The Fall Slowdown: Overcoming the Fear of Resting as the Days Get Shorter
A cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows siting on a wooden try with leaves. In the corner is an open book. Next to the tray is a plaid blanket. All these objects are resting on wooden floor.
Last week’s blog post focused on a fall inspired digital detox. If you decided to give it a try by putting down your phone, clearing out your inbox, and stepping away from the endless ping of notifications you might have noticed an unexpected effect as the noise began to clear out.
Silence. And with that silence, a deeper awareness of what your mind and body are experiencing. And maybe, you might have noticed a sense of fatigue or a desire to slow down. If not that is okay as well!
As fall arrives, the leaves reveal their deepest colors, the air grows crisp, and daylight hours rapidly shrink. Nature is sending a loud, clear signal: It is time to slow down, conserve resources, and rest. Think about this for a moment. Around the world harvest festivals, historical commemorations, and seasonal transitions occur to make the occasion and the traditional harvest session. Additionally, the brain’s pineal gland begins to increase melatonin production as a response to less daylight (Wehr, 1997) while slower sunlight levels can potentially reduce serotonin levels impacting mood (Praschak-Rieder et al., 2008). Furthermore, the body’s metabolism changes as does the body’s insulin resistance as an evolutionary survival mechanism to store fat for the winter (Kamezaki et al., 2013).
Yet for athletes, high performers, and busy professionals, this natural seasonal shift often triggers an internal alarm. Instead of leaning into rest, we feel guilty. We mistake natural seasonal fatigue for laziness, burnout, or a loss of drive. For those of you that are summer people or summer athletes we don’t have races to focus on and the training routine shifts to a more off season format, which admittedly feels different due to the lighter load. This is all in combination with the dominate culture that many of us live that tells us that we always need to be going, doing, and being productive.
Learning what to do with the quiet, rest, and recovery times is where real healing and mental resilience begin becasue many people mentally know how important and rest and recovery is, but struggle with acknowleding its importance.
The Biology of Fall: Why Your Body Wants to Shift Gears
Many of us have the mentality that we are capable of operating at 100% output, 365 days a year. We may have learned this from the culture we live in or even our family of origin. But biologically, human beings are deeply synced with environmental cycles (Shephard and Aoyagi, 2009). As fall progresses, decreasing sunlight triggers a shift in our circadian rhythms. Melatonin production increases earlier in the evening, baseline cortisol drops, and our autonomic nervous system naturally moves toward a state of conservation (Wehr, 1997). This isn't a flaw in your system—it is a physiological necessity. Just as an athlete cannot sprint a marathon without crashing, your nervous system cannot sustain continued 100% output through the year. We need times and spaces that gives us the chance to restore our reserves and maybe even fall in love with the things we love after having been pushed to the brink.
The Guilt Trap: Why Rest Triggers Anxiety
When people are used to measuring their worth by your productivity, speed, or performance output, hitting a seasonal slowdown can feel terrifying. When people who are used to always going attempt to rest, their minds can interpret the sudden lack of activity as a loss of control or thinks that there is something missing in their lives. The mind starts spinning:
"If I slow down, I’ll lose my progress."
"Everyone else is still pushing—I’m falling behind."
"Why can't I just stay motivated?"
This is where the difference between passive collapse and active somatic recovery becomes essential. If we view rest as a failure, the body will stay in a state of internal tension even while resting and reading a good book. To truly recharge, we have to teach our nervous system, minds, and bodies that slowing down is safe.
3 Body-Based Ways to Honor the Fall Slowdown
Instead of fighting your natural biological rhythm, you can use somatic tools to make fall rest feel intentional, grounding, and even restorative:
1. Shift from High-Intensity to Rhythmic Kinetic Movement
If your body is too fatigued for heavy training or intense workouts, don't force a high-output session that leaves you depleted. Swap high-intensity spikes for rhythmic, low-impact movement—like outdoor autumn walks, gentle yoga, or light mobility work. Rhythmic movement keeps the nervous system regulated without dumping stress hormones into your system.
2. Utilize Thermal Regulation for Nervous System Safety
Warmth is one of the fastest non-verbal signals of safety you can send to your nervous system (Hornstein et al., 2022). As the ambient temperature drops, incorporate deliberate warmth into your daily routine: warm baths, holding a hot mug of tea, or wrapping up in a weighted blanket. These physical cues help down-regulate an anxious, hyper-vigilant mind.
3. Practice "Somatic Permission Statements"
When the mental chatter and guilt start rising, cognitive affirmations can help to a degree. Consider, instead, pairing a physical grounding anchor (like placing a warm hand on your chest) with a realistic permission statement:
"My body is conserving energy for long-term health."
"Rest is an active part of my recovery and performance strategy."
"It is safe for me to match the rhythm of this season."
Rest is the Seed for Next Season’s Growth
In nature, nothing blooms all year round. The trees don't panic when they lose their leaves in fall; they trust that the quiet, dormant months underground are what make spring’s growth possible. As a bonus, the colors that we see during the fall season remind us that there is beauty in preparing for rest.
As you step into this season, give yourself permission to lower the volume, honor your body’s need for extra rest, and let go of the pressure to constantly produce. Protecting your energy today is what helps you build the necessary strength for tomorrow.
take action today moment:
Take a moment to consider your own mentality towards rest and recovery. What do you believe about rest and recovery? What do you need to take to heart and what do you need to fact check? Then consider giving yourself the gift of rest and recovery. Maybe even try one of suggests in the blog post!
Learn More About Rest and REcovery:
Rest and recovery are critical for athletes of all ages from students to pros to older adults
Rest vs. Recovery for Athletes: Know the Difference
Seven types of rest to help restore your body’s energy
The 7 types of rest and why we need them all
References
Hornstein, E. A., Fanselow, M. S., & Eisenberger, N. I. (2022). Warm hands, warm hearts: An investigation of physical warmth as a prepared safety stimulus. Emotion (Washington, D.C.), 22(7), 1517–1528.https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000925
Kamezaki, F., Sonoda, S., Nakata, S., Muraoka, Y., Okazaki, M., Tamura, M., ... & Otsuji, Y. (2013). Association of seasonal variation in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome with insulin resistance. Hypertension Research, 36(5), 398-402.
Praschak-Rieder, N., Willeit, M., Wilson, A. A., Houle, S., & Meyer, J. H. (2008). Seasonal variation in human brain serotonin transporter binding. Archives of General Psychiatry, 65(9), 1072-1078.
Shephard, R. J., & Aoyagi, Y. (2009). Seasonal variations in physical activity and implications for human health. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 107(3), 251-271. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1127-1
Wehr, T. A. (1997). Melatonin and seasonal rhythms. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 12(6), 518-527.