing my family as the number one thing I do, but when I look back, even during my mom working days, I still did this. I am the go-to parent in our house for a few reasons. For one, I’m just home more, and two, my personality is that of caregiver/comforter. My extreme empathy is a magnet for everyone’s needs! Moms are rockstars! My point is, this is a good thing.
Taking pride in nurturing my family can sometimes get overwhelming and that’s OK. It’s going to happen, but now I’m looking at it differently. My mindset is that of gratitude that I get to be here and look after these souls I share earth with. And when the times come where I get overcome with it all, it’s my body’s signal to take a step back. Look back at the other things on this list for guidance.
Nurturing Plans
And lastly, planning ahead is always a good idea. Even just planning the week ahead or meals, helps my overall stress level. I feel as though this isn’t anything new or exciting but it’s amazing how these things slip through the cracks of everyday life and are forgotten. More plans!
My idea for this section was to talk more big picture plans though. Trips specifically! I find having travel plans for the winter and early spring help me tremendously. I need something to look forward to. As of now I don’t have anything planned past October, not until Disney next June. I need to get on this!
What are you planning?
Hope these ideas on nurturing yourself this autumn are helpful!
Momma Wanderer 