As the seasons change and the cold creeps in, we have an urge to hibernate and hide away from autumn. The colder, darker months can certainly cast a shadow on our mental health; but have we stopped to consider the change itself and the beauty of the evolving landscape? As an avid autumn lover, I can’t help but romanticise the changing colours that Sheffield has to offer, especially around Weston Park. Not only does it create the perfect backdrop for spooky season Instagram posts, but new studies have found that the annual shift in colours can have a huge impact on our mental health.
According to Jason Brunt PhD, the assistant psychology professor at Biola University, our brains interpret these dramatic autumnal changes as a signal. The event triggers the same psychological response as when listening to a steady hum of background noise and then suddenly hearing a loud boom. Our reaction is a simple adaptation to change as the yellows, reds and browns take over our tree lines and contrast the former bright green hues. This contrast makes us believe there is great significance in this event and the regularity of the changing autumnal landscape every year increases its importance in our minds. However, the magnitude of this change (at least according to our minds) can lead to increased anxiety, worries and negative thoughts.
The impact of seasons on our mental health is fascinating but also something we can use to our advantage. There are many excellent methods and techniques using the new autumnal landscape to practise mindfulness and better your mental well-being. While taking an autumn walk, experts recommend focusing on the changing colours, hues, and contrast and considering from one tree to the next, which has fewer leaves. Which has brighter leaves? What is the ratio of yellow to brown? All of these questions are great at drawing your attention to the natural beauty, and away from the stress or anxiety you may be experiencing.
An autumn stroll can be a great stress reliever as positive experiences redirect the brain’s attention, reversing the fight or flight response in our brains. As Dr Michelle Harris, from William James College in Massachusetts, explained: “When you’re walking and focusing on the changing leaves, you’re no longer cuing your brain to run or fight.” Relieving this survival technique allows for a calmer mindset and is a simple way to reduce or alleviate stress.
Whether you are aware of it or not, the changing of seasons triggers a psychological response, which can have a huge impact on mental health in one of two ways. Both responses result from “anchoring”, a term which refers to judgements and decisions being influenced by a reference point which is often completely irrelevant. This often sparks an emotional response in us as we relive the feelings we experienced with the initial anchor. For example, when you find an old perfume from years ago, the scent brings back vivid memories and emotions from when you wore it, as those memories are “anchored” by the scent.
The same can be seen in the changing of seasons and specifically in the colour change of autumnal foliage. When the colours change and the contrast catches our eye, old feelings and sensations from autumn’s past arise. Therefore we see both positive and negative changes in mental health depending on an individual’s previous experiences with autumn. If you have had a bad experience during autumn before, such as losing a loved one during this time or experiencing heartbreak, you are more likely to subconsciously associate negative feelings with this period. However, the reverse can also benefit us, as memories from our childhoods of jumping in leaf piles and seeing fireworks for the first time can subconsciously better our mood and feelings during this season.
We can’t always control when and how anchoring will impact us, but autumn is a perfect opportunity to start using changing stimuli to your advantage. Understanding why we are feeling certain emotions is the first step to overcoming negative ones and embracing the positive change in front of us. If that doesn’t work, you can always rely on a pumpkin-spice latte and the relief that Christmas is just around the corner.