Be More (Autumn) Tree
When the rain is coming down heavy outside, and the nights are drawing in, it’s tempting to want to hibernate. To hideaway until it’s all over. For some people, that losing of the light is hard. For me though, the onset of autumn is a joy to each of the senses. It’s hard not to go for a walk and feel really mindful and aware of everything around you as there is just so much to see, hear, small and touch. See that darkening is a chance to bring in the light in concentrated pockets of cosiness through candles or fairy lights. Lean into your urge to cosy up.
The concept of hygge is a good one for a reason!
Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga): a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (Danish)
For me, autumn can feel like a time of slowing, of reflecting and of thinking about what next. There is a beautiful quote that seems to be unattributable to anyone (I so wish I’d thought of it first!) about how in the autumn the trees show us how beautiful it is to let things go. Intentionally shedding the things that are no longer serving us is often just the thing.
It can be hard to look objectively at this, but having a set of questions or pondering can help. Things you might want to review include:
- Relationships (romantic or platonic)
- Work (career or business)
- Unhelpful habits or routines
- Your mindset, or way of thinking about things
- Unhelpful patterns of behaviour
Letting go of what no longer serves you can be difficult, so it may help to think in terms of what you gain by giving this up, or what benefit it may bring to others around you – for example, by letting go of a stale friendship, you are freeing both of you up from a sense of obligation around it.
This autumn, why not ask yourself these questions as you cosy up with a mug of something warming, light a candle or two and hunker down for some reflective journalling…
- What would you like to reflect on during this time, and why?
- What are three key things you want to do this autumn?
- How do you want to feel this autumn?
- What do you need to do to get there?
- What do you want to let go of?
- What would be the benefit of letting this go?
