How to Overcome Fear of Change This Fall
Supporting your mental health during seasonal change
As the air turns crisp and the days grow shorter, fall often ushers in more than just pumpkin spice and cozy sweaters. For many, it marks a season of transitions—new school routines, shifting work demands, changing daylight hours, or even subtle internal stirrings that whisper, something’s shifting.
While change is a natural part of life, it can feel especially unsettling for highly sensitive professionals, women navigating self-esteem challenges, and adults living with social anxiety. If you’ve found yourself feeling off-balance this season, you’re not alone, and you’re not broken. Let’s explore why change can feel so hard, how to recognize the signs of fear of change, and what you can do to support your mental health during seasonal change.
TL;DR
Fall often brings transitions — new routines, seasonal shifts, and emotional changes that can feel overwhelming, especially for highly sensitive people or overly self-conscious people. Fear of change is a natural response rooted in the brain’s preference for familiarity and the discomfort of uncertainty. Common signs include avoidance, procrastination, irritability, emotional shutdowns, isolation, and overthinking. These are protective responses, not personal flaws. Coping strategies include: allowing extra time for routines, adding soothing sensory elements to your day, creating rituals to honor seasonal transitions, planning enjoyable activities for the season ahead.
Why Change Feels So Hard
Our brains are wired for familiarity. Predictable routines and known outcomes help us feel safe. When change enters the picture—whether it’s a new job, a shift in daylight, or even a change in how we feel about ourselves—it can trigger our nervous system into a state of alert.
Uncertainty, unmet expectations, or even the loss of a familiar rhythm can activate anxiety, especially for those already managing heightened sensitivity or social stress. Seasonal transitions like fall can amplify this stress: routines shift, energy levels fluctuate, and the body may respond with fatigue, tension, or emotional overwhelm.
Change can also stir up feelings of grief, and grief may not be something we recognize right away. We form emotional attachments to seasons, not just for their weather, but for the memories, milestones, and moods they carry. Maybe summer held a sense of freedom, connection, or joy, and letting go of that feels like losing something precious. This is normal. Grieving the end of a season, even a joyful one, is deeply human. Perhaps there is a fear that nothing this good will come your way again, or that there won’t be a way to feel or experience what you did this summer.
Fear of change is often tangled with fear of grief: the ache of saying goodbye to what was, even when what’s next might be good too. Practicing the skill of letting go with gentleness, intention, and compassion can help you move through transitions with more ease and emotional clarity.
Recognizing Signs of Fear of Change
Fear of change doesn’t always show up as fear. It can look like:
Avoidance of new opportunities or responsibilities
Procrastination, especially around tasks that feel unfamiliar
Irritability or mood swings without a clear cause
Shutting down emotionally or mentally
Isolation from friends, family, or coworkers
Overthinking every possible outcome or decision
As always, these are signs of your nervous system trying to protect you from danger and keep you within what is safe and known. Naming them is the first step toward gently shifting them. From this point is where you can begin practicing letting go.
Practical Strategies to Cope with Transitions
You don’t have to overhaul your life to feel more grounded this fall. Small, intentional shifts can make a big difference:
Expect routines to take longer: Whether you’re finding yourself struggling in your morning or evening routines, or with your hygiene routines or eating routines, give yourself extra time to adjust. Transitions are processes, not failures.
Build in buffer time: Whether it’s a slower morning or a longer wind-down at night, padding your schedule can reduce overwhelm.
Embrace the discomfort: Wrap your mind around the anxiety, grief, or instability you’re feeling. Thank your body for engaging the change so physically. Drop out of your mind and ride the waves of uncomfortable sensations. Pendulate the discomfort with good sensations.
Engage your senses: Light a fall-scented candle, sip warm tea, or wrap yourself in a soft blanket. Sensory comfort can soothe an anxious mind.
Create transitional rituals: Write a letter to summer 2025, light a candle to welcome fall 2025, or take a mindful walk to notice seasonal changes. Do them as many times as you feel necessary to notice a shift. Rituals help mark endings and beginnings.
Plan something to look forward to: A cozy dinner with friends, a creative project, or a weekend getaway can anchor you in the present and offer hope for the future.
And if these steps feel hard to implement on your own, therapy can help. A therapist can support you in identifying your unique stress responses, building self-compassion, and creating a personalized plan for coping with transitions. Therapy offers a safe space to explore your fears and build confidence in your ability to adapt.
Are you ready to embrace change with acceptance?
Change doesn’t have to be something you fear. It can be a doorway to growth, healing, and new beginnings. If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward this fall, therapy can help you reconnect with your inner strength and navigate transitions with more ease.
Schedule a free consultation today to explore how therapy can support your mental health during seasonal change. You deserve to feel grounded, supported, and hopeful—no matter what season you’re in.
About the Author
Chelsea Adams, LPC is a licensed therapist with over 7 years of experience supporting clients in their mental wellness. She specializes in intergenerational, relational, religious, and systemic trauma and uses a decolonized model of evidence-based approaches such as EMDR, Somatic Internal Family Systems, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, and therapy intensives to help clients connect to their own wisdom, voice, and power. Chelsea is committed to providing compassionate, expert care online for clients across Pennsylvania.
