The equinox on 21st September marked the beginning of Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. As Autumn proceeds, we experience reduced temperatures and light levels which can have a significant impact on our mood and energy. These changes are a signal to animals and plants too. Photosynthesis is reduced in Autumn and leaves start losing their green colouring – chlorophyll. According to Trees.com, when the light intensity and duration reduces as winter approaches, the plants put more emphasis on conserving energy and reducing growth. This is why leaves tend to turn brown, yellow, or red in autumn. Animals too, become less active and many hibernate to conserve energy including hedgehogs, badgers, bat, bumblebees and some snakes in the UK.
Living inline with natural light levels is better for us and nature. Years ago before electricity gave us artificial lighting our ancestors went to bed earlier and rose with the light. According to the Royal Horticultural Society, artificial light at night can impact wildlife in multiple ways, affecting navigation, physiology, breeding, circadian rhythms and general health. Nocturnal insects navigate in part by natural light sources, such as the moon, and can become disoriented by artificial light, wasting energy, increasing their risk of predation and reducing their efficiency as nocturnal pollinators. For example, some moth studies have linked light pollution with steeper declines of nocturnal species while others have found steeper declines in diurnal species. Many bat species avoid lit areas altogether and although some bats are more tolerant and take advantage of the accumulation of insects at artificial lights to hunt, it can then open these species up to the risk of predation as well.
The changing seasons and reduced light levels can have an impact on our mood and well-being too. As the light levels decrease this means there is less sunlight. Sunlight has various benefits for health and well-being. These include increasing vitamin D levels which helps boost our immune system and disease prevention and most crucially it improves mood and sleep. When sunlight enters the eyes, it triggers the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood. This also helps regulate the body’s circadian rhythms, which are responsible for regulating sleep – wake cycles, appetite and other physiological processes. Sunlight is stimulating so wakes us up and is good in the mornings to give us energy and enthusiasm for the day. A light which gradually comes on in the morning can be really helpful at waking us up. Whilst darkness helps us sleep. Dr Matthew Walker, a sleep expert and author of Why We Sleep, suggests that your body needs darkness to produce melatonin, which triggers the onset of sleep. He recommends considering reducing lighting several hours before you go to sleep, and certainly no later than one hour before. Also switching regular light bulbs to ones that filter out blue light can also help plus reduced use of phones and laptops which have blue light, before bed.
Some people experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression that occurs in the winter. So getting a light box daytime may help to get the benefits of sunlight over winter especially if living in areas with little natural light. Dani DiPirro, an author and artist who set up a blog PositivelyPresent.com also talks about lower light levels and less time outdoors as contributing to low mood and SAD in the autumn and winter months. She suggests the following tips to help make these seasons more enjoyable:
- Venture outdoors: The lack of light and shorter days can make it tough to go outside, but making the effort to spend time in the fresh air can really help. Even just a quick walk around the block can improve your mood.
- Seek sunlight: The lack of sunlight is one of the reasons for feeling down during darker seasons, so the more sunshine you can allow into your home, the better. If going outside isn’t always an option, consider using a light box.
- Make some art: Art therapy really does work, and anything creative that allows you to get into a flow for a bit can help improve your mental state.
- Practice yoga: Any type of movement or exercise will be beneficial.
- Make plans and stay connected: The changing seasons can be challenging, but making plans with friends and family can help you stay connected and feel supported.
I would also add eating healthily and having a balanced meal full of various vegetables with a variety of vitamins to boost your immune system.
It is easy to feel stressed and paralysed by events in life at the moment. A tree despite what happens to it will strive to be productive rather than simply just get paralysed. Likewise, we don’t want to remain frozen in our emotions long term. Being resilient is not about ignoring our emotions or feelings of distress. A tree may not have nerves but it certainly feels a limb being struck by lightning. One of the most resilient trees on the planet survived just a mile from the Hiroshima nuclear blast in 1945 and that is the gingko biloba tree. For ourselves it is always important to acknowledge any pain and sadness that we feel following an event as that is the start of the process of recovery. It’s not always possible to forget our traumas but acceptance is key to helping us overcome the hurdle and move on. It’s also good if we can somehow use our emotions to spur us into action and do something good. For example, many charities have been set up for this very reason, to turn trauma into a positive outcome.
Likewise, don’t waste your energy beating yourself up if you feel you have failed at something. We all fail at some things some of the time. Trees like Oaks have years when almost all of their acorns are eaten by a myriad of creatures. But they produce them anyway as they have a long-term strategy. Every few years they have a “mast” year when they produce a bumper crop of acorns that effectively overwhelms their feeders who cannot eat them all. So as a result, a decent number survive to germinate. Sometimes it’s just our ego that is damaged. We then often find something better is waiting just around the corner. Our beliefs are also key to nurturing ourselves as what you think will affect your mood and actions. By transforming the belief that “everything always goes wrong” into an acceptance that “stuff happens” we can move on and be resilient. Words matter, so be kind to yourself.
Following a disappointment, set yourself a time limit to feel sorry for yourself then get in a more positive mindset by listening to upbeat music, dancing or doing some exercise such as a forest bathing walk, meeting up with friends, having a massage or doing something nice as a distraction. Churchill said, “success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm”. One thing I also advise clients is to write “a list of 50 things I love” and choose to do one of these when feeling down. It really gets you into a positive mindset and out of feeling stuck and is a great self-help tool.
Remember to learn from nature and to conserve your energy like animals and plants do over winter and use your energy wisely and where you have the most effect. Rest more and consider going to bed earlier in the darker / colder months. Read more and plan more fun indoors events with your friends or a group walk outside to combine socialising with exercise. Also consider – is it worth spending time and energy arguing on social media with people you don’t know and will probably never meet ? With your children too, choose your battles wisely and don’t expect solutions overnight. Patience really is a wonderful virtue. However, you won’t have to be as patient as the stones of Date trees that can wait up to 2000 years to germinate, once the challenge of reaching a hospitable environment has been achieved. Enjoy and make the most of what the changing season has to offer.
By Katie James
Katie James runs Walking for Wellness groups in Bramley, Hampshire. The next walk is on Sunday 22nd October. These are aimed at helping people build resilience by looking and learning from nature. If interested in coming along, please get in touch.