by Sarah Ivens
George Eliot
Autumn is the season when the world mellows out and takes stock on what has already been achieved. Change occurs, but at a reassuringly slow drift rather than a hurried panic. Planet Earth takes on a warm glow as the sun shrinks back into the soil. Golden moments with friends, family and self shape the months leading up to the festive season. The nights stretch out once more, lit by bonfires and fireworks, log fires and sparklers. There are rustling leaves and crunchy pathways, hot cider and warm donuts, spicy lattes and candy corn, hay stacks and football. Keats famously described autumn as the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,” and our routines reflect Mother Nature’s chilled-out, contented vibe too.
Ode to autumn
Autumn is owed great respect for being awesomely good for us in a number of ways. Here are seven reasons to make the most of this season:
1 When the clocks go back and mornings become darker and cooler, we’re naturally more likely to get some extra shut-eye. Autumn offers the perfect antidote to the restlessness of summer sleep, as the lack of light and a drop in temperature makes it better quality (research says the ideal temp for sleeping is between 60°F and 67°F.). No sweaty tangling in the bed sheets or annoying whirr of the air-conditioning unit. And good sleep makes everyone feel invincible.
2 Seasonal superfoods are abundant, nutritious, delicious and easy to prepare: stews, soups and casseroles warm and satisfy every day, filled to brimming with reasonably priced squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and all manner of seasonal root vegetables. Beta-carotene, the fab food compound found with no effort in autumn, helps to prevent certain cancers, heart disease and high blood pressure. An 8-ounce portion of pumpkin offers a crazy amount of vitamin A—200 percent of your daily recommendation—and a hearty wallop of vitamin E, which provides crucial goodness for healthy skin, teeth and vision. Also, roast up some parsnips for a feast of immune-boosting vitamin C.
3 You can celebrate those back-to-school vibes and get down with some books and learning. Geek has never felt so chic. The autumn is the perfect time to start a new hobby or habit, such as joining a book club, starting to learn a new language or taking an evening class in local history. And this is the perfect season to take these habits outside, without the fear of being bitten or burnt.
4 Brisk autumn weather doesn’t just feel good on your skin and in your lungs, a study shows that cold and crisp weather benefits your mind too. Researchers split a group into two and gave them both a memorization test, half on a sunny, warm day typical of summer, the other on a cooler, cloudy day typical of autumn—and the cooler group had much better luck at remembering things.
5 This is the perfect season to set new outdoor goals that you can keep, or to revisit old ones that have been lost over the previous few months. The decadence of summer and its overindulgences—late nights, sleeping in and travel, not to mention eating and drinking too much—are over, and a new air of restoration and good sense abounds. Take another look at your goals from spring, check in on them and your mental and physical well-being, and get back into a rhythm. Commit to the weekly forest walk, nurturing your windowsill herb garden or morning meditations.
6 You’ll start wanting hot drinks again after a summer off. Green and black teas are steeped in antioxidants that help to keep flu at bay during the cooler months, so sip away.
7 The mane event will be your crowning glory The humidity of summer has subsided and the too-dry indoor temperatures of winter are in the future, so your hair is looking and feeling good when you’re out and about.
Potent pumpkin
Autumn is the time to pick it, eat it, drink it, carve it and light it, but that isn’t all a pumpkin can do to spice up your life. According to research at Chicago’s Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Center, the smell of pumpkin turns men wild with desire. Mixed with lavender, the scent increases penile blood flow in participants by an average of 40 percent. Pumpkins are also rich in zinc, which increases testosterone. Combine these natural fragrances with the cooler, cozier nights and, well, things can get pretty romantic on that twilight stroll. My, oh pie!
Turn over a new leaf
The ethereal blanketing of the earth with leaves every autumn is nothing short of soul lifting. The amber richness of the shed leaves softens the world and slows our pace. Experiencing such beauty doesn’t just feel lovely, it’s lovely for our brain, too. Walking among the plum tones and orange shades, and engaging with the season’s changing prettiness, activates the brain’s medial orbitofrontal cortex, which helps with sharp thinking and deep relaxation. The colors red and yellow are recognized as stimulating shades, giving your eyes—and then your whole being—a boost, so expect even a quick lunchtime dash through the park to pick up your mood.
The contrast that occurs in early autumn—green against red, yellow versus brown—grabs our attention and excites our brain, making a bright, engaging change from the solid greens of a spring and summer forest. It gives us a unique visual stimulus. We forget our daily worries and fears, overwhelmed by the beauty of nature—even if just for the duration of a walk or a relaxation session outside. The trees and their daily change also give us a good chance to practice mindfulness. How many leaves have dropped since I was last here? What color strikes me the most? When we encounter the largesse of life like this, we are humbled into forgetting our self-centered worriers and look outward to appreciate the world.
