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Some autumns arrive gently, easing you into their golden afternoons and cool mornings.
Others feel like they’re tugging at your nervous system, leaving you a little more unraveled than you’d like.
I’ve noticed how subtly this season can creep in, and how quickly the external shifts mirror an internal disquiet, a lingering fatigue, unexplained anxiety, and that restless feeling of being slightly out of sync.
If you’re feeling overstimulated this fall, you’re not alone. Your nervous system is deeply attuned to these seasonal shifts, often more than you realize.
Over the years, I’ve learned that feeling calm in autumn is about noticing how your body responds to these seasonal cues and adjusting your rhythms.
Below are ten simple practices that have helped me find our way back to calm every fall.
1. Start Your Morning with Natural Light
As the days shorten, you may notice fatigue lingering into your mornings. Our bodies are deeply tied to the sun, and with less daylight, our circadian rhythms can become disrupted.
A simple solution: open your blinds within the first half hour of waking. Better yet, step outside for a moment and feel your feet touch the earth or your face meet the cool air.
I do this intentionally every morning. Even just five minutes in the natural light resets my internal clock and supports my cortisol rhythms, gently signaling my body to wake up naturally rather than reaching for another cup of coffee.
On especially cloudy days, I also use a Hooga red light therapy device for 10 minutes first thing. Living in a low-light climate, it’s become an essential part of my morning—one that noticeably lifts my mood and energy in the darker months.
If you’re looking for more gentle ways to ease into your mornings, I shared a few of my favorite options in 5 Easy Morning Routines That Soothe Your Nervous System.
2. Do a 4-7-8 Breath Before Reaching for Your Phone
Most of us are used to rolling over, grabbing our phones, and immediately flooding our nervous systems with information and external demands.
Instead, I’ve been swapping that habit with the 4-7-8 breathing technique, especially during the autumn months.
Inhale softly through your nose for four counts, hold your breath gently for seven, and exhale slowly through your mouth for eight counts.
This small act tells your body you’re safe, calming the overstimulated sympathetic nervous system that often wakes us with anxiety during seasonal transitions.
3. Use Herbal Teas as Transitions, Not Just Drinks
My tea cupboard is my ally in fall. Herbs like lemon balm in the morning, tulsi in the afternoon, and passionflower or chamomile at night are seasonal signals of transition and soothing cues to your nervous system.
Make these simple rituals throughout your day, not only nourishing your body but reminding your mind to pause and recalibrate. You don’t need elaborate ceremonies; just notice the warmth, aroma, and calm of each cup, anchoring your system gently back into balance.
One of my favorites right now is this Anima Mundi Calm Tea, a loose-leaf blend that combines chamomile, rose, and ashwagandha for a deeply grounding cup. It’s become part of my midday or evening reset when I need a moment to reconnect.
4. Anchor Yourself with a Midday Reset Walk
Fall tends to speed up the daily hustle, making the midday point feel especially frantic.
Instead of pushing through with more caffeine or screen time, I commit to a short reset walk, even just five minutes.
This isn’t an intense exercise, but aligned with our human nature. It’s about stepping outside, feeling your feet touch the earth (if weather permits), and simply noticing your breath.
Nature co-regulates your nervous system, calming overstimulation. When life feels like too much, let the natural world hold space for you, even briefly.
5. Create a “Digital Sunset” Ritual Each Evening
As autumn nights grow longer, the blue light from our screens can increasingly disrupt sleep, leaving us more anxious and wired.
I’ve started creating what I call a “digital sunset”: screens off at least one hour before bed, replaced with amber lamps, candles, or soft, dim lighting.
At first, I thought this would feel impossible. But it quickly became the most peaceful moment of my day, signaling to my body that rest is near. These rituals quiet the nervous system, improve sleep quality, and ease evening anxiety common in fall.
You’ll find more wind-down ideas in The 10-Minute Fall Evening Routine for Better Sleep, especially if rest has been elusive lately.
6. Bookend the Day with Grounding Practices
Our nervous systems love predictable rituals. This fall, I’ve committed to bookending my days with grounding moments: barefoot mornings in the garden, evening showers followed by warming body oil or gentle self-massage.
Touch, warmth, and sensation regulate the vagus nerve, soothing our parasympathetic nervous systems.
Even if you have only two minutes to spare, choose something sensory and grounding. Allow your body these reliable bookends to anchor into calm.
7. Use Texture and Scent to Signal Safety
In seasons of overstimulation, small sensory comforts matter. I keep a soft blanket nearby, slip on wool socks, or fill my space with lavender, vetiver, or cedarwood essential oils.
I love this Edens Garden Lavender Essential Oil Set, which includes three botanical varieties—perfect for diffusing, spritzing, or adding to an evening bath ritual.
Your nervous system interprets sensory cues as signals of safety, grounding you into the present. Fall is the perfect time to lean into sensory rituals. Let texture and aroma become gentle allies against anxiety or overwhelm.
If you’re craving more ideas for creating sensory-safe spaces, I shared a few in How to Create a Nervous System Friendly Sanctuary.
8. Swap Multitasking for Presence at Transition Points
Our nervous systems feel most agitated during transitions. Things like shifting from work to home, busy to quiet, screen to sleep.
One of my favorite ways to reclaim calm in autumn is intentionally slowing these transitions.
Instead of multitasking, I pause, take a few deep breaths, and slowly close my laptop or put down my phone. Looking out at nature helps the mind come back to it’s natural rhythm as well.
This subtle mindfulness sends a calming signal to your system. It’s okay to move gently through your day, especially during seasonal shifts.
9. Try Breath-Led Movement When You Feel Overstimulated
I’ve learned my nervous system doesn’t always need full yoga classes or workouts to find balance. Sometimes, a few minutes of gentle, breath-led movement can restore calm instantly.
Try gentle swaying, slow shoulder rolls, or placing your legs up a wall.
Pair these small movements with breathwork to recalibrate. This can feel especially soothing when autumn overstimulation hits at unexpected moments.
10. Keep a “Calm Me” Basket in Your Living Space
One of the simplest yet most impactful rituals for fall anxiety and overstimulation is creating a “calm me” basket.
In mine, I keep magnesium oil, a lavender eye pillow, cozy socks, calming tea bags, and a grounding playlist.
In anxious or fatigued moments, this basket removes decision fatigue. Instead of scrambling for solutions, you have simple nervous-system-soothing tools ready.
A calm me basket is a gentle reminder that small acts of comfort matter deeply, especially in the changing season.
Finding Your Fall Rhythm
As you explore these routines, please release the idea of perfection or rigidity.
I’ve learned that seasonal nervous system care isn’t about mastery or intense discipline. It’s about coming home to your body, remembering the softness and care that feels most supportive right now.
As the seasons change around us, we too are invited to shift, softly and slowly, into new rhythms that serve us better.
Your nervous system already knows the way home; these simple rituals just gently light the path.
