Every year when the air turns crisp, and the leaves change from green to yellow, I find myself feeling blue. Maybe it’s seasonal depression, or maybe it’s simply feelings of nostalgia. I long to be back in elementary school, where I could experience just one more costume parade around the hallways. The things I would give to feel leaves crunching under my boots as I walk home from the bus and to smell the comforting aroma of my mom’s pumpkin bread as I enter the door. I wish I could go on one more field trip to the pumpkin patch or count my trick-or-treating candy with my siblings one last time. When you’re young, the days feel like years, and the years feel like decades. Now the seasons fly by in a blink of an eye. I find it so difficult to enjoy each season as I did as a child. As these feelings of nostalgia have grown stronger each year, I find new ways to deal with them. Here are some tips to help you adjust and enjoy the fall season.
- Create comfortable smells in your space.
Sometimes feelings of nostalgia relate directly to certain scents. For me, I create comfortable fragrances by lighting a pumpkin candle or baking some of my mom’s special chocolate chip pumpkin bread. But if pumpkin isn’t your vibe, open some windows and let in the smell of fresh fall air.
- Plan fall activities with friends or family.
You’re never too old to visit the pumpkin patch. Plan a weekend to spend time with friends or family doing fall activities that embrace the season. Take a day to slow down and enjoy the change with those you love most.
- Celebrate the holidays.
Trick or treating at 20 years old may be a little strange and might come with weird looks or harsh comments from those handing out the candy, but dressing up on Halloween is something no one should ever grow out of. Plan out a costume by yourself or with friends. If you don’t enjoy expressing creativity through a costume, carve a pumpkin!
These tips help me so much through the odd nostalgic feelings I get every fall. Every year when the air turns crisp, and the leaves change from green to yellow, I find myself feeling blue, but I also am reminded of how beautiful change can be.