The Psychology of Fall

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Why do people love this season so much? What is there to love about trees becoming bare, the winds getting colder, and it getting dark around 5 pm? The psychology of fall, also known as the psychological aspects associated with the fall season, is a very interesting topic to explore. Of course, not every person feels the same emotions during the autumn season, but the overall collective range of feelings are quite similar.

PREDICTABILITY

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The autumn time rings in a season of predictability and routine. During the summer months, people are traveling and doing all sorts of things that stray from the daily school and/or work routine. Once the fall season starts up again, these routines come back into play, making it easier for you to see your friends and family and socialize. Similarly, seeing the weather slowly start to turn and seeing the trees and branches lose their leaves is another sense of predictability that everyone expects to see every fall. Seeing these aspects further reaffirms the predictability and routine aspect that everyone subconsciously falls in love with every autumn season.

COMFORT

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As the sweltering summer days come to an end, people swap out tight and short summer clothing for looser fitting and cozier fall gear as the weather gets colder. Depending on where you live, fall typically marks the end of swimsuit season, meaning people can feel more comfortable in their bodies since they don’t have to be too concerned about staying in perfect shape. That, combined with the overall acceptance to indulge in Halloween candy, Thanksgiving feasts, and Christmas treats, puts far less pressure on that diet culture upheld in this country and less shame to maintain that “picture perfect” body.

NOSTALGIA

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The feeling of nostalgia is no stranger in the fall season. Holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving were full of fun and excitement as a child, and looking forward to trick-or-treating or days off for Thanksgiving were all we could look forward to at that age. Whenever the fall seasons return, these same feelings of warmth and excitement arise, regardless of age. Brands know how to capitalize on these emotions too, bringing out all sorts of seasonal goodies and treats to provide a sense of consistency with the years past. Reruns of classic movies are played consistently during this season to, once again, trigger these joyous feelings of nostalgia and happiness.

FOOD AND CELEBRATIONS

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The autumn season has a variety of delicious foods and celebrations that run from the first day of fall to throughout the winter season. Fall is heavily associated with delicious and unique flavors such as pumpkin, cinnamon, apples, nutmeg, and other spices like cloves. These are used in dishes, drinks, and all sorts of edible goodies that people bake throughout the season. These flavors evoke both a sense of comfort and of nostalgia. There are also a plethora of culturally and religiously significant holidays celebrated by people around the world during this time. In the past, this was when harvests came to bounty, so there are plenty of harvest festivals celebrated by all ethnicities of people. There are also exciting holidays such as Halloween and Thanksgiving celebrated in the United States, creating continuity to the future and connections to the past.