The Mental Health Benefits of Autumn
- Harriet Leedham
- Oct 18, 2025
- 5 min read
Exploring how nature holds the key to optimal rest
By Harriet Leedham | 18th October 2025
Autumn is here, its auburns, golds, and reds setting fire to the landscape. The last of the apples, chestnuts, and hawthorn berries adorn branches, and woodland creatures are out and about foraging, snacking, storing, and getting ready for the slow, sleepy winter. Now is the time for brightly coloured Wellington boots, snuggly socks and crinkly waterproofs. Burnt orange and penny brown leaves glide gracefully as they make their final descent, ready to cover the ground in a crunchy, cosy, patchwork blanket. The crisp, smoky, earthy scent of the cool autumnal afternoon air infused with woodsmoke inspires us with the feeling of freedom as we wander home from school or work.
What makes this time of year so universally magical?
Let’s see what science says about the benefits of taking the time to get out into natural spaces this autumn, and how we can make the most of every moment…
Hypnotic hues and calming colours
The environments that we are exposed to are directly linked to our mental and physical health. Where we spend our time has the power to lift us up, or bring us down, and it isn’t something we should take lightly. It's worth bearing in mind, as you continue to read, that our natural spaces don’t have to be limited to woodlands, coastlines and pastures. In fact, as many of you have probably already tried and tested, your home and workspace can be made greener with simple changes like adopting house plants, hanging nature-inspired wall art, or even just organising your furniture so that your desk or favourite reading chair overlooks the view out of your window.
The part of the brain that regulates our emotions is also the same part that processes colours, and, naturally, different colours are associated with different emotional responses. You may have heard about yellow being a ‘happy’ colour, and blue, peaceful. In general, warm colours stimulate enthusiasm and energy, while cooler colours calm and relax. Next time you’re out for some of that delicious autumnal air, notice how being amongst the fiery trees excites your mind and inspires your imagination.
Stimulate your mind
Being in a colourful environment supports the development of concentration and focus. The visual hook created by vibrant and saturated autumn colours captures our attention and brings our focus into the present moment as we begin to notice and appreciate small seasonal details. What a great opportunity to get into a flow state! Like anything, the more you practice it, the stronger your ability to focus your attention becomes. This has a positive effect on our cognitive, emotional, and mental health and wellbeing. Notice how your anxiety decreases and your wellbeing improves as you get lost in the striking scenery.
Reduce stress
The benefits aren’t just limited to October’s flamboyance either. As the trees lose their leaves, more and more branches become visible, and the stark, angular shapes of bare trees emerge across the forest scene. The characterful shapes and muted colours of these first hints of winter have been shown to reduce stress and feelings of tiredness, boosting mental health and emotion regulation. Not only does the rich, fiery landscape begin to give way to monochromatic trunks against earth and sky, but the soundscape of birdsong and the scuffling of leaf litter becomes amplified. Imagine the haunting melody of a blackbird at dusk accompanied by the majestic silhouette of a twisted, old oak tree against a steely grey sky. Perhaps you can feel yourself blending into the landscape around you as your heartbeat slows, your breath deepens, and your mind wanders into fairytales yet untold.
Rest
Spending time exploring and admiring the aesthetics available in nature can provide the optimum form of rest. Environmental psychologist, Stephen Kaplan, suggests that there are four elements that must be met to achieve total mental rest:
Find something that fascinates you, that distracts you from work mode, and locks you into the moment. Give yourself space and time to indulge your senses, and let your imagination wander, noticing the details in the world around you.
Seek a change of scenery that takes you away from all reminders of work, worries, and responsibilities. Make sure that you aren’t surrounded by unfinished chores, people that need your attention, or lengthy to-do lists. Get outside, away from it all.
The environment needs to be interesting and stimulating to the senses. Taking a moment to observe what you can see, hear, feel, smell, and taste can bring you into the present and take your mind away from everything else.
Choose an activity in which you feel comfortable and naturally capable to access what the environment has to offer. Something as simple as using your vision to observe the colours among the foliage, or slowly rambling along a forest path.
Spending quality time in this kind of rest can set the cogs in our mind turning as we begin to reflect on ourselves, our lives, and our purpose. We build a connection with the world outside and start to notice opportunities that we hadn’t picked up on before, make decisions that we’ve been putting off, and create solutions to the impossible problems that have been sending us on one procrastination spiral after another. I’d say this kind of rest is golden.
Conclusion
Feeling attracted to wild spaces is part of human nature, and for good reason. By taking time to appreciate the colours and shapes in nature, we can lower our stress levels, boost happiness, and make improvements to our overall quality of life. Nature also presents us with the perfect tool for optimal rest, which doesn’t just restore the mind, but enhances it. Next time you are feeling a little low, tired, or maybe anxiety is creeping its way in, take a well-deserved break in a natural space, and let the wilderness work its magic. If you can’t access wild spaces, bring some green to your home or workspace with plants, art, or a window view. Don’t underestimate the power of aesthetics.
Our world is beautiful, let it in.
References
Jin, Y. and Zhang, Q. (2024) ‘The effects of plant colours on alleviating anxiety in college students’, Asia-Pacific Journal of Convergent Research Interchange, 10(3), pp.345-358
Kaplan, S. (1995) ‘The restorative benefits of nature: toward an integrative framework’, Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15(3), pp.169-182
Yin, M., Li, K., Xu, Z., Jiao, R., and Yang, W. (2024) ‘Exploring the impact of autumn color and bare tree landscapes in virtual environments on human well-being and therapeutic effects across different sensory modalities’, PLoS ONE, 19(4), pp.1-19
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