As the fall equinox nears, many highly sensitive people start feeling subtle physical and emotional shifts. From cravings for cozy comfort to a deep urge to slow down, this blog explores how the changing season affects HSPs and why it’s okay to listen to your inner rhythm.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
As a highly sensitive person (HSP), you may notice subtle shifts in your body and emotions as the seasons change. The other day, I found myself in the garden, soaking up the late August warmth. The bees were still buzzing from flower to flower, the trees lush and green, but inside me, something had already shifted. I suddenly craved soup. Cozy soups, warm drinks, snuggly blankets. And I thought, “Wait, isn’t it still full summer?”
That craving wasn’t just about food. It was a longing for slowness, for rest. It felt like a signal from my body that autumn energy was already stirring. And I’m not alone in this. Just last weekend, I had a conversation with a fellow HSP friend. She sighed and said, “I just can’t wait for summer to be over and to cocoon under a blanket with my family.” It clicked for me then: as highly sensitive people, many of us feel the seasonal shifts long before they arrive on the calendar.
Here’s What You’ll Discover about Fall Equinox and Highly Sensitive People:
What Is the Fall Equinox?
The fall equinox (or autumnal equinox) usually takes place between September 22 and 23 in the Northern Hemisphere. It marks the moment when day and night are nearly equal in length. It’s also when the sun crosses the celestial equator, shifting us from summer into fall. In ancient cultures, the equinox was seen as a sacred time of balance and transition, a moment to turn inward, give thanks for the harvest, and prepare for the quieter, darker months. It’s nature’s invitation to rest, to release, and to come back home to ourselves.
For HSPs, who are naturally attuned to energy, rhythms, and emotions, this moment in the year can feel especially significant.
How the Fall Equinox Affects HSPs
Highly sensitive people process sensory and emotional information more deeply. That means that even subtle environmental shifts can ripple through our bodies and nervous systems. While others may only notice the drop in temperature or the change in daylight, HSPs might feel changes in energy, emotions, sleep, cravings, and physical comfort. Personally, I’ve noticed my skin feeling a bit drier lately, and my energy starting to slow down. My usual desire to be out and about has turned into a wish to stay in and light a candle. It’s like my body already knows: the season of introspection is coming.
This “pre-autumn feeling” can manifest in many ways for HSPs, such as:
- Craving cozy comforts: soup, tea, soft sweaters, or flickering candles
- Emotional sensitivity: more mood swings or deeper feelings
- Physical changes: drier skin, changes in sleep rhythm, or feeling more tired
- Mental fog or introspection: needing more alone time, journaling, or reflection
- A sense of wanting to nest: cleaning, organizing, or preparing your space
We don’t need a calendar to tell us change is coming, our systems already know.
A Deep Connection to Nature’s Rhythms
The fall equinox is a time when nature begins to shed and retreat. Trees lose their leaves, animals store food, and daylight lessens. Nature prepares for rest. And that’s exactly what many of us feel the urge to do.
That conversation with my friend really stuck with me. Her words, “I just want to cocoon”, reminded me how many of us HSPs are mirrors of nature. We too are drawn inward when the season shifts. We too crave softness and stillness after the buzz of summer.
Summer often feels like a high-energy season: full of social plans, travel, busy days, and sensory stimulation. But as we head into fall, there’s a natural longing for quiet, for routines, for grounding. If you’ve felt that longing, it’s okay. It doesn’t mean you’re “too sensitive.” It means your body and spirit are responding to the natural world around you.
Why This Seasonal Shift Can Feel So Intense
While autumn is often romanticized as cozy and calm (and it certainly can be), it can also feel emotionally complex for sensitive souls. For one, it’s a transitional season. And transitions, no matter how beautiful, often bring grief, uncertainty, and tiredness. Letting go of summer’s energy, pace, and light can stir up unexpected feelings.
Secondly, fall is a busy season in many people’s lives. Work ramps up, school starts again, and before we know it, we’re thinking about holiday plans. Especially for those of us in online industries like marketing or retail, autumn is one of the busiest times of year. It’s no surprise that our nervous systems start waving the white flag around this time.
And finally, fall may awaken deeper existential reflections. The turning of the leaves, the darker nights, it all reminds us that change is constant. That can be beautiful, but also overwhelming.
Embracing the Fall Equinox as an HSP
If you’ve noticed yourself shifting already, physically, emotionally, or energetically, here’s your permission to honor that. You’re not “weird” for craving soup when it’s still warm outside. Also, you’re not “too early” in lighting your cinnamon candle. You’re simply listening to your own rhythm, and to nature’s.
Here are a few gentle reminders as the fall equinox approaches:
- There’s nothing wrong with slowing down. Rest is productive too.
- You don’t have to keep up with the summer pace. Let your body set the rhythm.
- Honor your need for softness. Whether that’s time alone, deeper conversations, or just switching your wardrobe to something cozier, do it your way.
- Let your environment support you. If you feel ungrounded, create calm at home through warm lighting, gentle music, or calming scents.
- Talk about it. Chances are, other HSPs feel it too. Connecting can bring so much comfort.
Final Thoughts: You’re In Tune for a Reason
The fall equinox isn’t just about the shift in daylight, it’s about the invitation to turn inward. As a highly sensitive person, you’re uniquely wired to feel that invitation strongly. Where others might push through the season on autopilot, you have the gift of noticing the subtle nudges. You feel the shift in the air. You sense the turning of the wheel.
And that sensitivity? It’s not a burden. It’s a guide. It reminds you to align with your own needs, to listen inward, and to follow your unique rhythm, season after season.
So as autumn approaches, know this: it’s okay to slow down. It’s okay to cocoon. It’s okay to crave warmth, soup, softness, and stillness, even if the world still thinks it’s summer.
Let yourself fall with the season.
Want support in aligning your sensitivity with the seasons?
Inside the HiSensitives Membership, we offer soothing fall meditations, reflective journaling prompts, and a growing library of masterclasses tailored to highly sensitive people. Let your inner rhythm guide you, and join a community that understands your pace.
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In this article, we collaborated with AI, meaning that the input and stories are original human ideas, but the text itself has been created with support from AI. All AI content is being edited and factchecked by our editor.
