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The Art of a Slow Season: Finding Peace in an Unhurried Autumn

By Rachel

published 10/23/2025

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Last Updated on October 23, 2025 by Rachel

This season is a call to slow down. Finding peace in an unhurried autumn can be cultivated through simple methods and mindful practices that prioritize presence.

Autumn holds something special. In the midst of the transition from summer’s rush to autumn’s golden light, there is a gentle tug to slow down. In today’s world, societal pressure tells us that ‘more is more’ and ‘to always be busy’. But, I don’t find that to be productive nor healthy. The concept that I’m sharing today, the art of a slow season and finding peace in an unhurried autumn, is a guide of sorts to help us all intentionally resist the urge to over schedule, take care of our mental wellbeing, and find joy in embracing simple routines.

Table of Contents

Shifting Your Mindset: The Power of a Slow Season

It’s so important, now more than ever, to slow down. By cultivating mindful habits, the autumn season can be transformed into a peaceful and restorative experience, prioritizing presence over productivity.

Here, you will find ideals on the power of a shifting mindset, specific routines and habits for slowing down, and how to create a supportive environment at home.

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Embracing ‘Slower’ Over ‘Faster’ and Less is More

The world is so loud these days that, many times, I feel like crawling into a hole.

With the stress of the country, daily work, taking care of the house, and all the other things that demand our attention, it’s no wonder that anxiety has taken it’s toll on much of the US population. But, through all that, we can take our power back and find mindful ways of managing.

The urge to move slowly and calmly through my days has never felt stronger. If you feel the same way and are looking for ways on how to accomplish that, here are some ideas:

Mindfulness over Multitasking: Autumn is a natural time for inward reflection, like nature preparing for winter. I encourage you to try and be present in each moment instead of always rushing to the next task. Slowing down isn’t about doing nothing, but about being fully present in the small, everyday moments, no matter how mundane they seem.
Quality over Quantity: Choose a few meaningful activities, like a Saturday apple-picking trip or a visit to the pumpkin patch, over trying to cram in everything the season has to offer.
Embrace Imperfection: This season is about weathered and rustic and we can take that cue from nature! I have found it super helpful to let go of the need for perfection in any form.
Autumn as Permission: Try to frame the season as nature’s gentle reminder to pause. The cooling temperatures and changing light naturally encourage introspection and rest.

Gently Navigating My Way to Peace for Mental Wellbeing

This season has brought about big, but necessary, changes in my personal mental wellbeing and I’ve been forced to slow down. If you’ve been around for a while, you probably remember some of the posts that I’ve written, sharing about my journey with anxiety.

I’ve felt really good the past few years and thought I had the skills necessary to get me through those times when the anxiety flares. However, this year has been particularly difficult.

This flare kinda came out of left field and hit me like a wall. But, after some introspection, I can see the detailed series of events that led to my nervous system and fear response being left on over-drive for far too long.

What started as a few panic responses here and there eventually turned into full-blown panic episodes, sometimes during the day, sometimes in the middle of the night, that literally made me spiral into thinking I couldn’t breathe.

It got to the point late this summer where I needed help and a way to navigate this. So, I’m currently working with an amazing therapist who is helping me through OCD and panic paired with interoceptive anxiety. It’s slow but steady progress and I’m ever so gently making my way out of the muck.

I am a doer and I like to do things on my own. I want to try and figure things out and conquer whatever it is with my own willpower. But, as my hubby gently reminded me, it’s okay to ask for help when you need it.

So, if you find yourself in a rough season, know that I’m with you. I totally understand how difficult it is to accomplish small tasks, let alone complete work deadlines. Something that always helps me is to allow myself grace. I give myself so much grace, over and over, knowing that I’m doing the best I can.

So, thanks for listening.

It’s not only therapeutic for me to write it out but it’s also my way of reminding others that they are not alone. If my story helps just one person figure out a way forward through anxiety or something else, there’s nothing better.

Here are some final thoughts: Please go slow. There’s not a rush. Healing is different for everyone and is not linear. Find the courage to ask for help if you need it. Give yourself, and others, immense grace. And, above all else, be kind because you don’t know what someone is going through.

The Art of a Slow Season: Finding Peace in an Unhurried Autumn

With all that being said, below are a handful of mindful habits that I’ve either cultivated already or am in the process of cultivating.

Each routine or practice is designed to intentionally slow me down, helping me to pay attention to the one moment I’m in, which is always the now, without any story attached.

I hope they are a help to you or someone you love! Being peaceful and living slowly can be a way of life always.

Cozy Routines: Slow Living in Fall

1. Mindful Morning Coffee or Tea

Turn your daily coffee or tea into a ritual. Put away the phone, sit by a window or go outside if you can, and focus purely on the warmth of the mug, the scent, and the quiet sounds of the morning. Try and dedicate 15 minutes to stillness. If that seems like too much, start with just 5 minutes.

