Embracing Autumn, Attempt 5760935

Broadway

On Sunday, I was in a bit of a Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch. I couldn’t put my finger on why the doldrums had embraced me so massively but I have to remember that just because I’m spending this year living the life I always wanted to, it doesn’t mean that I’m not allowed to get down from time to time. I know the garden renovation has been a lot of hard work and I think I just get over-tired.

But I know that this is also the time of year when I start to find myself slipping into the sadness more and more if I’m not careful, I described it the other day like the NeverEnding Story when his horse gets stuck (HOW heartbreaking are those scenes for little kids, in fact forget that even for adults?!) Where everyone else is embracing the chillier days and nights it’s a real struggle for me to acknowledge that I won’t feel myself again until probably May 2020. I need that constant warmth of the sunshine, the long days to truly feel I’m fully powered up and it’s just not possible between September and May. It’s exhausting. More often than not the only way I can keep warm is either via a hot bath or wrapping myself up in bed with an electric blanket and hot water bottle. As I’m sure you can imagine neither of these are productive ways to spend my time.

Larder Sundridge Park

Every year I say the same thing. Every year I say I’m going to defy the cold and darkness and embrace autumn. And then I never do, I’ve already moaned to Pete about the cold and it’s only September 3rd. Pity that poor man. Yesterday though I realised I have to put a stop to it. I want to be happy Lins, the person I am through spring and summer so I’m staging an intervention on my life and it’s already begun.

Yesterday morning I lay in bed with the sun streaming in, window open to give that “snuggly in bed with chilly air” feeling which I won’t lie, I do love. I decided instead of saying I’d start tomorrow, I got my running things on and went off for a little 3km. I didn’t run all of it but I got out there first thing in the morning and decided to take control. Surprise, surprise I felt so much better. After all, unless you fall over and break a limb which is totally the kind of thing I could do, none of us were ever worse off for exercising. For me especially it will help in managing my Ulcerative Colitis as well as hopefully raise my body temperature and increase circulation. Winning all round apart from the effort really, right?

Hastings

Then I got to thinking about some of the things I do love about this time of year and thought I’d make a little list:

  • Our annual autumn holiday in the UK with Maddie. Each year we go away for a week to a rented cottage with the car and poochie and have the best time. The first two years we visited Cornwall, this year its back to the Cotswolds like the last two years. It’s such a brilliant time to unwind and embrace this beautiful country we live in, crap weather and all
  • Hot chocolate when it’s actually cold enough to enjoy it (it’s not the same when it’s 30 degrees outside)
  • Jumpers. Whilst I can never seem to wear enough to keep me warm, I do love big cosy jumpers
  • Spending more time in bed. Ok summer you got me, it’s not as enjoyable to be in bed especially in a top floor loft conversion which is basically like roasting in a green house
  • Watching more on Netflix/cinema trips. I barely watch anything over the summer because I’m a little obsessive with being outdoors and there’s so much to catch on
  • Cooking. I love eating salads but I don’t enjoy preparing them. I’m much more of a comfort/cosy food person
  • Bubble baths. No explanation
  • Autumn dog walks. Maddie loves this time of year compared to summer, ergo I do too.
  • The fire. I don’t know what the future holds for log burners but whilst we’re still allowed to use it I do love it and you can generally find me, Boo and Maddie camped in front of it throughout winter

Ok, NOW I feel excited. I’m going to focus on health, wellbeing, mindfulness, nutrition. Enjoying treats but acknowledging I don’t need to have them every day. Cracking on with indoor DIY as I wait wistfully to see what spring and summer will bring for our newly renovated garden. Autumn, come at me. I’m going to embrace you and this year, I really mean it.

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1 Comment

  1. September 3, 2019 / 1:33 pm

    Hi Lins, thank you for this lovely post! I find myself in a similar situation, you know. Cold weather is terrible for my sinusitis and backpain, plus I lived in Southeast Asia for a while and experienced a while year without winter…. it was very hard to adjust when I came back in 2014 and since then autumn/winter has become a night mare for me. However, this year I can feel within myself that, weirdly enough, I’m going to enjoy it… Because it makes no sense wasting 6 months of my life feeling crap and complaining “it’s just not my season”. I want to feel good every day,and I’m ready to take all the necessary steps to make the upcoming months pleasant 🙂 so good luck to both us,and fingers crossed!

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