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Beneath the falling leaves: Why autumn makes us feel deeply.

It has been claimed that November moves quietly between the warmth of fading colours and the approaching chill of winter. Whispers drift through the air, and beneath the falling leaves, something inside us changes. As the days shorten, the world slows in a way that makes us overthink certain aspects. There is no doubt that this season causes us to feel deeply, perhaps in ways we are unable to truly explain. We may ask ourselves: ‘Why does this season affect us that much? How come the changing colours and falling leaves lead to both nostalgia and melancholy?’ The answer simply lies in our brains as well as how we, as individuals, process change and the ability to seek patterns and meaning. 


Василиса Маторина. Pinterest, 26 Sept. 2023, pl.pinterest.com/pin/5488830789807176/feedback/?invite_code=4baf91b943944359a4acc09a05bafc6a&sender_id=1019080359339435632. Accessed 25 Nov. 2025.
Василиса Маторина. Pinterest, 26 Sept. 2023, pl.pinterest.com/pin/5488830789807176/feedback/?invite_code=4baf91b943944359a4acc09a05bafc6a&sender_id=1019080359339435632. Accessed 25 Nov. 2025.

It is inevitable that the changing of seasons influences several brain chemicals that are responsible for mood regulation. For instance, during darker months, the decrease in sunlight has a vast impact on the production of serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter linked to emotional balance, whereas melatonin, which regulates sleep, is produced in higher amounts. This combination can therefore leave us more tired as well as withdrawn. For many, however, this may create the ideal space to process feelings that tend to get buried during brighter times. This leads to the fact that as the external world slows, so do we. This psychological deceleration encourages deeper reflection.


Moreover, autumn is found to awaken memory due to the fact that brain regions, whether it is the hippocampus or amygdala (responsible for emotion and memory) are intertwined. Familiar scents like rain or even pumpkin spice can bring us to remember past moments. This is the prime reason why this season often brings a bittersweet mix of nostalgia as well as melancholy.


Beneath the falling leaves, the human mind finds both comfort and understanding. The whispers of November remind us that feeling deeply is rather a sign of awareness than weakness. Neuropsychology shows that allowing ourselves to feel and process is how our brains heal and adapt.  Perhaps this is why autumn moves us so profoundly: it teaches that letting go is not to lose, but to make space for what comes next.




void. “Picture Tiles.” Pinterest, 14 Nov. 2025, pl.pinterest.com/pin/19351473394859740/. Accessed 25 Nov. 2025.
void. “Picture Tiles.” Pinterest, 14 Nov. 2025, pl.pinterest.com/pin/19351473394859740/. Accessed 25 Nov. 2025.

Page design: Pola Kurek

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