Stuck in Autumn?

Summer has finished and we’re back at work, at school or at any other activity we have during the rest of the year. Autumn is the best time of the year to get into action. New plans, new challenges… the future is beckoning!

That’s great, but from the many calls I receive in this time of the year, it seems many of us are stuck. It’s like seeing where you want to go, but just not knowing how to get about it… Now, you might just give up or, in the worst case, get depressed and feel like –once more- you are incapable of realizing what ever plan you have.

We feel down and sluggish, feel tired and our sensibilities become stronger. The noise, the smells, the lack of physical and emotional space - they get at us sooner that they did during summer, and overwhelm sets in. What can we do?

We think of grandma’s advice: ‘Oranges! Have your daily fresh orange juice!’ And it’s true, nothing’s as important as a healthy and well balanced diet. You might even consider to go ‘raw food’. But there is more.
The best way to overcome the feelings of heaviness and being blocked that seem to go hand in hand with the shortening of the days, is –at least for the most of us- exercise. Not so much exercise in the gym, but exercise outdoors, preferably along the sea or in plain nature. Rhythmic movement (biking is simply ideal) in combination with good, deep breathing, is the best way to fight against these feelings of heaviness and being blocked. At the same time as we enjoy the tranquility and the beauty of our surroundings, we will be creating endorphins, these famous ‘happiness hormones’ that will help us to feel lighter, happier and more optimistic. (And for those who have no problems with coffee, it might be interesting to know that this drink also has a positive effect on the level of endorphins.) And there is one other very important thing we must remember, and that is to laugh! Regular exercise makes us feel good, but regular exercise in combination with a good laugh will definitely help us to conquer the gloom!

Enjoy the autumn!