Authority: The melancholic feeling that is now standing up does not like everyone. What can help and get us through the dark season is a conscious inner show. What that is and why one also speaks of the “September Reset”.
Some joyfully get the candles out at the end of September and cook pumpkin soup. Others try to capture a little in summer – sit outside again in the evening, eat ice cream again.
A very special feeling appears in autumn. Often a mixture of thoughtfulness and a diffuse sadness. “In fact, autumn is the melancholic season,” says psychotherapist Wolfgang Krüger. “It gets dark faster. And it gets cold, you can no longer meet so easily outside, life shifts into the interiors.”
Seasons have been shown to influence the psyche
But where does this melancholy come from? According to an overview article in the psychological magazine “Perspective on Psychological Science”, seasons have been shown to have an impact on human psyche.
An example: Depending on how much natural sunlight we get, our body can produce, bind and implement more or less serotonin. If the sunshine in autumn goes back, this lowers the serotonin level and thus our basic mood.
Some can gain a little off the bitter sweet melancholy, others really hit them. But that can often be controlled. According to psychotherapist Krüger, we go through autumn, “when we learn to take stock, think about our lives and to design the future”. Because: “Autumn is the season of reflection”.
“September reset”: reflect, plan, restart
And also – that autumn is particularly suitable for reflecting compared to other seasons – there are scientific starting points.
In the “Perspective on Psychological Science”, the article quotes a study that dealt with the fluctuations in cognitive performance in the course of the year. The result was: The subject’s work memory, i.e. their ability to store and process information at short notice, was the most in the fall in autumn.
Reflect what has been going well so far, where you are and what you would like to change or want to tackle-this time is also ideal, because many unconsciously combine the end of the summer and the beginning of autumn with a “back to school” feeling and are motivated to make something new or better. In this country, too, the “September Reset”, in German, is currently being reported more often, for example “restart in September”, and then googled.
Part of the plan: prevent autumn and winter blues
With such an inventory and planning of the next few weeks and months, we can even consciously prepare for the winter and try to prevent blues – negative moods in the dark season.
Experts for mental health recommend on the “Derywell Mind” portal to set new destinations for the coming months in autumn. What motivates me, what do I want to concentrate on, why is that important to me and what specific steps help with the project? These are questions that you can ask yourself.
And we can maintain our interests, such as reading or writing books, crocheting, knitting, which can be cultivated well in the dark season, says Wolfgang Krüger.
With all the cosiness and interior show, however, we should make sure not to withdraw too much, the psychotherapist advises “to take care of friendships, but also to love”.
And: Even and especially in the darker time, it is important to spend time outdoors and move – this helps the serotonin level. Further tips on how to counteract the depressed mood in autumn provides the following article on autumn depression:
Other sources: Perspectives on Psychological Sciences, Derywell Mind
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