Lots of people love autumn or rather the romantic idea of autumn. The brisk walks among the red and orange leaves. The cosy nights surrounded by candles and blankets. The fun of Halloween and the magic of the run up to Christmas. But are we all a bit guilty of romanticising autumn?
The reality of autumn
Many people, myself included, see autumn as a fresh start, as a time of year to look forward to. And don’t get me wrong autumn is definitely my favourite season, I absolutely live for it. But I also know for many people it doesn’t turn out to be the romantic vision they had in their heads. Or autumn just isn’t their time. The reality is as we get deeper into the season many of us are waking up for work and returning home from work in the dark. Temperatures are dropping and our utility bills start to rise as we need to use more gas and electricity. All of these things can cause a dip in your mood and puts you a million miles away from that ideal autumn mood. Sure autumn can be great and beautiful walks and cosy nights do exist but for a lot of people it can feel disappointing if you’re not experiencing that picture perfect autumn. It’s even worse if you’re a spring or summer person and the autumn season can bring on a feeling of dread.
So what’s the problem?
From Seasonal Affective Disorder to the financial stress of rising bills and the cost of Christmas, autumn can be a very hard time for lots of people. Like so many things on social media autumn is now painted in this perfect romantic light that we feel we have to aspire to. Like pretty much everything these days autumn has become a prop for over-styled photos that are a far cry from reality. Now I’m not saying I don’t enjoy those styled shoots of a pair of feet adorned in fluffy socks, TV in the background with a recognisable movie on it and a collection of candles and snacks giving that ultimate cosy evening in vibe, because I do. But my evenings sure as hell have never looked like that but no one wants to see a girl in an oversized onesie with two cats on her lap furiously flicking through Netflix. It’s just one example of a picture perfect moment that isn’t real but when you’re already struggling, this romantic vision of autumn can really tip you over the edge.
It’s natural that in autumn our bills start to rise too. We need the lights on way more which shoots up the electricity bill. Also no one wants to sit in a cold house do they so of course we put the heating on knowing that it’s the start of a good few months of increased gas bills. If you’re paying out more money when you don’t really have the cash to spare then autumn can feel like a burden you just don’t need.
Autumn can bring a whole host of other homely issues we wouldn’t normally think of too. The weather and cause damage to fences and roofs and its essentials to keep up with maintenance such as clearing gutters with the leaves falling and increased rain fall. Without services like Gutter Cleaning Rochester your home could suffer from water damage.
As we get deeper into autumn we also get closer to the big C – Christmas. Another highly romanticised holiday. Again though whether it’s the impending cost of Christmas the feeling of having to spend more time with family you don’t get on with or just the dread of colder and darker days. It can all add to the doom and gloom of autumn.
Do autumn your way
I’m not saying if you’re one of the people creating this romantic vision of autumn that you need to stop, I mean please don’t I love autumn photos in all their forms! And I really love the season. But a dose of reality is needed every now and then. If your autumn doesn’t look like its just walked off of Pinterest that is perfectly OK and normal. If you need a break that’s OK too, taking time for yourself is important all year round but in autumn when things can get tougher it’s essential to give yourself a break.
What you need to remember is most of the time this perfect autumn vision is completely styled and while it can be beautiful to look at for some people, it’s perfectly fine to step back and admit that you’re just not in the right place to deal with it. The person behind those styled shoots will have their off days too.
Autumn can be a beautiful and wonderful season and where you can embrace that, you definitely should but don’t forget to go easy on yourself and focus on your own well being when you need to.
Do you feel like autumn is often over romanticised? Let me know in the comments.
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