This post was sponsored by Bayer Consumer Health, and all of the content expressed here is our own.
Fall is upon us, and it’s always a signal in our house to hunker down on our family wellness routines. There are so many cues from the onset of Autumn that influence our point of view about preparing for the months ahead. It’s just a natural time to pause, assess and plan as the weather changes. That’s why we put together this list of our Fall Family Wellness Tips to get you prepared for the season of comfy and cozy.
The weather is not the only thing that changes in the Fall, but it is a strong indicator that life is shifting. People start to move indoors from summer’s outdoor activities. Kids are back in school and needing to focus on homework, studies, sports and other activities. Our work lives take us up a notch due to all those projects that were moved to the Fall due to summer vacation schedules.
All these things can bring up the level of stress we are all feeling. Being properly prepared for these changes can make all the difference in our outlooks and attitudes. That’s why each year our family makes a conscious effort to focus on these Fall family wellness tips. We hope you find them helpful too!
10 Fall Family Wellness Tips
Our family thinks of this as a checklist for getting our lives organized, so we can proceed right to getting comfy and cozy as the holidays approach. Hopefully there are some helpful Fall family wellness tips in here for everyone to use.
Tip #1 – Get Your Flu Shots
With all the hub bub about vaccinations right now, getting regular flu shots can get lost in the shuffle. The truth is that annual flu shots help us fight off the regular flu season that starts in the Fall and lasts through Winter. Each Fall, we pile into the car as a family and head down to the local pharmacy for our flu shots.
Since it’s not what most would consider as a fun outing, think of ways your family does not dread this (as much!). We try to lighten it up with some fun activities. One year we all picked up ridiculously funny sunglasses while waiting our turn for the shot. Another year we bought cartoon character-styled bandages to cover our injection site. However you approach it, flu shots will help you ease into Fall with a blanket of wellness security.
Tips #2 – Stock Up on Wellness Supplies
As a Bayer Brand Ambassador, I’ve gotten to learn a lot about some of the brands in the Bayer Consumer Health product family. Each Fall, we stock up to make sure we are prepared in case anyone needs supplies. This is one of our Fall family wellness tips that we never skip ourselves.
Our list includes things like One A Day Vitamins to make sure we are getting the vitamins and minerals our bodies may need. One A Day Men’s for the dads, and One A Day Women’s for the girls keep us all on track. We rely on Claritin for those occasional hay fever attacks when the Autumn wind blows through dry grasses and fallen leaves. Should we need it, Afrin Nasal Spray helps open our nasal passages for easier breathing during the depths of a cold. Sweaty feet wrapped in heavy socks and shoes are kept more healthy with Lotrimin daily footcare. Keeping these and other supplies on hand help our family function smoothly through all kinds of situations.
Tip #3 – Welcome Fall with Decorations
Studies indicate our moods are elevated by surrounding ourselves with pleasant visuals. So who says we can only decorate our porches and houses for specific holidays? At our house, we get fancy sometimes and deck out our home with the season at hand. In the Fall, we like to get a jump on the season prior to Halloween but still use the pumpkins and other seasonal materials available. For example, we start with just the green and white pumpkins and gourds, leaving the orange varieties until closer to All Hallows Eve.
And what says the holidays more than the smell of cinnamon and spice? Room fresheners, candles and scents help the house feel cozy. When we smell those favorites that fill us with good memories, it triggers our senses and gives us a deeper feeling of positivity and calm.
These are just nice ways to be welcomed home after a busy day.
Tip #4 – Visit the Local Farmers Market
Almost every community now has a farmers market within easy distance, full of seasonal fresh vegetables and fruit. In the fall, just-picked fresh apples and pears become plentiful. Walking the rows of market vendors, it’s easy to get in the Fall spirit with pumpkins, butternut squash, kale and more. Also look for fresh foods that help build our health and immune systems, like oranges and citrus for Vitamin C, ginger, fresh spinach and kale, garlic and raw almonds. Make Fall smoothies!
At our local market, there are also plentiful treats like honey, apple butter, cranberries, fresh-laid eggs and other ingredients I bring home to bake sweet treats. Plus the weather is usually still clear and cool, so you can show off your Fall clothes you’ve been dying to pull out of the closet.
