Your Self Care Checklist for Autumn! Today I’ll share 13 ideas for a decelerated and cozy autumn, which you can try out in the next few weeks. Autumn has an incredibly magical energy. The year is slowly coming to an end, the days are getting shorter again and nature is getting ready to let go. And it is exactly here, in letting go, where we humans may follow nature’s lead. Use the following article as inspiration and treat yourself to as much self-care as you need right now.
We are a part of the nature. So it makes perfect sense to orient ourself to the rhythms of nature more often.
In autumn, trees lose their leaves, letting them go to protect themselves from the cold of winter. Otherwise, they would slowly dry out.
Accordingly, trees protect themselves in order to show their splendor of leaves again in spring, full of energy and vitality.
Let’s use our beautiful trees as an example and let go of anything we don’t need to carry into the winter months.
It helps us to focus on what really is important in life, while we finally get rid of old burdens and useless things.
A feeling of absolute freedom. Autumn is perfect for this.
The days get shorter, social obligations often lessen a bit, and you’re allowed to take time for self-care.
Isn’t that the dream? For me, it most certainly is! 😊
Letting Go
#1 – Declutter, declutter, declutter…
Arguably one of the most freeing self-care activities, decluttering is perfect for fall.
Take a day, maybe even a whole weekend, and declutter for all it’s worth.
Start with your closet. Let go of what you haven’t worn in the last six months and donate it to charity.
Continue with your kitchen and declutter your pantries, etc.
Then have a proper look through all your documents (bank statements, bills,…) and shred the ones you no longer need.
Last but not least, declutter your social media!
Unfollow any accounts that don’t add value to you or that may even be negatively impacting you.
While it may seem like a lot of work at first and you may feel overwhelmed, I strongly suggest you just do it.
Just start and everything will happen automatically. Trust me, you might even really enjoy it!
The feeling after making a clean sweep is indescribably beneficial for body, mind and soul!
#2 – Prep your home ready for fall
Now that you’ve decluttered your home, and maybe even your life, it’s time to bring all the pieces together and make your home cozy and ready for winter.
An act of self-care par excellence!
The regained space in the closet and stuff are now free to be properly cleaned!
Maybe you also feel the need to redesign your house a little bit.
Summer decorations and clothes may be moved to the basement to create even more space, if necessary.
#3 – Flea Market
Maybe after decluttering you have some items which are too beautiful or too valuable to dispose of.
This is the perfect opportunity for a small (or large) flea market.
Find out where the next flea market is in your area or organize something yourself in your neighborhood.
That way, decluttering might even fill your wallet a tiny bit. 😉
Quality Time
Now it’s time to get cozy!
Hardly any other time of year offers so many opportunities to make yourself really cozy within your own four walls.
This Self Care Checklist shows you how to really live the cozy life.
#4 – Soothing Foot Bath
All year long, we stress our feet without ever giving them the proper care and gratitude they so desperately need.
So it’s high time to take care of our feet.
Treat your feet to a soothing foot bath with essential oils, great bath salts and fragrant soaps.
Then put a rich cream on them and get into your cuddly socks.
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#5 – Make your own natural cosmetics
Also our skin deserves only the best.
As a protective shield against toxic substances from the outside world, our skin needs proper care.
Accordingly, a wonderful part of our Self Care Checklist for fall is a soothing, homemade face mask that cares for and nurtures our skin.
If you want to learn how to do that and which home remedies you might use for that, check out this post about How to DIY a facemask.
#6 – Book Worm
Fall is the perfect season to turn into a little bookworm.
Take time for yourself again a few evenings a month and find your well-deserved peace and self-love in reading.
Good books have the unique power to transport you to another world for a moment and make you forget the events of everyday life, at least for a moment.
Self Care at its finest.
#7 – Journaling & Self Refelction
This is a wonderful tool for getting to know yourself better and reflecting on yourself.
Take a few minutes either in the morning or evening and put your thoughts on paper.
This can help calm you down. It also reveals what’s going on inside your mind right now.
Often you only become aware of this as soon as you actively deal with it and write it down.
#8 – End of Year Review
It’s worth taking a look not only at the past day, but also at the past year.
People often set certain goals at the beginning of the year.
You may have a clear idea of what the year should bring and what you want to work on.
Maybe you made notes about this? Or created a vision board?
Fall is a good time to take another look at these notes. Take 1-2 hours and reflect on how your year has gone so far.
You can ask yourself the following questions:
- What went well, what maybe not so well?
- What are you proud of?
- Where and when did you step out of your comfort zone this year?
- What goal did you get closer to or maybe even achieved?
- In hindsight, what goal or moment might you have approached differently?
- What did you learn this year?
