© Freepik
August 28, 2025
Lena Sämann
Autumn not only brings colorful leaves, but often also inner restlessness. Learn how to navigate calmly through the stormy season with targeted mindfulness exercises and proven relaxation techniques, while strengthening your mental health.
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Autumn shows itself at its most dramatic: While nature shines in bright colors, the days become shorter, the weather more changeable, and many people feel an increasing restlessness within themselves. This natural transition period challenges our mental resilience and makes mindfulness practices particularly valuable.
The autumn months bring various challenges that can affect our well-being. The changing light affects our biorhythm, while falling temperatures and frequent weather changes can cause physical stress at the same time. Autumn symbolizes letting go and transience – themes that can be emotionally burdensome.
Mindfulness practices offer a valuable anchor during this time. They help us consciously perceive natural changes without being overwhelmed by them. Through regular meditation and relaxation exercises, we can learn to cope with autumn's instability and even draw strength from it.
This meditation form, specially developed for autumn, connects us with the energy of trees that are currently letting go of their leaves. Sit comfortably and imagine your feet are roots reaching deep into the earth. With each exhale, let go of what you no longer need - like a tree sheds its leaves. With each inhale, absorb new energy.
Practice this meditation daily for 10-15 minutes, preferably in the morning or before bedtime. Regular practice strengthens your ability for conscious letting go and mentally prepares you for the upcoming winter months.
Nature offers a special setting for mindful walks in autumn. As you walk slowly through colorful leaves, you can consciously engage all your senses: hear the rustling under your feet, smell the characteristic autumn scent, feel the cool air on your skin.
This form of moving meditation combines physical activity with mental relaxation. It not only promotes mental health but also strengthens the immune system for the upcoming colder months.
Especially on stormy autumn days, when the weather affects our mood, progressive muscle relaxation can work wonders. This technique helps to consciously release physical tension and simultaneously calm the mind.
Start with the toes and systematically work through all the muscle groups in your body. Tense each muscle group for five seconds and then consciously relax for ten seconds. This method is particularly effective before bedtime, when external restlessness makes it difficult to fall asleep.
The 4-7-8 breathing technique is excellent for acute stress situations in autumn. Breathe in through your nose for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds, and exhale through your mouth for eight seconds. Repeat this cycle four to eight times. Stress situations in autumn. Breathe in through your nose for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds, and exhale through your mouth for eight seconds. Repeat this cycle four to eight times. Breathe in through your nose for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds, and exhale through your mouth for eight seconds. Repeat this cycle four to eight times.
This technique activates the parasympathetic nervous system and leads to immediate relaxation. You can apply it anywhere – whether in the office during gray autumn weather or in the evening with howling wind noises.
Develop a conscious tea ritual for the cooler season. Choose autumnal tea varieties such as Rooibos, Chai, or herbal teas with warming spices. Fully concentrate on the preparation process: boiling the water, pouring over the leaves, waiting for the right steeping time.
Drink your tea without distractions and consciously perceive taste, warmth, and aroma. This daily ritual creates moments of calm and helps you arrive at yourself even on hectic autumn days.
Use the earlier onset of darkness for an evening gratitude reflection. Think of three positive experiences of the day – even if they were just small moments. This practice shifts the focus away from autumnal worries to the good aspects of life.
Scientific studies prove that regular gratitude exercises improve sleep quality and increase overall well-being – especially important during the less bright months.
Many people suffer from the so-called winter depression, which can already begin in the fall. Mindfulness practices can be very helpful as a supportive measure, but in severe cases, they do not replace a visit to the doctor.
Combine meditation with light therapy, by performing your morning mindfulness practice in front of a daylight lamp. The combination of relaxation and exposure to light can significantly alleviate the symptoms of seasonal depression.
Autumn teaches us to let go. Use this lesson for your personal development. Reflect in meditation on what you want to let go of in your life – old habits, burdensome thoughts, or outdated beliefs.
This conscious engagement with impermanence can be liberating and create space for new things, even when external circumstances seem less inviting.
Incorporate at least five minutes of mindful awareness into your autumn day every day. This can be a short breathing exercise with your morning coffee or a conscious look out the window at the changing nature. These small islands of calm accumulate into noticeable improvements in your well-being.
Use typical autumn activities for mindfulness exercises: When raking leaves, you can focus on the repetitive movements, when cooking autumn dishes engage all your senses, practice a walking meditation while observing the colorful leaves.
Autumn doesn't have to be a time of melancholy and restlessness. With targeted mindfulness practices and regular meditation, you can use this transitional period as an opportunity for personal growth. The combination of a connection to nature, conscious relaxation, and mindful everyday rituals creates a stable foundation for mental health - not only in autumn but throughout the year.
Start today with a small mindfulness exercise and let yourself be inspired by the transformative power of the autumnal silence. Your well-being will thank you.
