As we step into the Fall season and approach Thanksgiving, we’re reminded of the beauty and complexity of change. Fall is a time of transformation. Leaves shift into warm, vibrant hues of orange, red, and yellow, only to eventually fall, making way for what’s next. The planting and growing season ends, replaced by the harvest. Days grow shorter, darkness lengthens, and the air becomes cool and crisp.
This time of year naturally draws our attention to the cycles of life—the ebb and flow of beginnings and endings. As the leaves descend, we’re invited to admire this natural release. Fall reminds us that life’s highs and lows are interconnected, and letting go is essential for new growth.
Thanksgiving arrives at the culmination of this season of change. While it’s culturally celebrated as a time of abundance and gratitude, for many, the Fall season and Thanksgiving bring mixed emotions. Shorter days and colder weather can lead to low energy, a desire to retreat, or even sadness. For some, the season highlights loss, change, or unmet expectations.
Thanksgiving plans can also amplify stress, anxiety, and family conflict. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by seasonal shifts or holiday stress, you’re not alone. As humans, we all have complex emotional experiences that are not always easy to navigate. Here are some fall wellness tips to help you find emotional balance.
Fall Wellness Tips for Emotional Health
The Fall season can be challenging, but it also offers opportunities for renewal and emotional grounding. Here are some practical tips to support your emotional well-being during this season:
Embrace the Outdoors: Spend time outside, even as the weather cools. Nature walks among the changing leaves can boost your mood and help you feel connected to the rhythms of life.
Prioritize Rest and Routine: Shorter days often lead to disrupted sleep patterns. Focus on maintaining a consistent sleep schedule to support your energy levels and emotional resilience.
Practice Gratitude: Keep a daily gratitude journal to shift your focus toward the positives in your life, even during challenging times.
Set Healthy Boundaries: As holiday plans unfold, remember it’s okay to say no. Protect your energy by prioritizing what feels meaningful and manageable for you.
Seek Support: If seasonal changes or holiday stress feel overwhelming, reach out to a therapist or a trusted friend to share your feelings. Connection is a powerful antidote to isolation.
Move Your Body: Gentle movement, like yoga or stretching, can help release tension and foster a sense of calm.
Create Moments of Joy: Bake something warm, light candles, or create cozy spaces to celebrate the simple pleasures of the season.
The Trap of Either/Or Thinking
When emotions run high, we often fall into a trap of either/or thinking:
“I need to stop feeling this way.”
“I should force myself to feel something else.”
This binary mindset creates an internal tug-of-war, leaving no room for the fullness of our emotional experience. We’re forced to suppress parts of ourselves we deem unacceptable or inconvenient, and in doing so, we lose opportunities for connection, healing, and growth.
Learning from Fall: The Power of Yes/And
The Fall season offers us a profound lesson: we don’t need to hold so tightly to one way of being. Nature shows us how to collect what is most valuable while shedding what is no longer needed. This Thanksgiving, consider embracing the practice of Yes/And.
Yes/And thinking invites us to honor the full spectrum of our emotions without judgment. It creates space for all of our experiences, allowing us to move forward with greater flexibility and self-compassion.
Here are some examples of how Yes/And can transform your mindset:
Yes, we can carry a heavy heart and hold gratitude and hope for the future.
Yes, we can miss loved ones who are no longer with us and cherish the people we gather with.
Yes, we can slip into old coping patterns and still be healing, learning, and growing.
Yes, we can love someone deeply and set healthy boundaries.
Yes, we can feel anxious or scared and still say no.
Yes, we can do our best and make mistakes.
Yes, this season can feel hard and it is temporary—brighter days are ahead.
Finding Freedom in Yes/And
The practice of Yes/And frees us from the rigidity of either/or thinking. It invites us to expand rather than shut down, avoid, or numb our emotional experiences. By embracing Yes/And, we give ourselves permission to hold space for our humanity in all its complexity.
At The Relationship House, we hope this Fall season and Thanksgiving bring you the courage to practice Yes/And. May you find the beauty in change, the strength in vulnerability, and the freedom in embracing life’s fullness.
-Sarah Plyler, MS, LMFT
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