Autumn playlist
Get moving and grooving to these ten cozy-comforting, laid-back loving tunes, perfect for this season of change and chilling—and saying goodbye to summer:
“The Boys of Summer” by Don Henley
“Endless Summer Nights” by Richard Marx
“November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses
“When the Leaves Come Falling Down” by Van Morrison
“Pale September” by Fiona Apple
“Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” by UB40
“The Boys of Fall” by Kenny Chesney
“Skyfall” by Adele
“Wake Me Up When September Ends” by Green Day
“Harvest Moon” by Neil Young
Autumn workouts
This isn’t just the most gorgeous season, it can be the best for exercise outside too. The sun is still shining in early autumn, but not so ferociously; the crispness in the air invigorates without overheating us. Try these outdoor activities that build happy memories and muscle:
• Apple-picking can burn up to 300 calories in a few hours.
• A forest trail has never been so resplendent for walking along. As you march through the fantastic foliage watch out for the busy squirrels preparing for frost by gathering acorns and nuts.
• Choosing pumpkins and lugging them home is good for building arm muscles.
• Blackberry picking is great for flexibility, and offers a flavonoid boost from the end of summer to early autumn.
• Raking leaves gives a good cardiovascular workout and burns approximately 50 calories per 30 minutes.
• Dancing the can-can in a forest of fallen leaves is a good way to kick-start your metabolism.
• As the kids are heading back to school, relive your childhood and go back to the outdoor games and challenges you had as a child in the playground. Hopscotch, skipping rope, playing catch. Dare I mention cross-country running, the bane of my teen years? I hated it, but some friends adored it. If that was you, pick it up again. Another way to get some outdoor exercise in is to sign up to help or coach all the new teams that start up around this time of the year at your children’s schools or to commit to walking the kids to school rather than driving or putting them on a bus. These morning walks—if not madly rushed—can be a great way for you and your child to set affirmations for the day ahead and to observe the changing world around you. No season surpasses autumn for the daily adjustments to nature.
Dark force
The nights are drawing in, but that is no excuse to take your fitness routine inside or to disengage with the
natural world, just be safe. If you’re out walking, wear a reflective vest and carry a flashlight. If you’re cycling, affix a light to your bicycle and helmet.
Fall into a regular family and friends’ routine
There is a natural pull at this time of the year to start shrinking back into our homes and our bones, and to wrap up in brick walls in front of the television. But there are a few fun seasonal events that not only force us to be social but also to be outdoors. Make the most of these gatherings, because time spent with family and friends has proven benefits to our mental and physical health. A kick-off game for college sports is one of them, of course, where familial connections (and good-natured rivalries) are re-lit and you realize how great it is to spend time with people who know you so well, despite your differences. Add pecan pie and some Oktoberfest beers to the occasion, and you’ll feel warm inside despite the chill of the season.
Family time
The biggest plus of outdoor family autumn experiences is that it forces you all to unplug, to step away from this mind-numbing, anxiety-swelling technology-obsessed road we’re on and to reconnect, in person, with real people. Bonding, warm apple cider in one hand, s’mores in the other, as you create strong memories with people you love, puts you in a good mood and decreases stress.
Studies show that families who enjoy everyday activities together—not just expensive vacations and big events—have strong emotional ties that allow them to adapt better to new or difficult situations. And it pays forward. Children who have happy family memories from their youth are more likely to make the effort to recreate that environment when they become parents. A weekly autumnal stroll along a forest trail, sharing your news of the week, could forge great bonds all year round—and for the next generation. Environmental scientists believe quality time spent outdoors, away from the bombardment of manufactured distractions we are faced with indoors, increases our attention span and reduces ADHD in children. What a great way for kids to start the school year. Family time also builds self-esteem in children. When youngsters feel that they are valued by their parents and extended family, they feel positive about themselves and therefore find it easier to build strong relationships in their friendship circles too.
Friend time
Friends are the family we choose ourselves, and the right ones can become everything to us in good times and bad. But several recent studies show that the number of friends we have is falling, as the amount of time spent outdoors is falling. There’s a correlation here. We’re indoors on social media, leading these weirdly public yet closed-off lives, forgetting what really gets our endorphins flowing: an active, outdoor social life with people we adore. We have to get outside and get out of this rut, people. Because studies show that there are so many benefits to comradeship.
Friends extend your life, in fact research uncovered that the effect of strong social ties has twice as strong an impact on your lifespan as exercising and was the equivalent of quitting smoking. Friends give free stress relief in the form of the “talking cure”: we get to unburden ourselves and talk things through with people we trust. Friends keep your brain sharp, as you age: studies have found a link between an absence of social attachments and cognitive decline. Friends help us to get through tough times of rejection and upset. The stress hormone cortisol is lessened in people who feel that they have the support of close friends during times of trauma. After the distractions and travel of summer, autumn is the perfect time to get back together with your chosen people.
