How I Plan to Enjoy the Most Beautiful Season of the Year; A Guide to Enjoy Quiet Life This Autumn
As summers come to an end, and winters are about to start, the bells of joyous season ring in my ears like it’s inviting me to have a cup of tea with it.
I love autumn. I think something in me comes alive as autumn starts. If you can relate with me or want to become an official member of the autumn fan club, here is a simple guide to making life more beautiful this season.
It rained today. First, the weather was cold earlier today. I love this kind of weather. It’s neither hot nor cold. You don’t need to on the fan nor do you need a blanket. It’s just the perfection. Then, at night, it started raining. It’s still raining, just a bit though.
Although my head hurts and my eyes are in deep pain because I watched Netflix all day. The season energized the new wave of life in me and all I can think about is — how beautiful we can make our lives if we pay attention to little things.
I was sitting with a cup of coffee on my terrace in the evening when I planned a few things that I wanted to try this autumn to live more beautifully.
I am sharing a similar list with you, in case you need some inspiration to enjoy life and add some joy. Ready?
1. Understand the Demand of the Season:
Each one of us has a different rhythm to work that comes naturally to us.
Just because someone is an early bird doesn’t mean you can be more productive if you start to wake up at 5 AM. Maybe you are neither an early nor a night owl. Perhaps, you are an afternoon baby.
But if you force yourself to work at a time which is recommended by everyone as ‘7 Habits of Rich and Successful People’ then you will end up feeling burned-out and disconnected from your own life.
Unfortunately, all of us force ourselves to either work as per the schedule most accepted by society or get on our work as soon as we wake up without letting ourselves enjoy the first sip of morning coffee. We start our day with a rush and end with a big to-do list for another day.
Where is living in this? Where is fun and joy on this list?
I believe Autumn comes into our lives to remind us that just like there is a gap between the winter and summer seasons, there should be a gap in our day-to-day lives so we can enjoy the warmth of life.
Autumn creates an atmosphere around us that naturally makes us slow down and perhaps, look at things differently.
I want you to honor the demands of the season by — figuring out your natural rhythm and working accordingly.
If you think you work better after cleaning your room, do that. If you believe you work best in the afternoon, use your morning time to enjoy your hobbies or do something that you have always wanted like Yoga or cooking a meal for yourself. If you are a night owl, save your creative work for the night and do normal work early in the morning so you have the rest of the day for your enjoyment.
The thing is if you don’t find your natural rhythm, you will feel pressurized to work and work and work all day long yet you will neither feel satisfied nor relaxed.
Not everyone is meant for the hustle culture. Not everyone can or should work 24/7. Forget the old sayings that force you to choose between going home or going big or ‘I will rest in my grave.’
All of this is designed to make you a machine that can only do laborious tasks. You are a human who is meant to enjoy life and be creative. And when I say creative, I don’t mean becoming Picasso. I mean living creatively. Honoring your existence. Creating a season of autumn in your life.
2. Go Out a Little More:
I personally believe that ‘it should be made illegal to stay at home when the weather is good.’
I will never understand what do we have so interesting in our screens that we forget to look out in the real world.
For example; A couple of months back, my phone battery was low and I had just finished reading a good book. I didn’t have anything to do so I went on the terrace at around 5:30 PM. The sun was setting, the sky was full of birds, and the wind was cuddling with the branches of trees. At that moment, I asked myself, ‘It’s so beautiful, why don’t I come to see this every day?’
That day, I made a promise to myself that I would never stay in my room when the weather was good. It’s now a routine to go on the terrace at 5:30. Sometimes I carry a book too. Other than that, if the weather is really good, I don’t stay at home like today.
I want you to make a similar promise to yourself. The world is too big and too beautiful. The beauty of nature is all around us. You can scroll social media some other time. You can watch another video, or episode some other time. But you need to start living for the smallest joys of life now.
If you pay attention, you will observe that you are a simple person. It doesn’t take much to be happy. Sure, a Channel bag any day would double our happiness. But going out more in the real world, with or without someone, can make you feel connected to yourself and nature more.
This Autumn season, promise yourself that when the weather is good, you will go out. You wouldn’t lock yourself in your room glued to your screen. You will look at the sky and sit under a tall tree just to be there. You can take a good book to read or a sketchbook to draw.
Just don’t stay at home. Especially not this time of the year.
3. Spend More Time With Your Creative Hobbies:
When was the last time you just sat down and decided to enjoy one of your childhood hobbies?
Or have you developed any new hobbies to enjoy as an adult?
Honestly, there are times when I think about taking time for my childhood hobbies like dancing or drawing. But I think it’s been ages since I developed any new ones.
I have been thinking about learning stitching for a long time now but first, everyone says ‘It’s for old people’ and then I never seem to have time. But not anymore. I am going to learn to stitch this season. We can all take at least one hour or maybe just 30 minutes for hobbies to mentally relax and enjoy.
I would suggest you to do the same. If there is something you want to learn, go ahead. If you want to try new hobbies, what are you waiting for? Live a little. Your life is more than just your work. Work is to pay bills. After that, it’s your permanent job to have fun and make things exciting for yourself. Go back to an old hobby or develop a new one. Just have more interest in life that you feel connected with your life.
4. Build An Entertainment Routine:
For a long time, I thought watching Netflix was equivalent to wasting time.
But now I believe, every movie/series is a form of art and entertainment. To enjoy life means to have some entertainment as well without any guilt.
Thus, I came up with an entertainment routine. I spent my Friday evening watching a good Netflix movie/series with something good to eat. I also spend a good half an hour every day watching something I enjoy either on Netflix or YouTube. It’s a form of pleasure. I do it after 6:30. That’s usually the time I feel most bored.
And I will recommend you to do so. Have sources of entertainment in your life. Don’t let it consume your entire day nor should you feel guilty if you watch a good movie every now and then.
Just find a way to have entertainment as a source of fun. You don’t have to eliminate Netflix, YouTube or TV. You just have to find a healthier way to enjoy it so it is really pleasurable not a guilt trip.
Conclusion:
Autumn is all about resetting your life and making space for new things. I hope you can honor your natural cycle and find a way to enjoy life. Do whatever comes in your heart and don’t let your work consume every second of your life.
Start journaling and write about your favorite days. Watch good movies. Be excited for Christmas. Hang out with friends, if any. Sit with your parents more often. Share a cup of coffee with a relaxed mind with yourself. Read books and have fun. All in all, make space in your life for things that are unrelated to work but related to fun.
