After a long, hot summer, Autumn has finally arrived in the UK. The leaves are changing colour, the days are getting rainier and the nights are drawing in. It’s also getting chillier in the mornings and evenings and we’re currently being encouraged by our husbands to wear more layers so that we don’t have to put the heating on yet!
Whilst we love this time of year for the crisp, foggy mornings and the sound of leaves crunching under our feet, there’s no denying that it can feel a little depressing sometimes. As the days get shorter, you tend to spend all of your daylight time in the office and come home in the dark to try and enjoy what little free time you have.
Well, we’re not going to spend this Autumn feeling gloomy, no siree. This year we’re going to get ourselves ready for the dark evenings and enjoy spending time in our homes and with our loved ones. We’re going to get cosy and energised for Autumn!
We don’t really want to spend any money on redecorating our home to embrace Hygge or Koselig, we’re going to use what we’ve got and get ourselves into the right head space for the changing season. We may be feeling the pinch from the cost of living crisis but that won’t stop us from embracing Autumn. Today we’ll be sharing some of our cosy living tips with you so you can feel energised and your home can feel like an Autumn sanctuary!
- Get Decluttering – Yes, we know it’s a chore but decluttering your home really will make you feel better! Creating a clear, cosy space will help to declutter your mind too so that you can relax during the long nights of the season.
- Candles – Time to dust off those candles that you have scattered around the house and bring them down into your living room. Clump them together on coffee tables or side tables to create a warm, glowing effect.
- Scents – Fill your home with the scents of the season. This doesn’t mean going out and buying expensive scented candles. The same effect can be created with some scented air freshener or by cooking up a storm in the kitchen with some butternut squash soup or heating up some cinnamon buns.
- Fairy Lights – Autumn is all about gentle lighting. What better way to get some extra use out of your Christmas fairy lights then to string them up or create a display with them in your living room? They’ll add to that cosy, tranquil effect that you can come home and relax in.
- Get Cosy – Time to put away your summer things and rediscover the jumpers you bought last year and have forgotten all about. It’s like having new clothes and will add a spring to your step. Get your throws and blankets out of storage and drape them across your sofas and beds so that a snuggle is only a reach away when you’re relaxing in the evenings.
- Bring in the Colour – Try and incorporate some of the warm, autumnal colours in your living space. Change up the cushion covers – you needn’t buy new, hit the charity shops and grab yourself a bargain so you can switch up your colour themes at very little cost.
- Add Houseplants – It’s easy to feel gloomy when the garden begins to die off in the colder months. Try adding some cheap and cheerful houseplants from your local supermarket to add some decoration to your home and improve the air quality at the same time – win-win!
- Dried Flowers – Ideal for autumn and cheap to buy – you can even have a go at drying some out yourself. Hydrangeas and pampas grass are great candidates if you want to have a go.
- Clear Your Mind – The colder months can typically have a negative impact on our mental health so we recommend creating a space for yourself in your home where you can sit and write about your day or whatever is on your mind. Write out your negative thoughts so that they are out of your brain and safely stored on the page. If nothing else, it will help you to decompress after a long day.
- Mindfulness – If writing is not your thing, then we recommend trying some meditation or mindfulness. There are plenty of apps around nowadays that only require 10 minutes of your attention to help you unwind. We like the Calm app, as well as Headspace. Excellent ways to help you keep the long nights from affecting your mental health.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed our tips for getting cosy and energised this Autumn. Just because it’s getting colder, it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom.
SJB
So Just Be 