Tip #5 – Cook Good Things
Fire up that oven you’ve been avoiding all summer. There’s a chill in the air, we no longer need our AC, and it’s time to cook meals that warm our tummies. It’s also nice to sit down for meals as a family, where great bonding can take place over the dinner table.
We have some family favorites I make at this time of year, including Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting. They taste just like the season! Another dish my family always begs for is my White Chicken Chili, with just the right amount of kick.
If we end up cooking something spicy, there’s always Alka Seltzer to help calm our tummies. We keep some handy at our house, because sometimes one person’s spicy is another person’s way-too-spicy!
This recipe for pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting is easy and delicious.Tip #6- Clean Out Your Closets
As warm weather fades, so do some of your summer clothes. We always go through our closets when Fall arrives and retire, donate or toss clothes that have overstayed their best days. After all, it’s “sweddah weddah!” (sweater weather for those non-SNL fans out there).
Bringing the fall sweaters and warmer clothes to the front of the closet also brings good feelings of things to come. Football games, tailgate parties, leaf peeping, Fall hikes are all on the agenda for this time of year. Whether you like a crowd or prefer solitude, spending time outdoors in the Fall is definitely a mood enhancer. This is one of the Fall family wellness tips that is genuinely fun.
Tip #7 – Enjoy Your Fall Chores
Enjoy chores, you say? Well yes, it is possible to enjoy fall chores when you do it together as a family. Raking leaves into big piles is great fun when you can jump into them afterwards!
There is a sense of accomplishment that comes along with completing these tasks. Not only have you gotten some good exercise and fresh air, but the feeling of completion can be very satisfying and rewarding. I know I rest more easily when all the chores are complete and the house is ready for winter.
Tip #8 – Pull Out the Cozy Blankets
After you’ve got that firewood delivered and stacked (see Tip #7!), you can start to envision cozy nights at home. When it’s cold and you are sitting fireside with the slight smoky aroma of burning logs, you can rest comfortably in your big comfy blankets and oversized pillows. Grab a cup of hot tea or cocoa, and you are good to go.
We store our cuddly blankets away in the summer and bring them out in the Fall like old friends. It may be freezing outside, but our girls are still wearing shorts inside and wrapping themselves up like burritos in fleece blankets. The feeling of comfort these blankets bring us is so good for our happiness quotient. Our moods are lifted instantly, and life seems less stressful. All of this means a bump up in positive vibes and mental wellness.
Tip #9 – Switch Up Your Workout Routine
We consider this to be one of our more important Fall family wellness tips. Our metabolisms start to slow as the weather gets cooler, and it’s time to plan for a different kind of workout routine that will keep us healthy and our energy levels high. In most of the country, outdoor workouts and runs may become less welcoming. Indoor workouts at home or the gym will find their way into our routines more prominently, as long as we are intentional and diligent. No hibernation allowed at our house!
We like to exercise in the morning to start the day, and that gets harder as the days grow shorter. Waking up in the dark to work out is not easy, but it feels so rewarding after the workout is complete! Think about how you will keep your exercise routine going and your body healthy when it gets too chilly to do any of it outside. Maybe try something new like a zoomba class or boot camp?
Tip #10 – Make Some Time for Yourself
Fall is a great time for some self reflection. The hazy crazy days of summer have calmed down and your routine is more relaxed. It’s important to take time for ourselves to regroup, focus on priorities and take a moment or two to assess our lives. As Mother Nature slows down, so can we.
This is a good time to check on our own mental wellness, take deep breaths, be good to ourselves and allow ourselves to rest before the holiday madness hits. Maybe reflect on those New Year’s resolutions made way back in January, since there is still time to achieve things yet accomplished. Or perhaps grab a journal and write down some things we’ve been meaning to think more about.
In our busy lives, I find the need to actual schedule time for myself. I block time on my calendar for just me, and I use that time in solitude, peace and quiet. Even 15 minutes for this makes a big difference.
Can You Suggest Other Fall Family Wellness Tips?
Do you have your own list of Fall family wellness tips? If so, please share with us and we will add to this list!
