Fall Is the Season for Building Mindfulness and Resilience

“Psychologists say that the feelings that often crop up in autumn stem from our discomfort with change, and an anxiety and uncertainty about what that change will bring. The melancholy we feel is a form of grief, mourning the lost sunlight, the ease of summertime, and the greenery that abounds in the warm weather.

But it’s not all bad. Fall also brings with it bright, brisk days, pumpkin patches and cozy sweaters. Somewhere in the crunching leaves, crackling fires and chilly air, you might locate a feeling of possibility, even electricity. And all of these things — the anxiety, the promise and even the rumination — make it the ideal season to build resilience and practice mindfulness.

A Season of Resilience

One way to build tolerance is to lean into it — to cultivate uncertainty rather than running away from it. Acceptance and commitment therapy, encourages people to stop denying or wrestling with unpleasant emotions, and instead to accept them. A feeling of exhilaration can also come from experiencing something new or uncertain, which in turn builds resilience

Leaning into uncertainty means putting aside your routines and planning. Bike through a neighborhood you’ve never been to without a map. Set out during one of these lengthening autumn nights to find somewhere dark enough to do some stargazing. Go for a walk on a day when it just might rain.

A Season of Mindfulness

There are quieter ways to engage with the changing of the seasons as well. Another strategy experts suggest for soothing seasonal anxiety is to step back and simply observe the world around you. Quietly sit on a park bench and watch a tree drop its leaves, for instance.

Weaving bigger themes of nature and purpose into quiet moments of meditation can help calm your sense of anxiety around short-term uncertainty and put it into a broader perspective.

This kind of mindfulness has been shown again and again to reduce stress and increase well-being. It can enhance your workouts, help you focus at work and cope with an uncertain world. For some, practicing mindfulness can shift how they see their lives in a big way. For most of us, it’s simply a useful tool to find a sense of peace when we need it.

Read the full article on The New York Times

✨Takeaway: Many people who experience seasonal depression in the winter months start to exhibit symptoms in the fall. Autumn is the time of year when we may practice accepting uncertainty and embracing any uneasy feelings. Which means fall is a good time to start building mindfulness and resilience.

✨Reflection: How can you build resilience? How can you practice mindfulness?

#Mindfulness #Resilience #Fall #MentalHealth