Crisp air breezes as leaves descend, anticipating the seasonal changes that await us during fall and winter. The fall and winter months invite us to embrace a slower pace. Even animals prepare for shorter days and colder nights. All great inspiration for making the shift slowly; below, I have included ten helpful tips to promote a slower seasonal rhythm. 

Why Slow living? 

 Why is it beneficial to adapt to a slow-living lifestyle? First, slow living has little to do with location or aging. It has more to do with a mindset. A mindset that focuses more on intentionality and living for the present moment. It has less to do with the rat race or climbing the “ladder of success” but creating a meaningful, balanced life. A slow-living lifestyle emphasizes curating a quality-over-quantity lifestyle while valuing resources and fostering relationships. These are the things that take top priority. 

Make the switch

Although visually, fall and winter seasons appear slower, the reality for most is these seasons tend to be extremely busy. With a return to school, after-school activities, and preparations for the holiday season, many will not take a full breath till the new year. These seasons can be different; the fall and winter months don’t have to be hectic with some careful planning and intentional focus.

Ten Helpful Tips for a Slower Fall and Winter Season

1- The You Effect– This phrase can mean a plethora of things. However, in this article’s context, it is understanding the power of one. One person can inspire change, build momentum, and help pivot from what was to what it could be. We often look outwardly for someone else to catalyze the change we long to see when it can start with us. Even with resistance, minor tweaks to a routine may be all that is necessary. What matters is to begin. 

2-Create a Delectable Fall and Winter Menu– What a time to leverage the autumnal and winter produce available during these chilled months. Besides the typical dishes such as chili, why not venture into uncharted territory with new and unexpected cuisine? Scouring Pinterest or the latest cookbook will garner a slew of menu options. While you are at it, go the extra mile and set a beautiful tablescape with gourds, pumpkins, and acorns for fall. Winter branches, berries, and candles for winter will surely add to the ambiance. It may not be an every night thing, but a once-a-week thing or once a month; what’s important is the introduction to something new and slower. Some cultures’ love language is food. Breaking bread is a lost art that needs to make a comeback. 

If meal planning isn’t your forte, baking might do the trick. Buy or make matching aprons, and let the flour fly. Invite the family to make baking suggestions, then bake the recipe together. 

3-Visit seasonal experiences– Numerous communities and cities will offer free or at a minimal cost seasonal opportunities. Cooler weather in the fall provides no shortage of fun activities from pumpkin patch farms, apple orchards, hay rides, and fall festivals. If wintertime is more your jam, try out a Christmas tree farm. There is something so special about gathering the family to pick out and cut your tree and decorate while listening to Christmas music. 

4- Create a Real Fall or Winter Wreath or Garland– This doesn’t have to be expensive. Forage your material, or visit a thrift store for holiday decor. Involve the kids and make it a game to see who can find the best decorations for the wreath. If neither option is available, connect with family or friends through social media. Ask who is interested in getting rid of or swapping seasonal decor. You may be surprised who responds. On the topic of connecting, invite a few friends and have a wreath-making party. Add Cider or hot chocolate, cookies, and great conversations to make an ordinary activity into an extraordinary event. 

5- Indulge the senses– Fall and winter give us loads of indulgences. Fall and winter provide us the opportunity to engage all senses fully. Locked and loaded, our olfactory sensory benefits from delicious foods and spicy or sweet-scented candles such as spiced apple or winter pine. Changing leaves with yellow, red, and orange hues or the glistening of winter snow enhances our visual backdrop. Many of us embrace sweater weather with wool or cashmere, adding to the soft, cozy feeling. The warmth of a crackling fire while listening to soothing classical tunes or Christmas jingles creates a tranquil vibe. For some, it may be sensory overload, but that is the beauty of a slower-paced lifestyle: you regulate how much or how little. 

6- Scavenger Hunt– Keeping in mind the priority of community and relationship building, a scavenger hunt is a unique and affordable way to accomplish it. All can appreciate this activity. Again, you can decide how easy or elaborate you want it to be. Allot a specified time, list items to hunt for, charge phones, determine whether it will be walking or driving, break into groups, and the biggest tip is to have a blast.

7- Homemade Ornaments– You can’t mess this one up. Keeping it simple is the key, even if you are a big DIYer or crafty person. Use what you have or find new ones at a garage sale. Some people may suggest purging most decor items, but this tip concerns preference. Since it pertains to evoking a feeling, some might thrive in a minimally decorated home, while others prefer a maximalist approach. Think outside the box regarding items that may complement your design style. Look to nature for inspo or repurpose something you already own. 

8-Sit Still & Enjoy Alone Time– This one might be difficult, perhaps even scary to some people. Being alone with your thoughts may be something that takes getting used to. The problem lies when people confuse being alone with being lonely. That combo is not synonymous. Solitude welcomes quietness, removes distractions, and redirects focus. Aloneness allows for renewal and resetting. Embracing aloneness leads to positive effects, while feelings of loneliness drive the negative. If you feel lonely, please seek help from pastoral care or a therapist, as there can be an undetected root cause. 

9-Get outdoors– For some of us, fall and winter months mean cooler temperatures, so getting outdoors should be a high priority. Science has proven the emotional and physical benefits of being outdoors, whether on a leisure walk, hike, sledding or sitting by a lake or pond. Regardless of where you reside, the objective should be to be outside as frequently as your schedule permits. If, for some reason, your physicality doesn’t allow that, then pull up the blinds, draw back the curtains, and open up the windows. 

10-Start a New Indoor Hobby– Now is the time to begin a hobby, so when the inclement weather arrives, you have all you need. Puzzles, journal-writing, and drawing are indoor slow-living hobbies to consider. Sewing or knitting are two good hobbies that provide a slower rhythm to your day. Reading is always good, and the sky is the limit as to genres. Light a candle, start a fire, or put a fireplace image on the TV screen (you will be surprised how it works), grab a throw, and snuggle up with your favorite author. Developing an indoor hobby this year may help ward off those winter blues. 

Try one or all of the tips mentioned above; the most significant thing is to start and modify what works for your climate. You may live in a sunny place all year around, yet implementing a couple of the tips may foster that cozy, slow atmosphere you have been desiring. 

Please share a comment or forward it to a friend! 

XO,

Katherine