How to Fight the Fall Blues

Many people experience a letdown when the summer season ends and fall draws near. Instead of enjoying the crisp, cooler air and fiery colors and scents of the season, they dread the coming cold and experience serious depression. If you are one of these people, there are many things that do not include medicating yourself that you can do. Take steps to make fall a fun time for yourself so that you can enjoy this quarter of the year that you previously have had to take as a loss.

Things You'll Need

• Warm-colored throw pillows
• Afghans
• Candles
• Photo album
• Scrapbook stickers
• Notebook

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Instructions

• 1

  Redecorate for fall. If you enjoy the warm, sunshiny days of summer, it is likely that your house is decorated to accommodate this type of climate. You probably have a lot of open-air, bright colors like whites, blues and yellows, and possibly a minimum of decoration on your walls so that you can let the sunshine do the work for you. While this airy decor is perfect for summer, when fall comes it can begin to feel empty and bleak as the days get cooler. Warm up your interior decorating scheme by adding throw pillows in colors like orange, gold and red to sofas and make sure that every seat has a cozy afghan for snuggling. You can also add wreaths to the walls and a little more indoor light to keep your house--and yourself--from feeling gloomy on early evenings and instead cherishing the warmth and coziness of your home.

• 2

  If you have a fireplace, use it. There are few things cozier and more comforting than the warmth and light of a fire. You might want to get some scented pine cones or rainbow-burning wood to make it even more comforting. If you do not have a fireplace, then place some candles around the room or on the coffee table and light them in the evenings. They will scent your house with a pleasant aroma and also help your home feel warmer.

• 3

  Start thinking about the holidays--even if you generally dread them. One of the biggest reasons that people get the fall blues is that they do not enjoy the holidays because of stress, loneliness or just plain discomfort. Take a stand to change that for yourself this year, whether it means going on a cruise for Christmas and avoiding the rush altogether, or helping at a homeless shelter on Thanksgiving so that you can give and get comfort from helping other people. Once you have made a decision about what you are going to do, start getting ready for it, whether it is working out to get into bikini shape for your winter voyage or learning more about community service opportunities in your area and getting involved.

• 4

  Put together a scrapbook of fun fall times last year. If you do not have pictures from last fall, then just make a list to remind yourself of the fun that you did have. Go into this exercise with a positive mindset and make sure you drag every fun memory out of the closet even if you are already starting to feel down. This will help you focus on the good things that happen in fall and avoid dreading the bad. In many cases, just eliminating that dread will eliminate the bad stuff entirely. If you enjoy scrapbooking--or if you have never tried it--take some digital fall pictures and start making a beautiful fall book, even if you do not have a large social circle to take them with.

• 5

  Summer is an extremely social time of year. People are barbecuing, hanging out at the lake and enjoying each other's company and the temperate weather. During the fall when people return to work and school, social butterflies can feel a little isolated. Take this time to spoil yourself and learn to enjoy hanging out with just you. This may mean that you sit in front of the fire deliberately without your cell phone or that you indulge in a lengthy bath or personal beauty treatment that you plan ahead of time. Do not wait to do these things until you are already feeling low. Instead, plan them in advance so that they do not feel like a last-ditch option because nothing better came along.