How to Stay Energized During the Fall Slump

When the fall season hit, I was ready for it. Ready to dive back into a routine with school and extracurriculars, ready to meal prep on the weekends for the busy week ahead; I was not only ready but was excited. As the first week of school approached, I was prepared. Not only with things like ensuring the kids had their school supplies but that I had all our meals planned out and my husband and I were coordinated on the schedule for everything. I would give myself an A+ for that first week back into the fall routine.

I continued riding this high of welcoming fall with open arms for a few weeks. I was working out four mornings a week before work and consistently meeting my step and activity goals. Our kids are at the stage where they have multiple extra curriculars so after work is honestly pretty chaotic most days with getting kids to and from, sometimes they need to eat in the car; it’s different every day. But different in a predictable way which I thrive off of.

I remember honestly thinking to myself I was crushing it. This sounds funny in an embarrassing way but I guess it’s good to pat ourselves on the back sometimes; this was definitely the case for me those first few weeks of September.

Then…

As the mornings became darker and the weather became colder, my motivation and drive started to dip. It started slowly. Instead of planning out each night for meals, I would plan most nights. Instead of meeting my step goal, I started coming close enough to it. I could feel it all slipping. That excitement I had in September was fading and I was losing steam.

There was one week where I really let things slip. The kids still got to where they needed to be on time but it was like everything else was just a little less organized. Meals were thrown together or came from a drive thru, the laundry was piling up more than I like it to and the house was just a little messier. It was bothering me and became this constant nag in my head that I would even be thinking about during my work day.

I knew I had to get it back together but it was feeling overwhelming. Who was that person just a few short weeks ago who seemingly had it all together? I came to the conclusion that I might have had actual endorphins hit my system with my excitement over the arrival of fall. But those wouldn’t last forever so I had to figure out how to stay energized and motivated even as this fall slump kicked in.

If you feel the fall slump, I guess the good news is that you are in good company here.

Here are some things I have recently done to help reset the season and not allow myself to keep falling further into the slump.

To reset on activity and step goals:

Recruit accountability partners. For me, this is an absolute must if I am going to stick to goals. I have a solid group of people I work out with at 5am which is honestly the only way I am able to stick to working out that early.
Get moving indoors. I work on-site 5 days a week in a job where I sit a lot. I started going on quick laps inside my building multiple times a day, The laps take about 2 minutes but can really add up during the day. If you work from home, you could lap around your house even if it’s small or go up and down the stairs if you have them. It is amazing how short bursts add up at the end of the day.

To reset on meal planning:

Get realistic about what meal planning is for you. I have never been and likely never will be the person who cooks and freezes 30 days worth of meals or even the person who prepares entire meals for the whole week ahead. If I set myself up to do this, I will fail. My meal planning includes knowing what we will eat each night for the week ahead and making sure I grocery shop to have all the ingredients needed.
Ask your spouse to help. My husband is willing and capable of cooking. We both work full time so it makes sense that he would share in this responsibility. I often create stress by taking it all on. When I recently did a re-set as I started hitting the fall slump, I asked my husband to take on one night a week. I don’t care what he makes as long as I have nothing to do with it other than eating it.

To reset on energy:

Explore a supplement to help. My doctor had me start taking a liquid B12 and a vitamin D capsule daily. Fall days mean less sunlight which can affect energy and mood, think about adding something to your diet that can help. (Always a consult a doctor).
Energy creates energy so resetting on your activity and step goals will naturally help keep your mood and energy up.
Rebalance your meals. When my meal planning started slacking, it meant our meals were less healthy. I don’t fool myself that every meal will be incredibly balanced and healthy but I do try to ensure we are getting a good share of fruits, vegetables good fats and protein.
Prioritize real rest. What a joke, right? How are moms supposed to do that? I have to work really hard at setting boundaries that will allow me to get enough sleep even most nights. Sometimes that means skipping a 5am workout because my body needs sleep and that is ok.

To reset on the house being a mess

Don’t aim for perfection. During the week, things are so busy that we honestly just don’t have a lot of time for laundry and cleaning. This stresses me out because I love cleaning and strive to have a clean house. But don’t fool yourself that your house will look deep cleaned every day. Surface cleaning is a win in my book.
Use short cuts. We have two dogs, one that sheds a lot. Our Roomba vacuum is a lifesaver. I also use the “delay cycle” on the washing machine so laundry can run during the night when we sleep and I can throw it into the dryer before I head to the gym in the morning.
Create a cleaning schedule or plan. If creating a schedule adds stress versus taking it away, then this might not be a tip for you. For me, I decided I would set certain days to get specific chores done which has helped. Instead of it all feeling overwhelming, it helps to break it up into more manageable pieces. If you have kids at ages where they can help out, make sure you hold them accountable. Honestly, this is an area I really struggle in and my husband and I tend to take care of the majority of chores.

To reset your mental health:

Say no. The word no can be so hard but yet it feels so good to say. Stop overcommitting where you don’t have to and explore where you can say no.
Fill your cup, not just everyone else’s. Emotional energy matters. Reconnect with a friend, do something for yourself. I recently took an adult ballet class; something I had wanted to do forever but kept putting off. It was only an hour long, close to my house and it made me feel so good to start getting back into something I love.
Lean into cozy. Sometimes fighting a slump can make it worse. It’s ok to welcome slower weekend evenings after the sports are done for the day. You don’t have to be go-go-go all the time. Cozy can be energizing.

The fall slump doesn’t mean you’re lazy or have lost the ability to meet your goals. It is our bodies adjusting to things like the weather, the darkness and the new routine that likely came with the new school year. Give yourself grace, reset where you are able to and try not to have unrealistic expectations.

You got this, mom!