Autumn is a season of contrast—cooler days, falling leaves, and a pull toward cosy routines. Yet it can also be a demanding time at work. Tapping into the “new term” energy gives a chance to reset, refocus, and prepare for the months ahead. As nature begins its renewal cycle, it’s the perfect time to reflect on renewal of your wellbeing routines to help you to embrace the season and to move forward with clarity and purpose.
Let’s make the most of autumn by aligning our movement, nourishment, and mindset with the season’s natural rhythm.
Encourage your desk workers to boost wellbeing in Autumn around these 5 themes:
Table of Contents
1. Move with the season 🍂
Autumn is an ideal time to reboot your fitness routine. The crisp air and golden light invite you outdoors—whether for a walk, a jog, or a bike ride. The summer haze lifts, and with it, a renewed sense of motivation.
This is also a great moment to explore something new: a gym class, a dance session, or a local walking group. Choose activities that energise you and feel sustainable. When movement is joyful, it becomes a rhythm you’ll want to keep—even as the days grow shorter.
If you’d like to include some yoga, you might explore practices that stoke your inner fire, and support release and renewal. Try one of these to get started:
Reflect: What kind of movement feels most nourishing to you right now? Can you plan this into your week?
2. Start your day with intention 🌅
As mornings darken, the world slows down. This creates space for a quieter, more intentional start—if you choose to rise early. Keeping a consistent wake-up time can help you feel grounded and in control, rather than swept up in the day’s demands.
Your morning rhythm is yours to shape. It might include a few minutes of stretching, a walk in the cool air, journaling, or simply sipping tea in silence. These small rituals can anchor your day in calm and clarity.
Reflect: What’s one gentle habit that helps you feel centred in the morning? What time do you need to wake up to start the day with intention rather than rush?
3. Sip for warmth and wellness 🍵
Cooler weather can make hydration feel less intuitive, but your body still needs it. If cold water feels uninviting, try warming up with herbal teas—ginger, chamomile, cinnamon, or mint. These blends hydrate while offering seasonal comfort and subtle health benefits like digestion support and immune boosting.
Reflect: Could your hydration routine use a seasonal shift? What are your favourite herbal teas?
4. Nourish with seasonal foods 🍲
Autumn brings a bounty of nourishing, grounding foods—squashes, root vegetables, leeks, kale, apples, and pears. Embrace warm, fibre-rich meals like soups and stews, layered with lentils, pulses, and warming spices such as turmeric, paprika, and ginger.
Add immune-supportive ingredients like garlic, leafy greens, and vitamin C-rich fruits (think citrus and kiwi). Eating with the season supports your body’s natural rhythms and helps you feel more connected to the world around you. Enjoy making combinations that you love rather than following recipes.
Reflect: What seasonal ingredients are calling to you this week? How can you include them in your meal plans?
5. Embrace the power of positivity ☺️
Autumn is traditionally a time of gratitude for the harvest, and focussing on the positive will help to counter any seasonal gloom that threatens. There is plenty to enjoy in autumn – beautiful colours, crisp air, bracing walks, seasonal foods, open fires, reconnecting with friends and colleagues, getting back into routines and making plans – a positive approach can help you to make the most of this season of opportunity and preparation for renewal.
A positive mindset isn’t about forced cheer—it’s about choosing where to place your attention. A breathing or a meditation practice like one of these will help – even if you only have a few minutes.
Reflect: What are you grateful for this season? What can you do to make the most of it?
How can Employers help?
For desk-based teams, autumn can be a powerful time to foster wellbeing and renewed motivation. Employers can help by encouraging flexible routines that allow employees to work with their natural energy shifts—such as allowing for earlier starts, outdoor breaks or working from home. In the office, make sure there is access to facilities to prepare and eat warm seasonal food and drinks, promote movement through walking meetings or stretch sessions, and share wellness resources and tips. Most importantly, cultivating a culture of care—where reflection, balance, and personal choice are respected—empowers employees to thrive through seasonal transitions.
Conclusion
Autumn is a quiet invitation to realign. By moving with intention, eating seasonally, rising early, and tending to your inner balance, you can meet the season with energy and ease.
Let this be your time to reset—not with pressure, but with presence. Step into autumn with an open heart, mindful habits, and a sense of gratitude for all the beauty this season brings.
Helen Withers, Director, YoPO Wellbeing Limited
If you would like any further information on this update or to request access to YoPO’s bank of wellbeing resources for desk workers, please contact hello@yoponow.com.
References
Here are some additional resources that may be helpful: