Halloween represents a seasonal shift in all our calendars, as we head into the darkness of winter, welcoming the crisper mornings and the sun setting at 5pm with the clocks going back.
Aside from the pumpkins, costumes and celebrations, this brings with it darker and colder days and inevitably a much busier university schedule. It may feel hard to make the most of this, and difficult to embrace the slower life as busy full time students.
But often it’s the little things that could make the biggest changes to these darker autumnal days. Halloween, outside of the spooky dress up, is an opportunity to celebrate autumn, with crispy leaves and warmer drinks. It’s an excuse to commemorate the seasonal shift and what this means.
For me, this includes making time for people alongside the season, with coffee dates post reading week, cosy dinners with my housemates, or even just adding warmer layers to my room to make it feel more cosy.
Movement for me becomes extra important this season. It’s interesting how in winter our bodies tend to hibernate and close in away from the cold. We wrap up, we shiver, we close-in. Gentle movement like yoga and opening our bodies up towards the season is something I enjoy.
And most of all, it’s important to embrace the shift and the changes it brings! Light a nice candle, read a nice book. Share some nice meals with some seasonal veg or create more comforting dishes.
Seasonal shifts into the colder weather can be hard. The reality is we have big deadlines, busy weeks that feel like they are slipping away, decreased motivation and ultimately are just trying to find a balance. But sometimes it’s just about shifting your routine with it and finding ways to make your days warmer. This is something I’m going to keep coming back to as the winter approaches.