When the leaves turn amber and the air takes on that crisp bite, I always feel a mix of excitement and heaviness. Fall is beautiful, yes—but it also carries a weight that’s hard to ignore. The shorter days seem to pull the light right out of my mood, and before I knew what Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) was, I used to think something was just “wrong” with me. Turns out, it wasn’t just me—and if you’ve ever felt the fall blues, you’re far from alone.

Here’s a confession: I used to run from failure like it was contagious. If something went wrong, I’d either bury it under busyness or beat myself up for weeks. But the more I stumbled (and trust me, I’ve stumbled a lot), the more I realized something surprising—failure wasn’t the end of my story. It was the start of the really interesting chapters.

When fall arrives, it feels like nature rolls out a welcome mat of golden leaves and cool air. But here’s the thing: autumn isn’t just about pumpkin spice and cozy sweaters—it’s one of the best times to explore a practice that’s part therapy, part mindful adventure: forest bathing, or Shinrin-yoku.

When the air turns crisp and the trees glow with fiery colors, something in me shifts. Autumn feels like an invitation to slow down—to linger over tea, pull out my coziest blankets, and rediscover the joy of simple comforts. For years, I thought this seasonal craving for coziness was just me leaning into “sweater weather.” Then I discovered hygge—the Danish way of turning ordinary moments into extraordinary ones through warmth, comfort, and presence.