Autumn Grieving: Finding Comfort in the Season
It’s the time of year for many in the northern hemisphere when the leaves begin to change and fall to the ground. Many who are grieving find themselves drawn to the symbolic beauty of the season. Autumn offers a unique opportunity for those dealing with loss to find comfort and meaning in nature. In this post, we will explore how the seasonal changes around us can be tools for comfort, self-reflection, and healing. Whether you’re navigating the intense early stages of grief or looking for some new ways to honor a long-held loss, the autumn season can be a source of night and can support your journey through grief and toward healing.
Nature Walks
We know that taking walks is good for not only our physical health but our mental health as well. These benefits include better sleep quality, improved mood, enhanced cognitive function, reduced stress levels, and enhanced resilience and coping skills. Sounds like we all need a walk in nature, right? Taking a walk where you are purposefully trying to notice the autumnal changes you see in your environment can be a lovely form of meditation and rest for your brain from the weight of the heavy emotions associated with grief.
Self-care
As the days get colder and the light less in abundance, we are more likely to lean into coziness and comfort, and these can be great ways to care for yourself in grief. The aroma and taste of your favorite comfort foods or warming drinks can help you feel cared for. Enhancing your home environment with soft, cozy clothing and blankets, as well as comforting smells, soft candle or lamp light, can all be a balm against the harshness of the weather as well as the storms of life.
Gratitude
With Thanksgiving on the way, autumn can naturally be a time when our thoughts tend toward gratitude. Gratitude and grief do not cancel each other out. We can grieve and feel thankful for what we have in our lives. There’s room for both. Gratitude can give our lives focus and perspective. Consider starting an autumn gratitude journal that’s just for the season.
Legacy
In many places, autumn is the time to plant spring bulbs and certain trees. You could use either one of these to create a legacy tribute to your loved one. These are both things that are beautiful, significant, and can be enjoyed for years to come. Autumn could also be a time when you brainstorm a charity drive or other tribute to your loved one you’d like to accomplish as the holiday season begins.
Preparation for Winter
Every day of autumn, we get less sunlight than the day before, preparing us for the darkness of winter. Just as we accept this and prepare for it in our seasonal life, we can use this time to work on accepting our current reality, even if it is less bright than the one we had before. We can use this period of darkness for increased introspection and rest. Grief is exhausting. Taking a slower season is a gift to your current and future self.
There can be a lot of symbolism in the autumn season to remind us of the cyclical nature of life and grief, as well. Embracing the lessons autumn can teach us — slowing down, caring for yourself in big and small ways, finding things to be thankful for even when life seems fleeting, and spending time in introspection and gratitude, can all lead us to greater acceptance of life as it is for us, and can help us get through a challenging season of grief.
