Marking the Changing Seasons

Photo by Ben Harvey

As the days get shorter, it is important to recognise that our natural rhythms are intrinsically tied to the natural world. The majority of us might not work the land anymore but the sunrises and sunsets; slow shifts from greens to golds and an awareness of a bite in the wind do impact everything from how we feel to how we work. 

A study carried out by the University of British Columbia discovered that we are still very much homo temporus. The researchers wrote: “The impact of seasonal changes on human psychology is underappreciated relative to other sources of variation (e.g. personality, culture, development).” 

Aside from the commonly reported SAD syndrome - when the dark brings low mood for some seasonally sensitive souls - the team also noted cyclical impacts on cognitive performance, diet, ability to exercise and how social participants felt. 

They even found that our colour preferences can shift as they can be influenced by what we encounter every day. As the natural world moves from blooming to dormancy, the colours we see change from vibrant to mute. What colours we enjoy and make even use, changes accordingly. 

These studies suggest that although so many of us are disconnected from the natural world, we are still tuned to its frequencies. Try noticing how your energy levels change during a seasonal transition. Do you feel far more awake in a balmy summer evening than a darker autumnal one? Do you find it harder to set your mind to work in the morning when the skies might be cloudy and rain is falling? Recognise this and you can learn to work with seasonal transitions to make the change from light to dark easier - and even beautiful. 

Katharine May writes in her stunning book, Wintering, that we shouldn’t fight the change but mark it and use it: “Plants and animals don’t fight the winter; they don’t pretend it’s not happening and attempt to carry on living the same lives that they lived in the summer. They prepare. They adapt.” We can too. 

The Grain Store Lewes sits next to The South Downs and we are already marking the change of colours, finding our wellies and plumping blankets and cushions for cosy evenings. But these autumnal days are also perfect to get outside and walk. Take a break from working in our studio and feel the cold wind on your face. According to scientific reports, just 120 minutes a week outdoors can have a positive impact on us both physiologically and psychologically. 

Coming back indoors after a walk to the smell of coffee, warmth and wide vistas of big skies is balm even on the dreariest of days. And even on the darkest of nights, you might find the sky lit up by fireworks as Sussex’s many bonfire societies prepare now for torch-lit processions; towering bonfires and the bright bursts and awed shouts as fireworks fly into the skies.

Previous
Previous

Sussex Beekeeping: A Surprising Honey Harvest and Preparing Hives for Winter

Next
Next

Summer in Sussex Gardens