We’ve been lucky this year to have been blessed with a very sunny summer and warm weather until mid-October here in the UK. However, the temperature now feels like it’s starting to drop and autumn really beginning. It’s natural to feel a degree of sadness about this; no more long evenings outside, afternoons spent sunbathing or barbecues until next summer. A few years ago, when I first wrote a similar post to this, I’d been pondering how best the transition into autumn could be navigated. I started to think that letting go of wishing summer could continue, and instead being interested in the changes that autumn and winter bring, with an openness to the unique gifts they have to offer, could help us feel happier at this time of year. There are various ways to approach this, and what suits each of us best will likely be different, but here are some of the thoughts I had on the matter.
Considering what we appreciate about the autumn is a good place to start. For me the leaves are high up my list. I love the rich diversity in colours, the way they drift gently to the ground and the sound and feel of them scrunching beneath my feet. There’s also the opportunity to see sunrise more often; to observe the shifting tones and patterns of light and welcome the start of a new day with fresh possibilities. We similarly begin to see more of the night sky which can provide a source of wonderment alongside the calming energy of the moon. Giving our full attention, as mindfulness encourages, to really noticing all these changes happening around us could potentially help transform our experience of the shift into autumn.
On a slightly different note, the summer tends to be a more social time of year for many, when the majority of occasions and events take place. And there’s a natural desire to want to be outside enjoying the weather when it’s good. The autumn also holds the opportunity to do things that we haven’t had time for in the summer; to reignite a previous interest or take up a new hobby. Playing a musical instrument, sketching, painting, cooking new recipes, baking…the options are endless.
There may be a few more mild days yet, but if we can let summer go without lamenting its passing, and embrace the beauty of autumn, we’re likely to have an easier transition.
* I originally published a variation of this post in August 2014 on the Serenity Wellbeing blog I shared with a friend. It is all my own writing and I have slightly updated for this page.*