Embracing the Fall Season
By: Alyssa Hoffman
The fall season as a student can be both exciting and stressful. It's the start of a new semester– new and old friends to meet up with, new teachers, and new (hopefully at least somewhat interesting) classes. The weather is also beautiful. It's warm, but not too hot, allowing us to wear comfortable clothes. That is a good way to summarize fall, comfortably. However, with fall comes a bunch of new stressors as well. The weather is starting to get colder, which even for someone like me who has lived in Alberta my entire life, still can be hard to adapt to. There also comes a new wave of assignments and tests from each class. One of the hardest things about fall is the decreased amounts of sunlight. It can mess with our sleep-wake cycles, making us feel more tired and less energetic throughout the day. As we head towards daylight-saving time, it is important to find ways to recharge when you are feeling like you have no energy. It is also important to make the most of the sunshine we do get. Whenever you get a chance, spend a minute or two in it. There are a few different ways that I can think of to bring out the joy in fall. One of the most important things to remember is to be patient with yourself and take breaks when you need them. A few ways to bask in the beauty of fall include; going to a pumpkin patch, having a cozy warm drink (anything from hot chocolate to a pumpkin spice latte to apple cider), organizing a gathering with friends, or watching a fall or Halloween movie (my personal favourite is Spooky Buddies). Here in Alberta, getting snow in the middle or sometimes even near the beginning of fall is not uncommon. The cold Edmonton weather can sometimes make us feel cooped up, and as social creatures, I think it is important to maintain connections with people and try to do something at least once a week to make us feel some type of connection. Being sick is another thing that we need to be aware of. It is bound to happen, and adding that to the feeling of cooped that cold weather can bring– it can be a negative thing. People tend to stay home more often if they are sick, which is good, but it can feel very isolating, especially since the pandemic. Other things that can relieve stress during the fall-season are– playing in some leaves, going to a corn maze, spending time in nature if the weather is nice enough, and exercising in the crisp air. Also, it is important to find stress-relieving techniques for working breaks, which you should take at least every 20 minutes. Some of my favourite things to do include; listening to music, letting my mind wander wherever it wants to, dancing, grabbing a snack and a drink, stretching my muscles out or getting some fresh air.
