Thriving with Autumn Anxiety
Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year. The fall foliage, sweater weather, apple picking, warm cider by the fire …
But, I realize this is definitely not the case for everyone.
In fact, many people experience an increase in anxiety symptoms with the change in season.
Autumn anxiety may feel like increased worry and overwhelm. You may find you’re having more trouble reining in your thoughts and concentrating may be more difficult. Your sleep may be disturbed and you may feel fatigued. You may have low mood. You may feel more agitated and stressed. Your heart rate may be elevated and you may notice shortness of breath.
And, all of this may feel as though it’s happening for no reason…
Why you may feel more anxious in the fall
01. Decreasing daylight hours means a shift in brain chemistry
When the seasons shift from summer to fall, the sun begins to rise later and set earlier, which in essence means we begin to have shorter days.
With decreased sunlight, our brains release less serotonin, a chemical that serves as a mood booster and helps us to feel calm and focused.
And, with increased time in the dark, the brain is triggered to release more melatonin, a hormone responsible for helping us sleep.
02. A shift in Circadian rhythms
This decrease in daylight hours affects our Circadian rhythm, the internal body clock that, on a 24-hour cycle, helps regulate essential functions like alertness, wakefulness, and sleep, but also metabolism and hormone secretion, digestion, body temperature, and hunger.
When this rhythm is shifted, as it is with the seasonal change, the timing of physiological events within the body also shifts, which includes areas of the brain that regulate our mood and the perception and interpretation of threats (aka anxiety), and other mental health and emotional processes (attention, concentration, memory).
03. Fall is a time of transition and change
Our schedules often change in the fall. Most notably, kids - and educators! - go back to school. Perhaps our work schedules shift - the end of summer Fridays or the beginning of busy season.
With the decreasing daylight our morning and evening schedules may change. Our exercise times may shift to accommodate the change in weather.
And, even if our schedules remain the same, there is the perception of change in the air with the change of seasons and the shift in weather.
Transition and change are very often quite uncomfortable, even for those of us who love the coming season. It’s marked by a lack of stability and uncertainty. And, being in transition is associated with an increase in stress, and an increase in the release of the stress hormone, cortisol.
04. Our thought content can significantly affect how we feel
How we feel is strongly affected by what we’re thinking. We can create a physiological response in our bodies simply by thinking about something we’re nervous about or that makes us uncomfortable.
Let’s examine some possible thoughts that may negatively affect how we feel with the shift from summer to fall:
“I didn’t accomplish what I wanted to over the summer …”
“Summer was so great … and I’m so sad it’s over …”
“I don’t want to go back to work …”
“If it’s fall, that means it’s almost winter … and I hate winter.”
If this is how you’re thinking, can you see how such thoughts can directly correlate to feelings of sadness, dread, frustration, and worry and overwhelm?
A note about Seasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that’s related to a change in seasons. It tends to occur annually, and most typically starts in the fall and continues through the winter.
While the factors described above can occur in all of us with the change in season, the neurochemical, hormonal, and biological issues described occur more significantly in individuals struggling with SAD and can create an increased level of difficulty and more functional impairment.
Thriving with Autumn Anxiety
01. Recognize the role that your brain and biology (involuntarily) play in your experience
** PLEASE NOTE ** that the first three points illustrated above - the release of chemicals in the brain and the shift in Circadian rhythms - demonstrate the significant role our brains and our biology play in the shifts in our mood, our attention and focus, and our increased need for sleep with the change in seasons.
Therefore, interventions targeting those chemicals, hormones, and rhythms can be effective in shifting your emotional experience. For example:
Light therapy, or phototherapy - sitting a few feet from a lighted box, designed to expose you to bright light that mimics natural light within the first hour of waking - is a first line treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Sunrise alarm clocks - an alarm clock that begins lighting your room 30 minutes before your wake time, can help with waking more naturally and addressing the reset of the sleep-wake cycle.
Make your environment sunny and bright as much as possible - open your curtains and blinds, sit near to bright windows while working, trim tree branches to allow in more natural light.
And, get outside!!! - getting outdoors is the quickest and fastest way for a mood boost, and it has the added benefit of access to natural sunlight.
02. Be gentle and compassionate with yourself
Recognize that you are not alone, and that many other people experience this shift in mood and an increase in anxiety symptoms into the autumn because of the neurochemical and biological factors described.
Further, recognize that, if you are experiencing such difficulties, it is not a personal failing. You are not lazy, and there is nothing wrong with you.
Set reasonable expectations based on what you now know. You may need more sleep or down time. You may feel better if you rise later, and start to wind down earlier in the evening, keeping rhythm with the sun.
Address the negative self-talk that comes to mind when you’re not being as productive, or working out as often as you’d.
Allow yourself to transition into the fall and winter with some grace rather than trying to browbeat yourself into doing what you think you ‘should’ be doing. You and your body and your energy will adjust faster anyway …
03. Shift your thinking
As noted, challenge the negative way you view yourself if you’re struggling with an increase in anxiety symptoms or reduced mood. But also, work to challenge the potential negative thoughts you’re having regarding the awesomeness of summer, the awfulness of darker days, and the dread of the approaching cold winter.
First, try a simple reframe. Think of grey days as “silver” days instead.
Or, acknowledge the fact-based, observable negatives you’ve identified. If you’re struggling with the dread of winter, for example, acknowledge that yes, it is a fact that winter is approaching. But then, identify potential positives to balance out the negatives and hold those ideas simultaneously. For example, try:
the Even Though the strategy: “Even though __________, __________.”
“Even though it’s almost winter, winter can be a time of rest, relaxation, and reflection.
Better yet, embrace the season. List - and then work to ** celebrate ** - all the things you do love and enjoy about the fall and winter.
Foster gratitude. Focus on what blessings there are in your life and allow those to help balance the negative thinking that’s arising. Try a gratitude practice:
write these statements on a sticky note and put them on your bathroom mirror
complete them while you brush your teeth or while you’re in the shower
don’t just name them but really picture them, visualize them, and appreciate them
try to choose different answers each day
“I love __________”
“I am grateful for __________”
“Today, I am looking forward to __________” (Note: complete this item with something you’re looking forward to that will happen later today … not, for example, “Today, I’m looking forward to when winter’s over.” You can see how that fosters more negativity rather than serving to balance it.)
And, cultivate present moment awareness. It’s fall. And, winter is approaching. Wishing for summer will not make you feel happier. In fact, it will foster depression and anxiety. Why? Because you’re wishing for something that cannot happen. It will not always be fall or winter. But, it is right now. And being here now allows for acceptance and truly the only way to live fully in your actual life.
04. Connect to your body
Finally, connecting to your body through meditation, yoga, and exercise assist with everything we’ve discussed thus far. These practices release the feel good hormones into our bodies and reduce the stress inducing hormones, allowing us to feel calmer and manage stress more effectively. We sleep better when we engage in these self-care practices regularly. And, they assist us in cultivating present moment awareness.
In Conclusion
Autumn anxiety is a real thing. It arises from a number of real causes. But, we can thrive and live fully, and effectively manage these experiences with increased awareness and intentional practices.
If you want more, check out my Masterclass ‘How to Stop Feeling Anxious’! Five video lessons with a corresponding workbook that delves deeper into these concepts: harnessing the power of mindfulness, making connections between how your thoughts make you feel, and choosing empowered behavior.
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