Stress Awareness Day: Navigating Seasonal Shifts with Self-Compassion

We have seen the autumnal clock change and from now until spring, the sun will slip away earlier each day, casting longer shadows and leaving the evenings cooler and darker. In nature, there is a slowing down, a move towards hibernation, but as humans, we often miss these natural cues. Instead, as the pre-Christmas creep gets earlier and earlier, the pressure to meet life’s demands can feel overwhelming. But what if this season of change isn’t a hurdle but an invitation to slow down and recalibrate? Stress Awareness Day encourages us to pause, realign, and prioritize our wellbeing during these darker days.

Understanding stress as a biological experience

Stress is more than just feeling overwhelmed; it’s a full-body response that affects how we move through the world.

One often-overlooked factor is the morning cortisol awakening pulse (CAP), a surge of the stress hormone cortisol that kicks in about 30-45 minutes after waking. Think of it as your body’s natural alarm clock, preparing you for the day by boosting alertness and metabolism. But when this wake-up call is out of sync – maybe your sleep/wake timing is all over the place, or you work shifts, or you aren’t getting enough morning light, or (as is all too common) chronic stress – the body struggles to maintain balance, leading to fatigue, anxiety, or difficulty falling asleep.

Something to think about, as your biological stress level is naturally rising, if your morning routine begins with the jolt of an alarm and the rush to get out the door, you’re compounding the rise in stress. Slowing down, even for just a few moments, can feel counterintuitive – but giving your body time to ease into the day can set a calmer tone and make a world of difference. This way, you start actively reducing stress levels before the day begins.

Anchor your day with light: a natural reset for your internal rhythm

Light is your body’s strongest anchor for staying in sync with its natural rhythms. Even on cloudy days, morning exposure to natural light signals your brain that it’s time to wake up. It helps regulate your CAP and supports melatonin (the sleep signalling hormone) production 12-14 hours later, setting you up for a restful night. Without this daily dose of light, your internal clock can drift, leaving you tired, foggy, or stressed and affecting your sleep.

Top tips for anchoring your day:

Step outside for 10-15 minutes within an hour of waking, even if it’s overcast. Morning light is still beneficial.

Create a “light cue” ritual by opening the curtains or turning on a daylight-simulating lamp.

Balance rest and movement:

When stress peaks, rest isn’t just a luxury; it’s a necessity. But what kind of rest do you need? Often, we are likely to collapse on the sofa in front of Netflix and order takeout. This looks like rest, but there is a distinct difference between active and passive rest. For physical exhaustion, there’s nothing like sinking into a warm bath or doing gentle stretches (on the floor in front of Netflix turns rest from passive to active). For mental fatigue, quieting your mind with meditation, journaling, or even creative activities like bread making or Lego building can be restorative. The trick is to find things that take you ‘out of your mind’ positively to reduce the mental overload of the day.

Movement also plays a crucial role in stress management. You might want to adjust your exercise routine during seasonal transitions to match your energy levels. Low-impact activities like yoga, stretching, or walking can soothe the nervous system and help stabilize cortisol levels. What’s most important is listening to your body and finding the rhythm that feels right.

Aim for consistency, not perfection

Sticking to a rigid routine can create more stress than it relieves. Instead, you can focus on establishing a consistent sleep-wake cycle and sustainable daily habits. Life is unpredictable, and deviations from the plan are inevitable. The key is to see them as part of the process, not as setbacks. Each small step toward consistency helps build resilience against the changes in seasons and life.

Measure by quality, not quantity

As the end of the year approaches, the pressure to “catch up” can easily lead to burnout. Instead of gauging productivity by the number of tasks completed, consider how present, balanced, and resilient you feel. What if you measured your success by how well you take care of yourself rather than by how much you accomplish? We see good sleep similarly; good quality sleep might see fewer hours slept, but it is better than a quantity of fragmented restless hours tossing and turning. Consolidating sleep into a focused time in bed is a powerful way to improve it.

Practice self-compassion: it’s more than just a mindset

When you treat yourself with compassion, you’re not just being kind – you’re actively calming your nervous system. Self-compassion reduces cortisol levels and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation. When stress arises, see it as a signal that it’s time to recalibrate – for example, when stuck in traffic at a red light, take the time to do some deep breathing. Focus on making the out breath longer than the in to activate the rest and digest arm of the parasympathetic nervous system – a natural stress reliever.

On top of that, pay attention to that internal voice (we all have one). More often than not, the way we speak to ourselves is beyond harsh. Can you offer yourself the same gentle words of encouragement that you would offer a friend?

As the days get darker, can you permit yourself to slow down? Can you embrace the quiet, take time for reflection, and allow your body’s rhythms to guide you? This season isn’t about enduring the darkness but discovering the light within before the sun returns next spring.