Grounded & Grateful: How to Reconnect with Yourself This Autumn

Autumn serves as the foundation we build between the active, expressive summer and the restful, intuitive winter. As we transition from a season of growth and expansion to one of stability and reflection, it's important to nurture our nervous system, cultivate gratitude, and embrace a slower pace of life.

We can celebrate this warming, grounding, and stabilizing season through daily routines, recalibrating our homes and habits, enjoying seasonal foods, and engaging in gentle movements.

Here are some tips for tending to your home, body, and being this autumn:

For the Home

Let’s start by preparing the home for the season:

• Declutter and organize: Cleanse and clear your space with a deep clean. Tackle those items you've been putting off, and donate what you no longer need. Clean windows and doors to welcome the autumn glow, and pay special attention to floors and rugs.
• Add warm lighting: Incorporate soft, warm-toned lamps and candles to balance light and warmth throughout your home.
• Bring in nature: Decorate with autumn leaves, produce, and pumpkins to bring the season's essence (and literal harvest) indoors.
• Create a focused work space: Set up a comfortable, quiet area for work. This can ease seasonal anxiety and cultivate gratitude for the work that supports you, your home, and your loves.
• Simmer seasonal scents: Use a stovetop with cinnamon sticks, apple peels, and cloves to fill your home with autumn aromas.
• Prepare your fireplace: Clean and prepare your fireplace or, if you don't have one, ready your oven or stove for seasonal baking and gatherings. This sets the stage for cozy autumn evenings and energetically opens up the home to receive.
• Refresh your entryway: Organize spaces for jackets and coats, add welcoming artwork, new rugs, or trays for everyday items. Make this space feel like a sigh of relief when you come home, and a warm welcome for guests.
• Set the table: The table is a symbol of togetherness. Take time to sit down for meals, spend quiet moments with your morning coffee or journal, and decorate with seasonal centerpieces or a bowl of autumn produce.

Check out this article for 8 Easy Ways to Welcome Fall in Your Home 

For Your Body

Next, let’s focus on grounding and nurturing your body through the changing season:

Balancing and mindfulness are essential in autumn, and there are many ways to bring your reflections closer to home through nourishment, attention, and tender care for your body.

SEASONAL PRODUCE: Embrace autumn’s bounty with these farmers market finds:

• Fruits: Apples, pears, figs, grapes, pomegranates, persimmons, and cranberries
• Vegetables: Pumpkins, squash (butternut, acorn, delicata), sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and kale
• Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds
• Nuts: Walnuts, pecans, chestnuts, and hazelnuts

Incorporate these seasonal ingredients into warm, roasted meals, soups, and dishes rich in healthy oils and warm spices. Focus on balanced, distraction-free meals to practice gratitude and attune to your body’s hunger and satiety cues.

MOVEMENT: Engage in mindful walks, exercises with shorter holds and repetition, stabilizing stretches, and calming breathing exercises. Any movement that grounds your feet to the earth encourages a deeper sense of grounding.

For Your Being

Lastly, let’s nurture the spirit and soul to enrich your autumn experience:

• Begin or end your day by writing down three things you’re grateful for. This simple practice can shift your focus toward the positive aspects of life.
• Designate a comfortable space for reading, reflection, or journaling. Add soft blankets, pillows, and warm lighting to make it inviting. (This playlist is the perfect companion for your season.)
• Take walks in wooded areas to experience “shinrin-yoku,” or forest bathing, which reduces stress and improves well-being. Immersing yourself in nature encourages noticing and sensing rather than judging and evaluating.
• This the perfect time to review where you are and are not in alignment with what you most want in life. Reflect on your personal growth, set intentions for the season, and document your experiences as the world changes around you.
• Invite friends or family for a meal featuring a family recipe, autumn produce, or a celebration of your friendship. It’s a special way to participate in the harvest—by breaking bread with your loves.
• The act of baking—measuring, mixing, and savoring the aromas—can be deeply grounding. Use this time to bless your food with appreciation.
• Spend time barefoot on the ground to connect with the earth. This practice helps anchor you in the present and may reduce inflammation and improve sleep.
• Try leaf pressing, knitting, pumpkin carving, or homemade candles. These creative activities are meditative and fulfilling, providing a break from digital distractions.
• As the nights grow longer, create a soothing bedtime routine. Herbal tea, gentle stretching, self-massage, journaling, meditation, or reading can help improve sleep quality and foster relaxation.