Five Things You Should Be Doing This Fall if You Struggle with Anxiety or SAD

Fall is one of my favorite seasons but also a time that can be difficult due to the transition into the colder season.

When I danced at Native American Pow Wows (Native American Festivals), Fall was always the time the Pow-Wows started to die down.

We considered Fall to be the time that Mother Nature uses to shed her leaves and make a blanket for herself as she prepares to rest for the winter.

How Fall Affects Anxiety and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

This transitional season can be difficult for those that struggle from Anxiety and/or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

The shorter days, lack of sunlight and colder weather can all play a part in increasing levels of anxiety and depression.

I noticed a long time ago that on the cold winter days especially when the skies were gray, I struggled a lot more with my mental health.

I think part of me was resisting the slowing down and the changing of the seasons, but also on a more sciencey note, I was probably suffering from a lack of vitamin D due to the lack of sunlight and spending less time outdoors.

It can also be really difficult for a person with anxiety or a hyperactive mind to physically and mentally slow down when their environment is telling them to do the opposite.

In addition, the fall time is welcoming in the season of several commonly celebrated holidays that can be emotionally charged times for people.

I can still find joy and beauty in the Fall season but I have to do a little extra self-care to help me stay in balance.

If you find yourself struggling this Fall, here are 5 things you can do to help ease your anxiety and SAD.

Fall Anxiety and SAD Relief:

All of these are tools that I’ve used and some that I’ve more recently started learning more about when studying Ayurveda as part of my 300-hour yoga teacher training.

Ayurveda is an ancient system of medicine from India that takes a holistic approach to physical and mental health. It tends to focus more on preventative efforts and a lot on bringing balance to the body through things like diet, lifestyle, and self-care practices.

Interestingly enough, the Fall season tends to increase anxiety due to the underlying principle of like increases like and opposites bring balance.

In Ayurveda, the fall season has Vata qualities which include airiness, dryness, and lightness.

So if we think about that in terms of our mental state, those qualities could manifest as feelings of being all over the place (airiness), feeling parched or like you can’t quite get a deep breath (dryness), and feeling spacey or disconnected (lightness). These can all be ways anxiety manifests itself in the body; therefore, this environment may cause some to experience anxiety and make those who already have it, even worse.

Therefore, this follows the principle above of like qualities increasing like qualities. As such, we need to embrace opposites to help restore balance.

We’ll touch more on these practices down below, but let’s go ahead and dive into the list of 5 things you can do to help ease anxiety and the symptoms of SAD this Fall.

1. Use a HAPPY LIGHT for 15 to 30 minutes every morning

A happy light can help you by providing exposure to artificial sunlight. This will help to mimic the natural sunlight and can help to boost your mood and energy levels. It can also help to reset the circadian rhythm if you struggle with sleeping at night.

One study found that individuals who used a happy light for 30 minutes per day over four weeks reported significant improvements in symptoms of fatigue, depression, and sleep quality.

This is the one I use during the more rainy and cloudy season. I tend to just leave it on my desk and turn it on while I work.

Although I can’t tell you I noticed a significant difference, I can tell you that it did not hurt.

One of the tricks to make this effective is to make it a regular part of your morning routine and be consistent with what time of day and for how long you use it each day.

Using a happy light with a combination of the other 4 suggestions to do this Fall are all were very beneficial in helping me to be more focused, productive, and relaxed throughout the day.

If you want to grab the same one I did, here’s my Amazon affiliate link for the Happy Light I have been using for years.

It’s been great to use and I haven’t had to change the battery yet or buy a new one!!

2. Stick to a ROUTINE…as best as you can

We aren’t perfect little robots that can always stick to a set routine.

What’s important is at least having some sort of plan or intention and sticking to it MOST of the time.

I’ll let how often “most” is up to you. But seriously, next time observe yourself when you don’t stick to a routine and observe yourself when you do and notice how you feel.

For me, when I have no routine or intention for the day, I notice my anxiety is much higher.

I naturally tend to be a person who likes to do everything but then when I have no plan in place end up getting little to nothing done.

And all the time in between just feels uncomfortable and restless.