Often, as the year progresses, you lose focus on the motivated goals you set at the beginning of the year.
Everyday life and other things get in the way, which of course you didn’t expect.
Our plans are too often thwarted by unknown variables.
And that is absolutely okay.
However, it can be helpful to review the status quo and perhaps refocus on yourself and your goals.
It’s never too late to get your act together and take control of your own goals and dreams.
#9 – Look into the future
You have successfully completed your annual review?
Then check our Self Care Checklist #9 – the look into your future.
As mentioned earlier, it is almost impossible to „plan out“ life.
However, some structure and goal setting can help us achieve our goals even faster.
Before the holiday season begins, it makes sense to focus on what’s coming up next year.
Take a look at the coming year and think about how you would like to start the new year.
After you have done your annual review, some plans and goals for the new year have maybe already been established.
Use the experiences from this year and learn from them.
Questions for the new year:
- What habits do I want to establish in the new year?
- What habits are not doing me any good? (Book Tip: Atomic Habits by James Clear)
- What goal can I set for myself that would make me indescribably happy if I achieved it?
- Which small steps lead to my big goal?
- Which people do I want to see more of, which ones maybe less?
- What area in my life should I pay more attention to (health, finances, self-care, career, family, friends, or the like)?
Get comfortable, have some tea, and take the time it takes to answer the questions here honestly and reflectively.
Let go of old, useless thought patterns and become aware of how much potential you have.
Maybe you also want to create a vision board for your newly set goals? You can find out how to do that here!
#10 – Being present – Self-love and meditation
While some reflection into the past and into the future can be very meaningful and motivating to take control of one’s life and live out our fullest potential, we may never forgive the oh so valuable present, the here and now.
Actually, most of our time should be spent being mindful and „present“.
Enjoying the moment and being grateful.
A wonderful tool to learn mindfulness and gratitude is meditation.
It is also a form of self-love, as meditation can help us reduce stress, dissolve negative thought patterns, and thus have a positive impact on our lives.
If meditating is something completely new to you, here is a short guide on how to get started.
The healing power of nature – Self Care Checklist
Nature in autumn has something very special to offer.
Not only is the air so wonderfully fresh, but also the red-brownish and yellow colors of the trees and shrubs enchant nature into a fantastically beautiful setting.
So in the last part of our Self Care Checklist we have to give nature our full attention and use its healing powers for us.
#11 – Forest bathing
Forest bathing is on everyone’s lips – and rightly so.
Forest bathing is considered a healing activity that can have an extremely positive effect on our well-being.
It is also said to have a beneficial effect on all kinds of struggles you might have, such as sleeping disorders, stress and depression.
So it can be used all the more for our health even in the colder season, when it gets dark earlier and some people suffer from the so-called „winter depression“.
How does forest bathing work?
Luckily, it’s not that complicated. Put on weather-proof clothes and shoes and off you go to the nearest forest!
All that really matters is that you walk through the forest mindfully and consciously.
All senses may and should be used. The breath should be calm and also the pace is slow.
It is really about getting into a state of relaxation. Just try it out and let nature have an effect on you!
#12 – Herbs
Maybe you know about the healing power of wild herbs yourself and use forest bathing to take some delicious and healing wild herbs home with you.
Alternatively, you might join an official wild herb hike in your area and learn about the fascinating healing power of these herbs and how you can use them for yourself.
A wonderful use of herbs is in green smoothies.
In fact, there is hardly any food that has such a variety of positive effects on the organism.
Learn about the reasons for that in this blog post about Green Smoothies.
#13 – Self Care Checklist last but not least – winterize balcony/garden
We have reached the end of our Self Care Checklist.
Checklist item #13 also takes place outside.
Namely, on your balcony or garden.
Not all plants are suitable for the cold winter.
Therefore, once the temperatures have dropped, it’s time to winterize our plants.
Find out which of your plants can survive the winter without any help and which ones need some assistance, for example with a suitable plant protection.
You can also take the opportunity to decorate your outdoor area for autumn!
Maybe you can find some nice ideas and decorative items in the hardware store, or you still have something from last season in the basement.
Let your creativity run wild and make it really cozy on your balcony or terrace.
Even the autumn still holds a few warm and sunny days for us, in which we can enjoy a nice cup of tea outside with a cozy blanket!
Well my loves, that’s it for the Self Care Checklist for fall! 🤗
Now pick out your favorite items from the list and block out a few days this fall for yourself and your self-care ideas.
Look forward to some slowing down and rest.
Take all the time you need for yourself right now. Recharge your batteries and learn to listen to yourself.
As always, I’m rooting for you 🔥and I wish you the coziest and most beautiful autumn! Enjoy the perks of this amazing season to the fullest! 💕
Talk to you soon,
Noni
