by Numinus
Sep 13, 2014There’s no denying that it’s fall. It’s crisp in the mornings, orange and yellow leaves are appearing, and kids have already been back to school for four weeks. It’s a season of change: we’re putting our summer clothes into storage and getting out our boots; the slow season at work is over and our schedules are packed with new activities; and the local strawberries and peaches at the grocery store have been replaced with local apples, beets, and carrots.
It’s easy to get into a sulk about having to put away our flip flops and contemplate the coming onset of winter. To avoid autumn blues, here are three ways to get the most out of September:
- See if you can appreciate, rather than bemoan, the changes in the weather. Isn’t it kind of nice to bike to work and arrive with cold hands rather than a sweaty head? Isn’t it a bit pleasant to clip down the sidewalk cozy in our fall boots rather than flipping and flopping in sandals? Isn’t it actually wonderful to live in an area with glorious deciduous trees?
- Don’t take on too much. Fall can be an exciting time for new activities and fresh beginnings–but it’s easy to be overzealous and take on too much. Consider whether or not you really need to simultaneously re-join the gym, start a yoga teacher training course, take a photography workshop, try speed-dating, agree to speak at a conference for work, and manage the parent email list for your child’s preschool class. Often one new start at a time will suffice.
- Check in by meditating. This isn’t another intensive new activity or task for your to-do list. Rather, it’s a one, two, or five-minute exercise that will help you cultivate being mode rather than always being in doing mode.
All it requires is that you pause for a minute, sit or lie quietly, and see if you can be without doing for 60 seconds. Follow your breath, without controlling it. Try the 3-minute version below or download free meditation guides from the Numinus website.