Autumn reads
Here are five books to thrill—and spook—you during an autumn day in the forest:
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Spooktacular season
Halloween may be associated with ghosts, ghouls and a gruesomely gross amount of sugary sweets, but it’s not all scary stuff. Halloween gives everyone an excuse to get outside, meet the neighbors, embrace the chill of a brisk autumn evening and be creative. You get to use your imagination, dress up, revert to the careless excitement of your youth and decorate the front of your house with cobwebs, ghosts and petrified looking black cats. If you have children, you get to partake in the coolest family fiesta ever: trick or treating, probably the easiest time of the year to get the kids outside, away from a screen, and walking the neighborhood with you. Well, there is the promise of chocolate in it!
And of course, there are pumpkin Jack-o-lanterns, which don’t only provide mental stimulation while carving them, but a nutritional power boost from the discarded pulp inside. So don’t throw the good stuff away. You already know about the glorious levels of beta-carotene, vitamins A and C from the flesh—but the seeds are fab too, packed full of protein, magnesium, potassium and zinc. Studies show that these tiny tasty treats can help to prevent depression. No trick. And don’t forget that other Halloween superfood: garlic. Not only will it keep vampires at bay, but it is also packed full of vitamins, and it will help to scare away any autumnal colds too.
And finally, what Halloween is really about: finding the fun in being frightened, which researchers are now declaring to be good for us. Being scared in an exciting, non-threatening Halloween kind of way (taking a ghost tour or walking around a haunted house at a county fair, for example) ramps up adrenaline and dopamine, flooding our muscles with oxygen as we prepare for fight or flight, albeit fake! Because it is Halloween, and the scary-looking thing at the end of your road is your neighbor wearing his bed sheet, you get to enjoy the pumped-up and giddy feeling, rather than it being bad for you. And after the rush of chemicals, your body feels deeply relaxed.
Claire, 42
“The kids and I love to go wandering in the woods near our home—especially in the autumn when the ground becomes a soft blanket of color. The girls and I make homes for the fairies and playgrounds for them out of crispy bark and golden leaves, and anything else we find. A feather is always a good find. It turns a walk in the woods into something more magical and exciting for them, and their imaginations can run wild. We bought Freddie, my ten-year-old son, a simple Swiss Army knife and he loves to search for sticks that he can whittle into various shapes: an arrow, a gnome, a totem pole…”
Farm Finds
One of my greatest pleasures has been taking day trips to local farms to forage for delicious autumnal treats. I remember the first time I travelled through the rolling hills of Kentucky to a farm an hour away in search of locally fabled caramel apples, rich cranberry sauce and trays of yams and sweet potatoes. I felt like I’d arrived on a film set, or in a different era, my eyes dazzled by fields of pumpkins, plump and waiting to be carted off into loving homes, and bales of hay as high as houses, bouncing with children and merriment. Scarecrows watched on as I carried my one-year-old through corn mazes and on tractor rides, settling in the crisp air in our comfy clothes to munch on crisp apples. We all slept well that night, and seeking out local farms with fall festivals has become an annual pilgrimage we all look forward to.
Gratitude attitude
Thanksgiving is probably the holiday I am most thankful for. At first, as a foreigner, I didn’t understand it. I thought it was just the US version of Christmas (Turkey! Stuffing! Feeling stuffed! Weird uncles!) but then I realized it had a beautiful question at the heart of it: what are you thankful for?
The first Thanksgiving dinner I ever went to was in New York City with a hodgepodge group of Americans and immigrants, and a handful of British ex-pats. As we sat at the table in front of the gluttonous feast, the Americans led us in a sharing circle. We each spoke about a moment or a person that had meant a great deal to us that year, and then we retuned to the present and thanked the host, the friends and the day. I got teary—more than that really, as new and old friends bravely and humorously shared their highlights and saviors. Since then, every Th
anksgiving, in a group or on my own, I’ve taken the time to muse on what I have to be grateful for.
Being thankful is an important position from which to look at the world. We are too easily persuaded that we have it tough, or certainly tougher than the freakishly lucky friends or siblings we seem to be faced with on a daily basis. The act of looking and acknowledging our own good fortune—in conversations, in a journal or in our own daily affirmations—can have many social, mental and physical benefits.
Socially, being polite and showing how grateful you are to have someone in your life is beneficial. A study published in the journal Emotion showed how acknowledging people’s contribution to your world, by thanking them in person, or by note, or just by your behavior toward them, will make you more likeable and popular. That means you have more friends to meet for forest trail walks.
Mentally, an attitude of gratitude reduces the amount of time we get weighed down and worried by the toxic emotions of jealousy, frustration and regret. When you’re feeling grateful, you can’t help but feel uplifted, and your self-esteem is less battered by what other people are achieving or receiving around you, as you focus on your own game. Feeling thankful for one’s own position also makes us more empathetic to others who are not quite so fortunate.
