Mother Nature is putting her children to bed and everything is starting to settle down into a brown blanket.
If you find yourself starting to feel lethargic or find your mood making a downward shift due to the shorter days, I have five quick pick-me-ups that can be helpful natural tools to give you an emotional lift.
You can also hear more helpful ideas in the Aromatic Wisdom Podcast #56 called Essential Oils to Ease the Transition into Autumn
Five Natural Pick-Me-Ups for Autumn
1. Peppermint Hydrosol
Peppermint hydrosol is cooling and refreshing. You can add your peppermint hydrosol to a spray bottle or add 1-2 teaspoons of peppermint hydrosol to your water bottle and sip it throughout the day. I don’t recommend doing this with essential oils because the concentration is too high, but hydrosols are perfect. The resulting mint-flavored water is incredibly refreshing, excellent for digestion, mentally stimulating, and a rejuvenating “wake-up” beverage!
Learn more about hydrosols in this online course.
2. Drink plenty of water
It’s amazing to me how few people really get the effect that dehydration can have on the body, like feeling sluggish and lethargic. Pay attention to how much water you get throughout the day. This is especially important when you work in an office that is closed off, stuffy and crowded. It is likely you will feel better after you drink a glass of water. To make it even better, add some of that wonderful Peppermint hydrosol to a liter of water or fresh lemon or lime juice!
2. Close your eyes and breathe deeply
Never underestimate the power of the breath! Taking several deep breaths can give you a chance to refocus your attention and adjust your perspective. To increase the benefit of these deep breaths, put a drop of the following essential oil on a tissue and inhale the scent, feeling it down to your toes. My favorite autumn scent to inhale in this way is Bay Leaf (Laurus nobilis) essential oil. It has just enough of the component called 1,8 cineole to open your head and your senses and has a deliciously sweet aroma.
3. Take a power nap if possible
I’ll admit, I do love a good couch nap around 2:30 in the afternoon. I get up feeling refreshed and like my brain has had a reboot. You don’t have to take a long nap to benefit from it; ideally less than 30 minutes. Find a place that is quiet and dark for the best results. Be sure you don’t sleep for more than an hour or it could adversely affect your ability to sleep that night. That’s a vicious cycle you do not want to begin!
4. Get up and move
Our bodies are built to move! As more and more folks are working from home, including yours truly, we’re becoming a world of “sitters”. I recently heard that “sitting is the new smoking”. Yikes! Since your body needs to move to stay healthy, get up and move around for five minutes every hour. This could be as simple as marching in place, taking a brisk walk to your car and back, or taking time for a quick stretch. Not only will you give your body the break it needs, but taking this time gives your mind a break, as well. You should notice even a five-minute break will help you feel more energetic and focused.
5. Take a snack break
Like a couch nap, I love me some yummy snacks! If you’re in an office, you may be tempted to head to the vending machines in the afternoon, but please try to avoid that. Most of the foods you will find in a vending machine will only give you a short burst of energy before you start feeling even more sluggish. Fresh fruit is a good alternative to vending machine food as is a serving of cottage cheese or any high-protein food. Consider raw almonds, dried edamame, turkey meat sticks, apples, and peanut/almond/sunflower butter. These snacks, as opposed to a candy bar or cake, will provide the lasting energy you need while being a healthy snack choice.
In Conclusion, these fall pick-me-up tips can really be done all year. If you change up your schedule, choose healthy snacks, get moving, take a power nap or stay hydrated, you will find you have more energy and are ready to face your day again.
