Simple Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy Autumn
“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree”
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Autumn can be a busy season. We all come back from those summer vacations and jump headfirst into the school year, more meetings at work, kids’ extracurricular activities, and of course preparing for the holiday season that comes with winter. If we’re not careful, we can completely skip over fall in all our busyness (I mean, it’s October and I’ve already seen Christmas décor at Target). However, autumn is such a beautiful season in and of itself; worthy of slowing down and savoring the experiences that it has to offer. So, in this post I hope to provide a handful of simple ways you can slow down and take time to truly enjoy autumn. By indulging in a few (or all) of these practices, you will not only be embracing everything this glorious season has to offer, but also adding bits of joy to your daily life; leaving you more satisfied and content which has a positive effect on your overall work-life balance – our ultimate goal!
In creating this list, I tried to identify simple ways to enjoy fall that played off all 5 of our senses: Taste, Touch, Smell, Sight, and Sound. I want us to embrace this season on multiple levels!
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Taste:
1. Enjoy a pumpkin spiced treat! This could be something you bake at home (e.g., pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin roll, etc.) or something you grab while out and about (e.g., pumpkin spiced latte). If you limit your enjoyment of this flavor to only the fall season, it’s even more exciting to indulge!
2. Cook some hot seasonal soups. Autumn typically brings in cooler temperatures. Take advantage of this by cooking hot, rich soups like chili, French onion soup, or butternut squash soup.
3. Sip on a hot drink such as a spiced tea, pumpkin spiced latte, or mulled wine.
Touch:
4. Pull on a cozy sweater and enjoy the way it feels against your skin. Natural fiber sweaters are some of the coziest (e.g., cashmere, cotton, or wool) because they are warm while still being breathable.
5. Snuggle up under a blanket. If it’s not too cool, I love to take a blanket out on the patio and snuggle up under it while enjoying a good book.
6. Enjoy the warmth of a blazing fire and good company on a cool evening. Grab your friends and/or family and enjoy an evening of good conversation and toasting s’mores.
7. Jump in a pile of leaves or have a leaf fight with your kids.
Smell:
8. Add seasonally scented candles to your home. Things like pumpkin, spiced apple, or tobacco smoke. My favorite place to find seasonal candles is Marshall’s or Home Goods. They’re affordable and change out each season.
9. Take a moment to appreciate the smells of those delicious soups, desserts, and drinks you’re making.
Sight:
10. Take a hike through the woods or a scenic drive and take in all the changing colors of the leaves.
11. Curl up with a good mystery. Since Halloween is in Autumn, you could embrace the spookiness of the season by enjoying a classic murder mystery. Agatha Christie is my all-time favorite mystery author. My favorite books of hers are The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Murder on the Orient Express, and Death on the Nile. Recently, I’ve been reading Ashley Weaver’s Amory Ames series and have immensely enjoyed them too!
12. Watch a football game. I know it’s not for everyone, but football is a fall staple in our household. This fall, you could head out to the local high school football field for some Friday Night Lights, visit a nearby university for a game, or flip on ESPN. Of course, this is best enjoyed along with classic tailgating food!
13. Watch a sunset. There is something stunning about an autumn sunset. As the sun goes down it just douses everything in its path in gold. I like to soak up as much sun as I can before the darkness of winter settles in.
Sound:
14. Sit outside and listen to the wind rustling through the leaves.
15. Have a family story time. My daughter is under the impression that she needs to be awake if the sun is awake. With the nights coming earlier and earlier, it gets easier to settle in for some family time before the kids have to go off to bed. Grab a family friendly book that you know you will all enjoy (Harry Potter is a favorite in our house), settle into the living room with some warm drinks and cozy blankets and read the story aloud. If you have trouble choosing a book that you will all enjoy, ask your children’s librarian. They will likely have some great recommendations!
I hope these simple ideas will help you embrace this autumn season and find joy in everything this season has to offer us.
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We spend a great deal of time at work. Like Annie Dillard once said, “How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.” I encourage you to look around your office and see what steps you can take to add simple luxuries to your workday because in the grand scheme of things, they will add up and lead to a luxurious life!