Harvesting Peace: Fall Self-Care Ideas

The leaves are changing and there's a crip in the air! Fall is one of my favorite seasons, and I am here for all the fall self-care. Here is a list of fall themed self care ideas. 

-Take your journaling outside. Add a cup of warm cider or hot cocoa.

-Apple picking 

-Pumpkin picking 

-Go on a drive as a family to see the changing leaves

-After your picking adventure, try out a new recipe. Apple butter. Apple crisp. Pumpkin soup. "Dinner in a pumpkin". Apple or pumpkin pie. 

-Take a walk through the woods. Kick up all that good bacteria and reap the health benefits. 

-Hammer out your holiday plans (yes, now) and communicate with those who need to know.

Communication now helps alleviate stress later. 

-Host an outdoor movie night with friends

-Leave your phone at home and take your kids bike riding.

-Attend (or host!) a harvest or Halloween party 

-Set goals for the rest of the year. We're (somehow) in the final stretch of 2025. Be intentional about how you'd like the rest of your year to look. 

-Do something spooky! Fright night, haunted hayrides, ghost walks! If that's your thing. For some (me) this would be the opposite of self care; that's why it's important to consider what will be restorative to you personally.   

-Roast marshmallows outside with your partner. 

-Plant fall crops

-Make a pot of homemade soup or chili (bonus points if you give some to a neighbor!)

-Gather a bag of items you don't use anymore to donate. 

-Take a sensory walk. Be mindful of the sounds, colors, smells, sights, etc you see as you walk. 

-Host a cozy potluck with friends - everyone brings a fall inspired dish. 

Now, if you've followed us on social media, you've probably noticed a theme with our themed self-care posts and ideas.  Many of the ideas we give focus on nature and connections with others. This isn't just because we prefer these self care methods; they're backed by research.  Studies show that time in nature is associated with lower levels of anxiety & depression. Time in nature also helps us restore our ability to focus. 

As far as social connections go, time with others promotes resilience, belonging, and emotional regulation. Long-term, strong social connections are predictors for longer life, greater health, and a protective factor against depression. 

Self-care isn't just about scented candles, cozy blankets, and "me time" although, I do have a Harvest Gathering candle lit as I type ;) - , but studies show that the balance between connection and meaning is the most restorative. 

So there you go! What fall self-care activities are you most excited for? What should I add?

Sources: 

  Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010, PLOS Medicine

  Uchino, 2006, Journal of Behavioral Medicine