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journalism → sign → inbox
Let's get cozy!
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Many of us do the same things every year to celebrate the fall.
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Many → do → fall
We bust out the autumn wreath.
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But there are so many other fun ways to make these coming months feel cozy.
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months → be → ?
Here are 16 satisfying activities and rituals to add to your fall bucket list.
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activities → add → list
As the days darken and plants prepare for winter dormancy, they embody the best of what the season has to offer: an opportunity for warmth, introspection and rest.
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season → darken → warmth
Eat warming foods
Add this secret ingredient to your soup.
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Eat → eat → soup
Sohla El-Waylly, chef and author of Start Here: Instructions for Becoming A Better Cook, shares her secret superhero ingredient for making good soup: a pinch of MSG.
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It adds "a little bit of savory depth that makes you want to keep eating more."
Switch from a cold breakfast to a hot one.
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you → add → one
It's tiny changes like this one that "reorient my attention from the negative things about the cold, dark and wet to the things I enjoy when the temperature drops," says Kari Leibowitz, a health psychologist and the author of How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days.
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Leibowitz → reorient → Days
Food writer Melissa Clark loves cooking easy meals for her family with just one pan.
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Clark → love → pan
This tactic, she says, can help reduce the time we spend cooking and cleaning — and leave us with more time for lounging.
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we → say → lounging
Make time for introspection
Write a gratitude letter.
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Think of someone in your life who you have not had the chance to thank, says psychologist Christina Costa.
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Costa → think → chance
Think of a specific instance when they helped you.
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they → think → you
"
If you're stuck, she says, "think of a K-12 teacher.
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she → say → teacher
That's going to give you a big boost."
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That → go → boost
Expressed meaningfully, gratitude can have positive effects on our mental and physical health.
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gratitude → express → health
Before the holidays get into full swing, take a moment to reflect on your traditions so they feel more intentional, says clinical psychologist Andrea Bonior.
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Bonior → get → traditions
What do you want a particular holiday or event to mean?
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holiday → want → What
"Is it about giving back to others?
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it → give → others
Finding the light in the darkness?" she says.
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she → find → darkness
If you're holding on to traditions out of obligation, or if they no longer feel meaningful, maybe it's time for a change.
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it → hold → change
(This story has great advice on how to make new holiday traditions.)
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story → have → traditions
If you want your home to feel like a fall celebration, infuse the vibe more deeply throughout your home through sight, sound, scent, touch and taste, says interior designer Elaine Griffin.
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Griffin → want → sight
That might mean throwing a velvety blanket over the couch; getting a candle with a loud, crackling wick; hanging up a cinnamon broom; displaying decorative gourds; and keeping a tin of chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen.
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That → mean → kitchen
Make your home feel comforting and inspiring by swapping out the items you display in your house, says Sally Augustin, a psychologist who focuses on environment and design.
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who → make → environment
Think of these items as a visiting exhibit that you can swap out every month.
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you → think → that
"It continually refreshes your familiar environment and gives you a feeling of control," she says.
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she → refresh → control
Or swap the knick-knack you brought home from a vacation with a painting that a friend made you.
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friend → swap → you
Do something indulgent for yourself
Spend the morning reading in bed.
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Do → spend → bed
Lynn Neary has been covering books for NPR for over a decade.
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Neary → cover → decade
In our episode on how to get into a reading habit, she told us: "I love to lie in bed and read — particularly on weekend mornings."
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I → get → mornings
It's a good way to start your day and you're less likely to fall asleep while reading, she adds.
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she → start → day
Yes, even if it's dark and cold out.
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it → yes → ?
It makes you feel "awake but calm and ready for bed," says Leibowitz, who has studied how people survive in places with extreme winter.
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people → make → winter
Don't let the weather discourage you.
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weather → let → you
In Norway, she says, they have a saying: "There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing."
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they → say → weather
Devika Girish, co-deputy editor of Film Comment Magazine, explains what you'll need to mimic the immersive experience of a movie theater at home.
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you → explain → home
…and 33 more, not listed.
The Aporia
