What You Do in Autumn Shapes How You Feel in Winter

October is the month when the change of season really becomes noticeable.

The mornings are darker, the evenings arrive earlier, the temperature starts to drop and our routines begin to shift, often without us consciously deciding to change them.

For me, this is the point in the year when I start preparing for winter, rather than waiting until I am already tired, run down or feeling the effects of the darker months.

In our modern society, we have become very good at masking how we really feel, until it’s too late. We rest once we are exhausted, we start thinking about our health once something feels wrong, and we often only make changes when our bodies and emotions force us to.

In contrast, the natural world starts adapting well before winter properly arrives, and autumn is the season of preparation for nature. Trees automatically begin releasing their leaves, animals begin storing food in preparation for the long winter months, and plants redirect their energy underground into their roots, conserving resources until the growing season returns.

I think we can learn a lot from the way Nature prepares for the season ahead.

As the days become shorter, our exposure to natural light decreases, and we tend to spend more time indoors, automatically becoming less active.

Reduced daylight can also affect our circadian rhythm, sleep and mood, which is why getting outside during the day becomes even more important at this time of year.

Movement matters too, not necessarily in the form of intense exercise, but simply finding time to walk in nature, swim or do whatever keeps your body active when the weather makes it easier to stay inside.

Food also becomes more important as we move into winter. We naturally begin to want warmer, more substantial meals, and this is a good time to pay attention to whether you are actually nourishing yourself properly.

We do not necessarily need to do less, but we may need to be more conscious about how much rest we are getting, and ensure our daily routines are helping us, and not working against us.

This is also one of the reasons I believe so strongly in having a daily cacao ritual at this time of year.

When I talk about ritual, I do not mean something elaborate or ceremonial. It can simply be a regular moment in the day that creates a bit of space and consistency. For me, cacao has enabled me to create that space.

Making cacao in the morning gives me a reason to stop before the day starts moving too quickly. It creates a natural pause before the phone, emails, work and everything else begins.

Sometimes I use the space for meditation, sometimes for thinking, writing or simply sitting quietly and sorting the day out in my mind before I begin it. Part of what I value about cacao is that it supports both sides of that ritual: the mental space it creates and the nutritional compounds it naturally provides.

Pure ceremonial-grade cacao naturally contains magnesium and theobromine, alongside compounds often referred to as cacao’s “bliss molecules”, including anandamide and phenylethylamine (PEA).

These compounds are linked with mood, pleasure and feelings of wellbeing, while theobromine provides a gentler, more sustained lift than caffeine for many people. Cacao also contains flavanols, which have been studied for their role in supporting cardiovascular health and blood flow, including blood flow to the brain.

But for me, the value of cacao at this time of year is not only in what it contains nutritionally. It is also in the daily ritual that forms around it, and how the combination of the two helps me feel prepared and ready for whatever the day brings.

When something becomes part of your daily routine, it can become an anchor. Not because it solves everything, but because it gives you a consistent point in the day to check in with yourself and notice how you are actually feeling.

Autumn is a good time to put these things in place, while the season is changing and before winter properly arrives, rather than waiting until January, when we are exhausted from Christmas and suddenly expected to reinvent ourselves.

For me, autumn is all about putting the right foundations in place, so winter can become a season we move through with far more energy, resilience and ease.