With the equinox on the 22nd of September, Summer is now well and truly behind us. Nights are longer than days, the weather is getting colder and more unsettled.

Whether you’re excited about the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, with its soups and scarves, or dreading the approach of the cold, long nights it’s well worth thinking about the things you can do in the autumn. They might be highlights to look forward to, or a way to maintain your mood during a difficult time of year, but planning is important.

Preparing for Winter

One of the most important things you can do in the autumn is prepare for winter! While the weather is still fine but turning colder, it’s time to get all the jobs done that you really won’t want to do in the freezing cold!

Also Read: 4 Best Tips to Preparing Your Garden for Winter

Take care of your garden: sweep leaves up and compost or dispose of them – if they’re left they can become wet and slippery, or breeding grounds for fungus and mould. Neatly piled or put onto the compost heap, they’ll nourish your plants in the spring, and maybe even provide winter accommodation for hedgehogs!

A Winter Routine

As the weather worsens your routine has to change. Outdoor exercise may become more difficult: at the least you might have to invest in warmer clothes. You might also want to look into exercise you can do in the home, or in a gym or leisure centre.

You also need to find hobbies and pastimes that can take you through the winter: with more Covid motivated restrictions likely to come in before the year is out, we need to find things to keep us happy, fulfilled or at least distracted within the limited space of our homes.

Also Read: Things To Do in The UK/London in Autumn – Events To Look Forward To

Arts and crafts box sets are a great option for creative souls: you can have these delivered to your door on a monthly basis, so you’re never short of a new project to work on. Whether it’s knitting, sewing, painting or origami, expressing your creative instincts and mastering a new skill can be very satisfying! The focus on small repetitive actions, whether they’re stitches or folds in paper can help to foster a mindful attitude and manage repetitive or anxiety inducing thoughts.

Keeping Healthy

We’ve already discussed exercise, but it’s also worth making sure you’re paying attention to your health in other ways during the winter. Getting outside is good for your mental and physical health, so seize on periods of fine weather to get out for walks, boosting your mood and your vitamin D levels!

It’s a great time to start taking a multivitamin. This can help improve your immune system, as well as compensating for the decline in fresh fruit and vegetables in the darkest days of winter.

With preparations like these, you’ll come through winter ready to once more enjoy the spring and summer of a new year!