How to Cope with Autumn Blues

There was a time I used to hate September.

 September meant returning to the boring routine of school, study, or work, shorter days, and autumn knocking at my door. It was nothing more or less than the abrupt end of that lovely summer feeling.

 Living in a big city, far away from nature and the elements, the change of seasons didn’t mean much more than putting away the clothes of the past season and going window-shopping to check out the newest fashion trends.

 Today I understand that the lack of connection with the land saddens us because we are not able to see and appreciate something as simple and extraordinary, magical and beautiful, as, for example, the harvest of the fruits we eat.

 Everything seems so obvious. You just have to head to the “supermarket” and you’ll find everything perfectly packed and exposed to facilitate your task. All is done for you not to have to move, get your hands dirty, or get bitten by annoying insects.

 Regaining contact with nature has made me completely change the perception of the seasons’ change. I now see the month of September as fruitful in all senses.

I have learned to appreciate the way each season keeps our senses from falling asleep under a blanket of monotony.

 September brings the harvest of a variety of fruits: apples, pears, figs, plums, grapes, mulberries, pomegranates, quinces, grapes and pumpkins –and also roots rich in nutrient content.

 Indian summer is about to arrive, filling our hearts with an explosion of colours and late-season sunshine.

To me, the arrival of the harvest stimulates my creativity. September is the month of renewed energy after a summer full of sun light, ready to face a new and exciting a season full of expectations … what is around the corner?

 September also stimulates me to invent recipes, making all kinds of jams and compotes, and harvesting the first roots for tinctures and syrups.

 Today I want to invite you to discover the intense flavour of September and the changes the new season can bring.

 

 How? Here Are Some Ideas

 

 1. Go outside and carefully observe how the colours of the leaves start changing.

 2. Smell and enjoy the perfumed scent of freshly picked fruit.

 3. Go out with your basket and try harvesting any wild fruit you find.

 4. In case you do not have abundant nature nearby, go to the market and get, for example, good apples from the new harvest, and prepare a compote. Below is my favourite recipe. The first time I did it I was stunned by the simplicity and exquisiteness of the final product.

 5. Do you have relatives and/or friends celebrating their birthday? Think about self-made compotes, syrups or jams as a gift. Receiving or giving home- or hand-made gifts make me so happy. It feels like if the person’s heart and energy are put into the making of the product.

 

 The Easiest Apple Compot Recipe Ever

 

Ingredients:

• 2 kg apples

(My favourites: Jonagold, Elstar and Santana, sweet but with a perfect touch of acidity. If you prefer a sweeter taste, Pippin apple would be a good choice).

• 1 cinnamon stick

 Directions:

– Peel and cut the apples into pieces.

– Put them in a saucepan with the cinnamon stick at medium heat.

– Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.

– Cook until the apples are tender.

– Cool and serve.

– If you want, you can make the compote into a puree by just blending it. 

 

 I am sorry but I just can’t

 If despite all of these ideas, September and the change of season still depresses you, let me tell you this:

 Maybe it is not so much the month or the arrival of autumn itself that overwhelms you, but the thoughts you have about them – associating September with unpleasant experiences in your routine and in the past. You only see the negative, and you forget to love the good things that September gives you every day.

 This same thing happened to me until I began to think the opposite way, focusing on how pleasant the month of September is. Ceasing to associate the month with reluctance and returning to routine, you can do much to avoid this feeling invading you.

Moreover, only you can do it. Nobody will do it for you. The key is in your hand, or rather, in your head.

 Create your life – don’t wait for things to happen to you.

 Implement lifestyle changes that give you energy and make you happy, like these, for example:

•  Move outdoors every day: exposure to the elements, such as sunlight and fresh air, enriches us and gives us energy the same ways food does.

• Devote at least an hour a day to something you like that motivates you. We should not waste our lives complaining without doing something, or filling the agenda with things we don’t give a damn about. We shouldn’t keep ourselves busy just for the sake of being busy! 

• Take the opportunity to rethink life and think seriously about what you could do differently. And do it! Just do it! It takes that first step. It is the only way to get different results.

 It’s all about attitude towards life!

 

Now tell me, how does Autumn taste for you? How do you deal with the change of seasons?

 I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!