Autumn Unfolding: How Seasonal Change Affects Your Mental Health
Seasonal Shifts & Your Mental Health
As cooler air rolls in and daylight wanes, our bodies and minds adjust to new rhythms. It’s something we all can sense this time of year: the small, subtle changes in temperature and light. Fall is on its way. Shorter days and cooler air can stir our emotions—making it easy to feel off-balance as routines change. Understanding these shifts can help you feel more steady, comfortable, and balanced through fall’s transitions.
Circadian Rhythms & Mood
Within our brain lies the “suprachiasmatic nucleus”, a tiny region of the brain with big responsibilities. This tiny nucleus sends powerful signals throughout our body and governs everything from sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, body temperature, metabolism, digestion, and mood. Sunlight is its most powerful signal, boosting serotonin (the “feel-good” hormone) by day and triggering melatonin (the sleep hormone) by night. Like old clocks, this internal process resets every day and has become known as our circadian rhythm.
Disruptions and Mental Health Effect
As daylight begins to fade in the fall, our circadian rhythm can slip out of sync. This can lead to poorer sleep, daytime fatigue, mood swings, and that sluggish, irritable feeling as our bodies' natural rhythms lose their daylight cue.
When our internal clock falls out of sync—due to shift work, travel, or reduced daylight—it can trigger or worsen mental health challenges including:
Impaired concentration, memory lapses, and decision-making difficulties
Heightened irritability, anxiety, and risk of depression or bipolar episodes
Increased vulnerability to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
According to Harvard Medical School (2020) studies show night-shift workers face a 40% higher risk of developing depression compared to daytime workers, emphasizing how important our circadian rhythm is for mood stability. Disrupted sleep and lower alertness contribute to slower reaction times, reduced situational awareness, and even higher rates of incidents and accidents.
Supporting Healthy Circadian Rhythms
Discomfort and disruption are normal responses as our bodies naturally adapt to the changing seasons. Here are a few ways to feel your best this fall:
Invite Morning Light
Morning light is medicine: it helps reset our internal clock and can positively affect our mood.
Just 10–15 minutes of natural light in the morning soon after waking up can boost serotonin and suppress any excess melatonin.
Depending on your school or work routine, you may spend a lot of time indoors – aim to take brief, outdoor breaks for sunlight exposure.
Cultivate Predictable Sleep–Wake Cycles
Aim for consistent bedtime and wake-up times each day to enhance your internal clock.
Soften Evening Light
This is for all of us late-night doom scrollers out there. Dim household lights and try to limit your screen time about 60 minutes before bed to promote natural melatonin release.
Create a supportive evening routine: activities like reading or journaling by candlelight, listening to audiobooks or soothing music, or taking a warm shower can help us unwind.
Lights out: aim for a cool, dark bedroom at bedtime. This helps us ease into a good night’s rest.
Invite Movement and Balanced Meals
Regular exercise can help balance our internal clocks and regulate mood and energy levels. Don’t stress about how it looks, tune into how it feels.
Enjoy balanced meals at steady, predictable times throughout the day.
Explore harvest foods: fall produce is typically on sale this time of year and can offer the nutrients our bodies seem to crave this time of year.
We humans have an age-old connection to eating seasonally.
Avoid heavy meals and caffeine before bed to help support rhythms.
Spend Time Outdoors
Find a quiet outdoor place you can return to regularly - a porch chair, a favorite tree, a sunny patch of grass. Let it be your anchor this season. Autumn is a time of transition, and creating a familiar spot can offer steadiness. You don’t need to do anything - just sit, breathe, and notice.
Small moments of awareness can calm the nervous system and gently shift your focus from overwhelm to connection. Let the season speak, and let yourself listen.
Lean Into Community
A quick text to grab coffee, a walk through crunchy leaves, or even a brief phone call to catch-up with a friend can remind us that we’re navigating these seasonal changes together.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month: If things feel just too heavy or you experience consistent mental health issues, consider reaching out.
Join a peer-support group, call 988, or connect with a mental health professional you trust. Connection can be one of the most grounding comforts as we shift into fall.
Final Thoughts
Fall is a time of harvest, abundance, and preparation. The season changes – and truly, so do we. Tune into your internal rhythms, lean on your people, and practice one small ritual to stay grounded as the days grow shorter. Allow this season to be an invitation to reflect, release, and ultimately - tend to yourself.
References:
Atmos. (2023, October 12). A day in the life: How circadian rhythms connect us to nature. Atmos Earth. https://atmos.earth/ecological-wisdom/nature-circadian-rhythms-biological-clocks/
Epstein, L., & Hassan, S. M. (2020, May 13). Why your sleep and wake cycles affect your mood. Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-your-sleep-and-wake-cycles-affect-your-mood-2020051319792
Kingma, A. (2023, October 1). The science behind fall’s effects on mental health. Mindfulness for Health. https://mindfulnessforhealth.ca/blog/2023/10/01/the-science-behind-fall-s-effects-on-mental-health
National Institute of General Medical Sciences. (Reviewed 2023). Circadian Rhythms. NIGMS. Retrieved from https://www.nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms.aspx
Suni, E. (updated 2023). Circadian Rhythm. Sleep Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/circadian-rhythm
Walker, W.H., 2nd, Walton, J.C., DeVries, A.C., & Nelson, R.J. (2020). Circadian Rhythm Disruption and Mental Health. Translational Psychiatry, 10(1), 28. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-020-0694-0
