How to Practice Self Care in the Fall
Self Care in the Fall is the perfect way to prepare yourself for the busy holiday season ahead. I'm going to show you how to create a simple and sustainable routine to stay active while caring for your mental health this autumn.
There's something lovely about the crisp autumn air, with shorter days (read as earlier bedtimes), delicious flavors of apples and pumpkins, and getting cozy on the couch with a thousand blankets.
Autumn is my favorite season.
But it sure has a downfall. Fall brings a busier schedule, which always adds to our overall stress. Preparing for holidays, parties, and costumes can really take its toll on moms.
Holy guacamole don't forget about making special Halloween treats for everyone in your kid's class. Field trip money is due, not to be confused with the other kid's field trip money. Did you remember to put your son in crazy socks for crazy socks day?!
It's stressful. All of it.
Even the good parts of fall are stressful.
This is why you need self-care in the fall.
Refill your cup so you can make it through to the winter stress.
Fall Self Care Ideas
Fall self-care is the best. The air is cool enough you can go outside without scorching your eyebrows off, but usually it's easy enough to warm up with your cozy fall sweaters, boots and flannels.
Here are my favorite ways to practice self-care in the fall
| Visit a pumpkin patch | Visit an apple orchard and go apple picking |
| Get autumn pictures taken | Go on a haunted hayride (or just a hayride) |
| Find a dollar tree craft to do on Youtube | Enjoy the leaves changing colors |
| Walk dogs at a local shelter | Take a hike and enjoy the autumn air |
| Decorate your house for fall | Make hot cocoa in a crock pot for the whole family |
| Watch a football game | Eat some Chili or soup |
| Reflect on your goals for the year, and how you can achieve them | Enjoy a hot cup of something. Cocoa? Coffee? Eggnog? |
| Donate to your favorite charity | Declutter and donate, or sell on Mercari for extra holiday cash |
| Keep a gratitude journal | Start a fall exercise routine |
| Bake cookies for neighbors, teachers or friends | Spend a day without your cell phone. |
There are lots of different ways to practice self-care in the fall, and the great thing is . . . it's not all or nothing.
If you realize it's been too long, get started again. Self-care is not all or nothing.
Some self-care is better than NO self-care. Fill that cup so you can give freely to your loved ones. You don't have to be overwhelmed in order to be a mom.
Related: Stressed Out? It's Time to Try Some Self-Care
What Do You Do on Self Care Days?
When we are filled to the brim with stress and business every day it's hard to feel healthy and refreshed.
Sometimes you need a self-care day.
The most important thing to remember about self-care is no one will ever do it for you.
You have to decide to practice self-care. It will not happen until you make it happen.
If you've never tried or don't know how to practice self-care, it can be overwhelming.
Related: How To Practice Self-Care When You're Dirt Poor
How Do I Start a Self Care Routine?
Isn't it interesting, as parents, we do anything for our children . . . except take care of ourselves.
It's just as important as their physical needs.
Self-care is as important for our children as bathing them, educating them, and keeping knives out of their hands.
An important thing to realize with self-care is it's different for everyone.
For me, self-care is allowing time for writing and researching my next post. Or sitting alone with my audiobooks while taking a magnesium bath. Or planning my week ahead with all of my favorite pens.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Magnesium
The first step is deciding what you like, and doing that.
What Are Some Self Care Activities?
Only you can decide what you like to do. For me, self-care is researching and writing blog posts.
Action Step: Write down twenty things you enjoy doing, or want to try doing, and stop reading this right now and do three of them.
There is a list –if you scroll up on this post — with several things you can do to practice self-care in the fall.
You can also create your own list of self-care activities you enjoy doing.
Related: The Beginner's Guide to Self-Care
How Do You Set Self Care Goals?
Self-care is so personal. The thing I love about self-care in the fall, in particular, is how easy it is to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.
To set personal goals with self-care you'll need a plan.
Mind Mapping Your Goals
Start with a sheet of paper and write a part of your life in the middle. This will be what you want to work on.
For this example let's say you want to work on your body.
Here is a mind-map you can create for working on your fitness.
As you can see, I have physical health in the middle, and five different pieces of that goal around it. Eating Well, Exercise, Lifting Goals, Rest, and Drinking Water.
From those goals, I broke them down even more.
For eating well you can try new recipes, exercise can be going for a walk, and rest can be taking a relaxing bath. These are all individual to you.
The key to success here is writing things that will help you in your goals.
Take your new mind map and put it on your wall where you'll see it every day.
With these tips, you'll be on your way to a more refreshing and rejuvenating fall, perfect for preparing for the chaos winter brings.
In order to see any success though, you have to take action. So grab this planner for your morning routine and start seeing results the second you start implementing.
