Fall isn’t just a season; it’s a feeling. Well, I mean, I guess technically it is just a season, but it’s also a mindset, a way of life perhaps. Fall is filled with cozy, and enjoyable experiences, as the leaves change colors and the wind gets crazier. Fall is the time for candles and fuzzy socks, carving jack-o-lanterns, and giving thanks. But, this year, fall is already feeling different. With wonky weather, and a sudden return to in-person classes, my brain hasn’t had room to adjust and accept that summer is over. So, how do I actually make fall feel more like fall? For anyone else experiencing what seems to feel like an autumn-less autumn, I’m here to share the pre-fall practices that usually help me to settle into the comfortable vibes surrounding this season.
As I experience all the seasons throughout the year, each is accompanied by different traits and niche experiences that really make that time of year stand out from the others. So when each season is approaching, I partake in different rituals to prepare and get myself in the mindset for what is to come. I do this so that no matter where I am, or who I am with, or whether there’s a global pandemic going on or not, I can still have some consistency with me that will help fulfill the nostalgic feeling I get with every season change. Absorbing myself in seasons helps me reduce stress, especially during the school year as it gives me something else to think about, things to look forward to, and a mood to fulfill.
Here is a list of things I like to do to get my mind and body ready for fall:
Movies and TV
Watch a comfort movie (for me, this movie is LOL, I don’t know why but everything from this movie, from the cast to the soundtrack, makes me feel like it’s a cold night in the middle of November). Rewatch Gilmore Girls. Everything about this series screams fall. Everything. Use it to inspire your own Rory Gilmore aesthetic as well as fashion inspiration for the coming season.
Fall Drinks
Drink tea. Specifically the Trader Joe’s fall blend tea. Or a nice chai. Or a pumpkin chai. Speaking of Trader Joe’s, go check out their current selection of fall foods. The way they incorporate maple, pumpkin, butternut, or even cinnamon apple into their foods and snacks is always so great at reminding me that fall is near. Get a Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew from Starbucks. Or whatever your favorite fall drink from Starbucks is.
Music
Listen to music that makes you feel like you are staring out your window, watching the leaves change colors. For me, this includes but evermore (the album) by Taylor Swift, Pumpkin by the Regrettes, 21 by Gracie Abrams, Heart on Fire by Scott Thomas, The Night We Met by Lord Huron, and anything by Maggie Rogers, Hozier, The Lumineers, or Mumford and Sons.
Reading
Read or watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Trust me. Bring out the blankets, fuzzy socks, and comfy clothes. Bring out candles – especially the pumpkin and vanilla-scented ones. Sit down and read a book. Any book of any genre. Whatever will get you reading. I personally like sitting by the fireplace with a blanket and some coffee. However, at school, I don’t have a fireplace. So the beanbag on my floor will suffice.
While this list seems pretty lengthy, it is not very strict because it does not include everything. Each year is different, and I have to adjust differently. Whether only a few things specifically mentioned on this list are complete or not, I always find ways to welcome in the new season. Every year this is so important to me as I often associate fall with the start of school, and for a long time, I used to hate the season. But now, I use that to my advantage and use fall as a way to decompress and relax to increase my productivity and romanticize the college academia aesthetic.