If you’re stuck indoors with the rain splashing down outside (like I am today!) you might be feeling a little blue that summer is over.
With many more days of autumn and winter to come, I thought it would be uplifting to share a few ideas for self-care that we can all enjoy during those darker evenings. Let’s go..!
1. Skills for self-efficacy
A great way to boost your mental well-being during those darker days of autumn is to learn a new skill. Why? Because setting out with the aim of learning something new and making steps towards achieving that will help to improve your feelings of self-efficacy.
Self-efficacy is the belief that you can take action and achieve your goals. It means you can rely on yourself to take the steps needed to improve any aspect of your life, whether that’s within the realms of physical health, mental health, career, home, business, family or anything else.
However, this belief in your self-efficacy isn’t always available to us, which can lead to lacklustre feelings and worries over our abilities. So, why not give this important aspect of your mental well-being a super-boost by spending your autumnal evenings achieving a goal?
Choose something you want to learn, such as a language or an instrument, or select a subject you’re interested in discovering more about, such as history, space or geography. Then, take a small step every day to develop your skills or knowledge in that area. It’s a really uplifting feeling to know you’ve learnt something new.
This doesn’t need to cost much – you can watch documentaries on TV or read library books on the subject. You could borrow an instrument from a friend and ask them for lessons in exchange for you teaching them something you already know about. Or if you know someone who speaks the language you want to learn, you could video call them to chat.
If you’re determined to achieve a new skill by the end of the year, you’ll find a way to do it – and, at the same time, you will be proving to yourself that you’re motivated and that you can trust in your own self-efficacy.
2. Skincare for self-care
When we’re rushing around during the long, busy days of summer, it can be difficult to do any self-care in terms of pampering. So, why not take advantage of the darkening evenings to settle yourself in, light a candle and take a little extra care of yourself?
Whether it’s a warm shower or a bubbly bath, you can play some music while you smooth on a face mask or cleanse the day away. You’ll feel relaxed and cosy, have treated your skin to a little pampering and your face will thank you for it.
And thankfully, this option doesn’t have to cost too much – you can use your usual serums and skincare products and just make the most of having some time at home in the evenings to look after yourself. Or you can treat yourself to some new products that are balanced for your skin – trending low-cost Korean moisturisers for every skin type are a thrifty option and just prove that you don’t have to splash the cash to feel hydrated and refreshed.
3. Crafting for creativity
There are so many reasons why crafting with your hands is good for your mental health. Not only does using your skills help to boost your self-efficacy, but it’s also physically good for you in terms of manual dexterity if you’re doing an intricate craft such as knitting, painting, sewing or sculpting.
However, the main boost you’ll enjoy if you choose to get creative during those autumn evenings is a mental health one. When you’re concentrating on crafting, you may find you get ‘in the flow’ and can enjoy hours of mindful concentration. This allows your brain to relax and let your worries go.
Doing a craft is a much more productive way to spend the dark nights than slouching in front of the television. You’ll not only enjoy the calmness that making something delivers, but you will also achieve a physical outcome of your efforts that you can be proud of (another mental health boost!) such as a beautiful painting, a cross-stitched cushion or a knitted accessory you can wear this winter.
Again, the costs don’t have to be prohibitive for you to enjoy a new craft; beginners’ kits are usually low-cost or you could do online video classes to learn to knit for just a few pounds. Perhaps a friend or family member already does a craft you’d like to try, so that’s the perfect excuse to get together and enjoy their company while learning something new.
4. Making meals for mental health
Nutrition is so important for our physical and mental well-being. However, during the darker months, it’s tempting to fill up on processed convenience foods because we’re feeling low in energy and they’re quick and easy to make.
But those meals can lead to feelings of sluggishness, whereas food should help you to feel nourished and give you the energy you need. So, I’m going to suggest that you rethink your meals this autumn for two reasons: anything you cook yourself from scratch will instantly and effortlessly be healthier for you AND it can provide a boost to your mental wellness too.
How? Well, going back to self-efficacy, it gives you a sense of achievement when you make a delicious meal and you can feel proud when other members of your family enjoy it – making you feel even more motivated to repeat your cooking efforts again.
Plus, you can give yourself a pat on the back for making healthy choices when you might not have wanted to. And finally, it’s a mindful process to chop veggies, stir a risotto or bake something tasty. While you’re working with your hands, you won’t be scrolling screens, so your brain gets a break.
The good news is that it won’t cost you anything more than your usual food budget to make mealtimes a mental health activity. If you buy seasonal fruit and veggies, they’ll be available at the lowest prices and then all you need to do is add some protein to create a healthy meal that your body will thank you for.
So, pop on some relaxing music or listen to the radio while you prepare your meal to make it an even more enjoyable process and enjoy a healthy boost to your body and brain.
5. Movement for mindfulness
If you can preserve your physical health over the autumn, you’ll not only feel physically great but your mind will feel motivated to keep it up in the future. Often, we can experience an ‘all-or-nothing’ feeling about our physical health but I’ve found that doing something every day is better than giving up altogether in the autumn and winter.
Wet weather and dark days can make it harder to feel motivated to exercise, especially if you usually do so outside. But if the rain, wind (or even snow!) means you can’t take your usual daily walk or go for a jog, be sure to search out some uplifting movement options you can do at home.
I’ve made use of many of the free courses and programs out there to help you stay physically active at home. The Couch To Fitness videos are ideal for boosting your health as a beginner and are totally free to use. There are also countless free channels on YouTube dedicated to zumba, dance or yoga, such as the lovely Well With Hels, who also runs free live community classes on Zoom.
While you’re exercising, stretching or dancing at home, you’ll probably find a secondary benefit other than just your physical health: movement is also a mindful activity. Again, you can’t be scrolling social media or watching the news while you’re following a live online class, so this gives your brain a rest from all the inputs it receives during the day, allowing you to unwind and relax.
Why not try a yoga class or a gentle Groove class as a great way to settle down for bedtime? A good night’s sleep is also essential for your wellbeing, so expending any extra energy and relaxing your body and mind will certainly help with this too.
I hope these five ideas will help you to feel uplifted, motivated and calm during the chilly autumn months ahead and that you can think of those darker evenings as an opportunity to take care of yourself, learning something new and feel more relaxed.
Let me know in the comments below what you like to do in the autumn evenings. I’d love to hear your ideas for getting creative and taking care of your physical and mental well-being. 🙂
Pin it for later
This article is a sponsored collaboration. The pink links in the content indicate a sponsored link or information source. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content 🙂
