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Autumn the time for harvest before the winter.  Mother nature is in her last show of colorful brilliance before her sleep.  The days are becoming shorter and the weather cooler.  This means our self care routine needs to be adjusted especially if it relies upon the early daylight or the warm weather.  If you don’t have a self care routine check out this post Hello Routine, my old Friend maybe it will convince you to start one.

I like to change a couple things in my routine for autumn, just like we change our diets somewhat for the cooler weather.  If you want to change your sleep schedule to get up earlier, this is a great time to start with the shorter days coming up.  This is something I plan to do.

Moisturize
In the autumn I like to incorporate more lotions and body butters.  As the weather gets cooler and cooler this dries out my skin, and taking more hot baths also dries out the skin.  I am excited about this, I have some beautifully scented Moringa body butter (this one) I had to put up for the summer or should we call it mosquito season…

Exercise
This may be where you either need to change your exercise routine, have a backup plan for exercise due to bad weather, or wear more layers of clothing.  It could be time to try something new like one of those 90 day programs on DVD or join some friends for a fun exercise class.  In the autumn, I still like to walk and hike, I just add the extra layers.  On the rainy days I use one of my many exercise DVDs.

Vitamin D3
I am no doctor, but I highly recommend getting a vitamin D3 supplement (I take these ones) to make up for the lack of sunshine.   It is said that lack of vitamin D from the sun during the autumn and winter months can cause Seasonal Effective Disorder or the Winter Blues.  Getting enough vitamin D not only prevents the Winter Blues but also aids calcium absorption in your bones.  Lets face it, as we get older we need all the help staying upright we can get.

Hydrate
This is always a necessity, no matter the time of year.  I have noticed that the summer weather makes us notice our lack of hydration, but the cooler weather sucks it out of us just as easily but without our notice.  Get in all the hydration you can get.  Maybe try out some new herbal teas, I love some nice hibiscus tea.

Changing up your routine seasonally not only helps you to adapt to the environmental changes but also keeps your routine fresh.  As we go along some of the things in our routine may become dry and we want to try something new.

Whatever you choose to do to change up your routine or if you are just starting a routine, being consistent is key to a great self care routine. Do you plan on changing up your routine?