Fall is a great time to try something new.

“Fall is a great time to try something new,” said OSF HealthCare psychotherapist Sara Bennett. And by something new, she doesn’t just mean the newest pumpkin spice latte being rolled out by the local coffee shop – but that could be part of the equation!

“You have a little more time on your hands, and you don’t have the burden of summer parties and running around so much. You can take time to learn a new skill or hobby,” Bennett noted.

The Seven Pillars of Self-Care are a great place to start, when it comes to putting together a wellness routine. The pillars are mental, emotional, physical, environmental, spiritual, recreational, and social. It’s important to make each pillar your own, based on your life and try to obtain as many pillars as you can for your overall wellness. Many of these pillars naturally intertwine.

Bennett goes through many of these pillars and offers tips for your fall self-care routine, including the following…

Mental tip – quiet your mind: It’s very nice when things slow down, and a person can cuddle up in front of the fire with a blanket and some hot chocolate. Enjoy the slowness, as being able to quiet your mind is a great aspect of self-care. But Bennett noted it’s important to recognize potentially harmful things that can be done while just laying around.

Emotional tip – recognize avoidance: When it comes to alcohol and even video games, some of those are just avoidance. They may feel good in the moment, because one is not actively working towards something. Maybe you’re even physically blocking something out, but some of those things can be very harmful. It’s easy to get caught up in how good it feels in the moment.

Mental and physical tip – focus on healthy sleep: Working on measures that help us sleep better at night is really mental health for us. Also, it affects our physical health, moods, and how we process things. It’s important for adults to try and get seven-to-eight hours of sleep a night.

Recreational and environmental tip and physical tip #2 – get outside! There’s nothing prettier than a nice fall hike, whether it’s through a park or challenging yourself and doing something more intense. While the fall foliage reaches its peak, it’s a perfect time to get outside and see the sights.

Social tip – bring some friends! Add a few friends, and you’re meeting the social connection, too.

Social and spiritual tip #2 – build community: Being part of one’s community is vital. Not only is it vital for your health, but there are people who could potentially really benefit from you. Volunteering is a great example of self-care. It gives people a feel-good response and helps the community at the same time. Specifically, research shows volunteering activates the reward center in your brain and releases serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins, which give your emotional state a lift.

There are many ways to obtain this goal, whether it be through a local church, social service organization, or simply responding to individual requests. For example, think about visiting someone in a nursing home if they have family from out-of-town, who can’t see them often.

Different pillars might be more difficult to reach than others, depending on your passions and skillsets. This is why Bennett says fall is a great time for a “reset” and is a time to learn something new. Then you can challenge yourself, which can benefit your overall health.