Fall Reflection
Fall can be a good time for people to slow down and reflect on their life, evaluate how things are going, and check in to see if they are living in a way that is aligned with who they are and what they believe. This intentionality allows people to make choices that are in alignment with the direction they are heading and the direction they want their life to go. This practice is important and can also be fun! It makes space for dreaming, reflecting, and celebrating.
Journaling
In addition to reflecting on your current life situation, it can be fun to reflect on the things you like most about fall. From there you can plan to incorporate some of those things into the coming months, which allows people to experience more joy during a season of change. Here are some journal prompts to help you reflect on fall in order to sprinkle in your favorite fall treats, memories, outings, etc.
Fall Fun!
Maybe you’re not in the mood to reflect and journal. That’s fine! Here are some fun fall ideas to keep you enjoying the season:
- Visit and orchard and pick apples; bake an apple crisp or pie
- Go on a fall hike – Just for fun, here is a list of the Top 20 Fall Hikes in the US
- Scout out and visit the most enticing fall activity you can find (corn maze, haunted hayride, etc.)
- Attend a fall-themed park or exhibit (MN Zoo hosts a great Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular)
- Pick pumpkins and roast your pumpkin seeds
- Design, decorate, paint a new fall mug for all of the cozy fall and winter drinks that are in your future
- Build a scarecrow – might as well find a reason to laugh a bit this fall
- Play in the leaves – again, might as well get to laughing
- Host a fall movie night – Maybe watch scary movies if that’s your thing
- Host a murder mystery party
- Get cozy; buy a new fall blanket and light a fall candle
- Host a Friendsgiving celebration or potluck
- Host a chili cookoff or potluck
- Start a gratitude jar or journal
- Plant some fall bulbs on your balcony, front step or in your yard
- Go to a lake and relax by a bonfire; make s’mores or another snack over the fire
- Put up some fall decorations
- Make caramel apples or other fall treats; share with a neighbor or friend
- Listen to a fall playlist
- Harvest (or buy!) some fall root vegetables and make a crockpot of soup. Here is a delicious squash soup recipe.
A Helpful Tool
Reflecting on this summer as it winds down, there were likely moments of joy as well as bumps in the road. Think back to the harder moments. What did you do to keep moving when the weather wasn’t what you expected, or your travel plans changed, or the news made your heart ache, or a major life event rocked your world?
One useful tool for dealing with the let downs, the transitions, and the dread is…distraction!
That may be surprising to hear from a bunch of therapists and don’t get us wrong – direct interventions such as intentionality and therapy are important to improve mental health symptoms, process life events, and better understand ourselves. If you notice yourself using distraction more often than not, not doing or enjoying activities that you normally would, or not being able to complete daily tasks, it may be time to talk to a therapist about finding additional or new ways of coping.
That said, distraction, when used appropriately and in moderation so as to not become a constant habit, is sometimes just what we need to keep moving forward through a hard moment. Distraction can give us the momentum to transition into a more clear state of mind and outlook.
We receive so much stimuli from our environment, particularly with the internet and social media, and our brains simply could not function if they were to try and hold all of that information. Instead, we generally filter out the things that aren’t immediately relevant in order to live our day to day lives without being overwhelmed to the point of paralysis/shut down/a complete tuning out.
Sometimes, however, the noise is too much, the brain’s filter gets dusty, and things like anxiety, sadness, and dread slip through. When that happens, it is okay to distract yourself temporarily to help get through that moment without spiraling deeper into those feelings!
Our Coping Skills
Therapists aren’t immune to mental health challenges or moments/seasons where the chaos of the world can bring about feelings of helplessness. We asked the Sentier team about some resources that they personally utilize for their mental wellbeing and that provide distraction when appropriate, and here are some awesome ideas they shared with us:
- Yoga with adriene
- Bilateral Stimulation music to help with sleep
- Walking, lifting weights and biking
- Green Screen studio St Paul (specifically community events)
- Gardening for nature (kill your lawn)
- St Paul Parks & Rec gym membership
- Libby app (for free, online audiobooks). I always have one that is more “self-helpish” to listen to on walks!
- Chocolate bars – preferably dark chocolate with sea salt and almonds.
- Enjoying content from a few whimsical nature artists on Instagram: thomasdambo and davidmbird and adailycloud
- Creating dream trips on Airbnb
- Google Keep – making organizational lists
- Calm App
- PQ App
- Healthy Gamer GG (DrK) YouTube
- FD Signifier on YouTube
- Running!
- Joylab podcast
- OPIA discord server (artist community)
- Watching a few, key animal videos on repeat
- Insight Timer App for meditation
- Daily Wordle with long distance friends
- Adding pictures to family members’ Aura picture frames
- 10% Happier podcast
- Crafting
- Social media breaks
Both intentionally embracing the unique things that make fall special and taking a moment to distract from things that are feeling difficult are both wonderful coping skills and can be used to help make the next season feel sweet, productive, and fulfilling.
Blog written by Sentier’s Client Care Coordinator, Ellie Struewing, and Sentier’s owner and therapist, Megan Sigmon-Olsen, MSW, LICSW.
