'It will not always be like this'

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 A Day in Autumn

It will not always be like this,
The air windless, a few last
Leaves adding their decoration
To the trees’ shoulders, braiding the cuffs
Of the boughs with gold; a bird preening
 
In the lawn’s mirror. Having looked up
From the day’s chores, pause a minute,
Let the mind take its photograph
Of the bright scene, something to wear
Against the heart in the long cold.
 
by R. S. Thomas    

Have you noted any differences since the clocks went back on Sunday? Maybe you enjoyed that extra hour in bed and now you're thankful for the brighter, longer mornings. Perhaps though, your body is taking a little time to adjust as that one-hour shift can affect your circadian rhythm.  Click here and here to find out more about the possible effects of the clock change. 

I can't say I'm looking forward to winter; it seems to last for a long time. The Met Office tells us that Autumn ends in November and that Winter stretches from December to February. Click here to read more. The poet R.S. Thomas recognised the 'long cold' and advised us to pause and take a picture in our mind's eye of a beautiful Autumn day such as we've enjoyed recently, remembering that 'it will not always be like this'. 

However, you can’t let winter beat you. Almost a third (31 per cent) of Britons neglect their wellness routines altogether in winter, and for 27 per cent healthy habits are dropped in the last week of October when the clocks go back, according to research by Holland & Barrett. Click here to read a doctor's 13 happiness rules to get through the winter. If some of them seem a bit brutal (I won't be having the cold shower) you could simply create a bit more 'hygge' - candles, cuddling up in a blanket to read a good book, hot chocolate, a walk in the sunshine followed by a glass of mulled wine. 

Click here for a guided Mindfulness Autumn Meditation. 

Writing prompts:

• What is your favourite season and why? Write about it. 
• Make a list of all the things you could do to maintain your happiness and well-being during the winter months. 
• Take a line, or a phrase from the poem above and use this as a prompt for your writing. Free write for six minutes without stopping. 

For more seasonal prompts type 'Autumn' into 'Search This Blog' on the bottom right of my blog page.

Please share your writing and/or thoughts by posting a comment.