Let Fall Support Your Nervous System

By Shanelle Koroma LPHA, LCSW, Ujima Retreat Center

Lately, I’ve been using the natural rhythm of fall, with its cool air, colors, and slower pace, as a way to help my clients (and myself) reconnect to calm. The nervous system responds so well to seasonal changes when we learn to move with them instead of against them.

Fall gives us the perfect opportunity to practice slowing down, grounding, and noticing. These are a few simple ways I’ve been inviting both myself and my therapy clients to let the season do its healing work.

Start Your Morning with the Cool Air

Step outside in the morning, even for a minute. Let that crisp air hit your lungs and wake you up in a gentle way.

Try a few slow, steady breaths — in through your nose, out through your mouth. Feel how the cool air regulates you. The body recognizes it as safety, as presence.

I like to call this “breathing with the season.” It’s a nervous system reset before the day even starts.

Sunrise beyond the field

Let the Leaves Speak to You

During a walk, notice which leaves draw your attention, maybe it’s the color, the pattern, or how it’s shaped. Pick one up and take a second to really look at it.

Sometimes, I invite clients to reflect on what that leaf might represent for them: release, transition, endurance, beauty in change.

Collecting and reflecting helps pull the mind out of overthinking and into observation, a natural grounding practice.

Listen to the Crunch

There’s something powerful about walking on dry leaves barefoot. The sound, the texture, the rhythm, all of it reminds the body that it’s here, right now.

That simple sensory act (feeling, hearing, noticing) can calm the vagus nerve — the part of our nervous system that governs rest and safety.

When you walk, try slowing down. Listen. Let the sound of each step soothe you.

Fallen leaves at Ujima Retreat Center

Find Peace in the Sky

Clear, brisk nights are some of fall’s greatest gifts. Step outside after dark and look up at the stars or, if you need, drive a few miles out of the city to a darker spot. Notice how different the sounds become.

I often guide clients through gentle nighttime walks — walking in a straight line, focusing on the sound of crickets or the rustle of trees. The night sky has a way of reminding the nervous system that stillness can be safe.

Stars in the sky

This time of year, the light changes beautifully. The sun rises later and sets earlier, which makes it easier to witness.

Watching a sunrise or sunset helps regulate our internal clock (our circadian rhythm) and that rhythm is directly tied to nervous system health.

Try this: bring your tea or coffee outside, pause for a few deep breaths, and just watch the colors shift. Let your senses take it all in.

Fall as Nervous System Medicine

Every season teaches something, but fall especially invites rest, reflection, and balance. When we align with the environment through breath, movement, and sensory awareness, we remind the body that peace is always accessible.

Here at Ujima Retreat Center, we practice this often: slowing down, connecting with nature, and letting the land itself be part of the healing.

So take a little time to feel the air, listen to the leaves, and let your body settle into the rhythm of fall.

Your nervous system will thank you for it.

#UjimaRetreatCenter #NervousSystemReset #FallWellness