Post-Summer Blues Checklist

Many of us experience a dip in mood as summer winds down and the sunkissed feeling fades. We say goodbye to relaxed, unstructured days of naps and swims, and trudge back to the routine and running around of school and work – all the things that a summer break is not. It’s no wonder glumness can set in.

While the Southern Wild Co team is partial to autumn’s crispness and rich palette, we do feel the downtempo shift of the transitioning season. We believe it’s important to keep spirits lifted and well-being levels peaking as summer bucket lists are abandoned, the days get shorter, and temperatures drop.

With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite ways to ease into autumn and prepare for the cooler months ahead.

1. Turn your home into a sanctuary

Have you heard the Dutch word ‘gezellig’ before? It’s an abstract notion relating to anything that makes you feel comfortable and welcomed, whether that be another person, a group of people, an activity or a place. Home is where you should feel the most gezellig, especially as summer departs and our primitive brain tells us to hibernate.

Turn your spaces into cosy retreats for rest and recharge by decluttering and letting go of the excess stuff you no longer have use for. A calm environment inspires a calm mind, and getting organised will bring on relaxed feelings.

A calm environment inspires a calm mind, and getting organised will bring on relaxed feelings.

Light multiple candles and turn on lamps. Seek out those corners where the last golden light falls; a warm glow is cosier than too-bright overhead lights. Layer your sofa or armchair with a soft blanket and cushions made with natural materials like wool and linen. Draw your most loved books near, stock the pantry with your favourite teas and snacks, and you are set for the gezellig season ahead.

2. Prioritise self-care

In order to enter autumn with a renewed state of mind, you need to take a little bit of time out for yourself. We embrace wellness rituals by incorporating them into the backdrop of our day or carving out time in our calendars.

Choose good quality essential oil blends to match your mood or enhance a feeling, and burn or vaporise them in your work and living spaces or bedroom. Southern Wild Co’s new Bush Remedies range has been crafted with exactly that in mind; to waken the senses, aid focus and concentration and promote calm throughout your day.

Take a restorative approach to warming up and chilling out by soaking in a steamy tub. Bathe by candlelight, add aromatherapy bath salts, play some soft tunes, leave your phone in a different room, and stick a ‘Do not disturb’ sign on the door.

Keep your immunity levels up and meet flu season head-on. Add lots of garlic to your meals, eat leafy greens, and stay hydrated and active. Don the boots and jacket to go for long walks, or practice yoga at home. Whatever you do to get moving, it’s important to continue it during the colder months.

We are what we eat, read, scroll, hear and watch, so there is value in consuming mindfully.

We are what we eat, read, scroll, hear and watch, so there is value in consuming mindfully. Being selective about how you spend your time and attention can lead to a grounded and nurtured state of mind. You know the hollow feeling that creeps in after you’ve spent an hour scrolling Instagram and you have nothing but a frizzed-out brain to show for it? Yep, you want to avoid that. Read (real books!) deeply, research new topics, listen to a full album. Listen to nature. Own your attention span.

3. Plan a holiday

Researchers from the Netherlands in 2010 found that planning a trip away can produce more positive feelings than the trip itself – anticipation is the happiest part of a travel journey! So, why don’t you dream up your next vacation and start saving? Setting a goal and having something to look forward to can distract you from feeling blue.

Or, if you are in the position to do so, chase an endless summer and head to Europe where the beautiful people are sunning themselves, and aperitivi are imperative. Oh, how we can dream!