2. Intentional Movement

Go beyond exercise and take a walk specifically to notice the fall change in nature. Focus on the senses; the sound of crunching leaves, the smell of damp earth, and the colors of the trees. Let the walk be a form of moving mindfulness. If you are walking with someone, try and stay engaged in the conversation without letting your mind be elsewhere.

3. Blanket Break

Schedule intentional time for rest. Create a cozy “nest” or nook with soft textures (throw blankets, pillows) and soft lighting. This is a non-productive task that recharges the mind. You can read a book if you want to, but I like to wrap myself up in a blanket for 20-30 minutes and just rest my eyes. I usually don’t fall asleep but if I do, that’s an added bonus.

4. Slow Hobbies

Slow hobbies are a form of self-care. Examples can include cooking or baking, painting, writing, candle-making, etc…

When partaking in a hobby, focus simply on the task at hand. If you are baking, notice the scent of the cinnamon or the texture of the dough. If you are painting, notice the colors of the paint and where you are placing them on the paper or canvas. And, if your mind wanders, that’s okay…gently bring it back to the task at hand.

Creating a Supportive Home Environment

Another way to help calm an overactive nervous system is to simplify things in your home environment.

These ideals might seem small but, when combined and mindfully thought about over the course of a day, they really do add up. I’ve seen amazing benefits in my own daily life by implementing these over time.

But, I will say, we’re not striving for perfection here. Don’t force any anything that doesn’t make sense for you!

Decluttering the Schedule

You guys. If you take anything from this post, let it be this one.

I did not realize how booked my days had become until I literally couldn’t do it anymore. Wondering why I felt so exhausted, I took the plunge and cleared any un-necessary or un-needed commitment off my calendar. I intentionally removed anything that didn’t bring joy, which freed up space for the slow activities mentioned above. I also am able to be more present with Tilly and hubby by not constantly jumping from one thing to the next.

This one is life-changing! If this feels too big, try just removing one commitment from your calendar. Over time, you might begin to realize that it feels good to not be busy all the time.

The Power of Atmosphere

Simple changes within your home can also support a slower pace. This is intentional and mindful living in action!

This can include things like:

Using warmly lit side lamps instead of overhead lighting.
Minimal decor that emphasizes texture like vintage items, cozy blankets, or neutral rugs.
Embracing natural scents (instead of synthetic ones) by diffusing essential oils. My favorites for fall include cinnamon, pine, clove, and orange.
Keeping a clean and tidy home. Vacuuming, dusting, and mopping might seem like the mundane list of weekly chores but, for me, cleaning is therapeutic. When I tend to my home, it makes my soul feel well.

Digital Boundaries

This one is HUGE!

I know, for many of us, we live 24/7 with our phones either in our hands or in our pockets. The constant flow of noise that comes from scrolling a screen is truly disrupting to life itself. A small screen takes us away from being in the moment and can create so much more stress depending on what we are taking in.

What has helped me is to set specific tech-free hours in the evenings or on weekends to fully commit to slowing down.

This past Sunday, I did not open my laptop once and it was extremely relaxing. I also try not to have my phone with me in the evenings, from like 7:30 on. Because, really, I don’t need to be scrolling mindlessly while trying to wind down for the evening.

I know this idea might seem super scary but I highly encourage you to try it. Start small. Try to put your phone down, in another room, for 5 minutes. Then, go step outside or make a coffee without the distraction. After a while, your brain will start to sense how freeing it is!

Finding Peace in the Pause

The goal with all of this is not perfection. Sometimes, I get caught up in the notion that I have to do all these things to feel better. But, the truth is, I don’t.

Rather, think of these simple habits as a practice for seeking gratitude. When you can find small moments of gratitude, like the smell of your coffee, or the way your warm socks feel on your feet, that’s peaceful living in action.

Living slowly in this season is not a period of waiting, but a time for deep and meaningful self-care.

Whatever season of life you find yourself in, know that you can choose, in any moment, stillness over chaos, imperfection over perfection, and calm over stress.

Closing Tidbits on The Art of a Slow Season: Finding Peace in an Unhurried Autumn

It’s my hope that you can see, or at least start to see, how these simple shifts in routine, and environment, can help you to embrace the art of a slow season and finding peace in an unhurried autumn.

I want to reiterate that this practice is a gift to yourself. The quiet feeling of serenity that can be found when choosing to slow down can carry you through the busyness of the coming holidays and beyond.

Be encouraged to seek calm moments, without the need for a story nor perfection, finding immense stillness along the way.

Leave me a comment! How do you slow down? What are some cozy routines that you have? I love hearing from you!

For more ideals on slow living, visit Vera at Simple Happy Zen. She has wonderful videos on this very topic!

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If you are new here, I’m Rachel, the writer and content creator here at The Antiqued Journey. I’m so happy to have you! I encourage you to stop by the ‘about me’ page to get to know me a little more.

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