When we stick to a routine, it helps to ground us and give us a sense of stability. For those who struggle with anxiety, like me, our minds our often going a mile a minute, worrying about something or not something happening.

Therefore, reducing some of the things we need to think about doing can tremendously help us feel calmer and relaxed throughout the day.

If you don’t have a routine or you’re looking to try something different, check out the short training I did in my Facebook Group, all about building a stress-free morning routine.

3. Eat WARMING foods

This follows the Ayurvedic principle we spoke about above that “like” increases “like” and opposites bring balance.

In the fall, the weather is cooling off and we are in what’s called Vata season. This is the time of year when we may experience more air and wind as well as more cold and rough sensations.

We want to try to balance this out by eating foods that are grounding and warming.

Some examples of these types of foods are soups, stews, root vegetables, tea, and anything that is cooked versus raw.

The idea behind this is that these types of foods will help to “ground” us and make us feel more stable.

Here are a few yummy recipes to consider trying this Fall:

If none of these recipes speak to you or you prefer doing your own thing….

Simplify by building your own Cava or Mezza like bowl doing the following:

Grain/Legume – rice, quinoa, barley, etc.
Root Veggies – Carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, etc.
Cleansing Veggies – Arugula, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Collards
Spices / Oil – Consider using a blend of cumin, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, cilantro, basil, salt, sugar

4. Slow Flow Grounding YOGA Practices

When we are anxious, our minds tend to be very active and restless. One way to help ease some of that is by doing slow-flow yoga practices that are more grounding.

This still follows the Ayurvedic principle of counterbalancing the airiness and lightness of the Fall season to the opposite which is instead being connected to the ground and finding postures that are heating and stabilizing.

This can be things like yin yoga, restorative yoga, or even just a slow Hatha class. You might also find a heated studio or practice in warmer clothing to counter the cooler weather. The key is to find something that feels good.

Some poses that can be particularly helpful are: child’s pose, happy baby pose, cat/cow pose, Warrior 1 and 2, and down dog.

I love doing restorative yoga with props to help me feel even more relaxed.

HERE’s a 60 minute Slow Flow Fall Inspired Yoga and optional Journaling to help you settle into this Fall season!

In this beginner friendly yoga and journaling class, we’ll explore several of these postures above to help us to root down into the present moment and release stress and anxiety.

5. MEDITATE with BREATHWORK

Meditation is a great tool to help bring stillness and flexibility to an anxious or overwhelmed mind. I don’t mean the type of meditation where you try to force all the thoughts out of your head.

That’s the opposite of what we are doing.

Instead, we are trying to observe the thoughts without judgment and let them be. This can be a really difficult task but with practice, you can start to shape the brain to make this a tiny bit easier.

And YES, I literally mean RESHAPE the neural pathways of the brain so instead of constant and indefinite rumination, you develop the skill to gently and kindly welcome yourself back to the present moment and out of the rumination.

Do this as many times as you need and that brain path, just like a trail in the woods, will eventually become easier and more accessible to walk.

And again because the Fall season typically is much more windy and airy, it’s important to also find breathwork that is grounding.

These types of practices include alternate nostril breathing or Brahmari breathing. Both of these breath techniques help to slow down the heart rate and bring a sense of calmness and balance.

BONUS HYGIENE AYURVEDIC TIP

One last tip, that doesn’t necessarily apply to the Fall season but should be done all year round is tongue scraping.

Maybe you already use your toothbrush to brush your tongue, but let me tell you, it does not compare to using an actual tongue scraper.

Here’s a great one you can try out just for 10 bucks for a set of 4. I don’t have the copper, but I recently learned it’s preferred for most because it has antibacterial properties:

Tongue scraping is an Ayurvedic practice that helps to remove toxins from the tongue and promote better oral hygiene.

To do this, you simply need to purchase a tongue scraper and then scrape your tongue from back to front about 5-10 times.

Do this first thing in the morning before you brush your teeth and you’ll notice a difference in how clean your tongue feels.

A little secret of mine is I used to not be good at brushing my teeth in the mornings, but since I started doing tongue scraping and seeing what I scrape off, I MUST brush my teeth every morning.

I hope you enjoyed these tips and that they help you to navigate the Fall season with a little bit more ease.