Are you sinking into the ‘Fall Blues’?
‘Fall Blues’ can make us feel anxious, overwhelmed, and stressed in knowing that we will have to transition from a relaxed summer to fall, which often represents new beginnings.
What are the ‘Fall Blues’?
As the summer ends with cooler days and fall approaching, for many, it is a time of change as they begin new jobs, colleges, or schools. Fall also is an indication that cooler months are ahead, which means, less daylight and less time spent in the outdoors. This can impact our overall mental health and lead to a lack of motivation. This is what I like to call the ‘Fall Blues’, a term I have implemented in my sessions to describe what a lot of my clients have been feeling lately.
This often means parents having to adjust to meet their kids’ schedules, students needing to go from vacation mode to studying mode, and more upcoming work for the professionals. A lot of times, the uncomfortable emotions aka ‘Fall Blues’, can overpower how you perceive the changes and in turn can lead to powerlessness and hopelessness.
9 ways to manage discomfort with the ‘Fall Blues’?
The good news is that a lot of times these changes are temporary and can be managed to feel more empowered instead of feeling self-defeated by them.
Find purpose/meaning: Focus on the purpose/meaning/impact of engaging with the change.
Identifying Pros/Cons: Identify the aspects that lead you to feel happy about the change. Ask yourself is everything “bad” about the new change? Perhaps, create a pros/cons list to be able to identify how a “bad” life transition may lead to growth and life lessons.
Finding control within reasonable means: What are things you have control over in the situation?
Reflection of Successes: Reflect upon the number of times you have successfully navigated a life transition that you thought was difficult.
Support: Lean into your support system through friends and family. You do not have to do it alone. Allowing your friends and/or family to be part of the life transition can give you a sense of comfort.
Create reasonable expectations: At times we try to get “rid” of the discomfort that we hold on to and try to do everything in our power to get rid of the discomfort as fast as possible. However, feelings of being stressed and being overwhelmed are a natural response to life transitions and can take time to heal.
Establish a routine: Establishing a sense of consistency in creating morning or evening routines can help reduce the stress of having to deal with a life transition that might otherwise feel chaotic.
Positive/Helpful self-talk: Re-framing the negative self-talk to helpful self-talk can help you manage the emotions that you are feeling. Allowing yourself to recognize your strengths can be useful to craft helpful statements for yourself.
Set small goals: Setting small goals can allow you to focus on one day at a time rather than feeling lost in achieving the long-term goals.
Final thoughts
You do not need to feel hopeless or trapped as life transitions come your way. Allow yourself to showcase self-compassion through the above strategies and feel empowered by the transitions that come your way rather than feeling self-defeated. I know it is easier said than done, but using the above strategies and seeking help, navigating obstacles will become a whole lot easier.
