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September 2025.

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Three Tips on Navigating Autumn to Avoid the Post-Holiday Blues

Sometimes we come back from our holidays … needing a holiday!

Maybe you and your partner have had a lovely break over the summer, and, if you have children, maybe you have been busy dealing with the kids throughout the summer and are now quite looking forward to seeing them off back to school.

If you do have children, this can be a very busy time of year, transitioning into a new school term, involving new classes or even a new school, depending on what stage they are at. It can all be quite demanding preparing uniforms, class equipment and so on, so you may both be feeling pretty exhausted from the post-holiday rush to get the family ready.

However, whether you have a young family or not, now is a good time to get yourselves back into a new routine after the holidays. It’s important for you both to maintain a regular routine, which may have been disrupted due to a lack of timetable over the summer months. A regular routine will really help you both to hit your exercise needs, sleep requirements and nutrition requirements.

So, I would advise that in September, it’s important for both of you to get back into a good rhythm (whether or not there are kids in the picture) because this routine will support your partner’s hormonal stability and optimise your health and wellbeing for you too as we head towards the darker months.

Here are my three Top Tips to help you and your partner through September, to navigate the autumn and beat the post-holiday blues:

Tip One: Consider reviewing your nutrition intake

As a doctor at this time of year, I often suggest to my patients that they might turn their thoughts to nutrition as we head into the winter.

That’s because over the summer you have had the maximum amount of sunshine, and your levels of vitamin D and other nutrients may significantly fall from now on.

Vitamin D supports perimenopausal and menopausal women with their bone health, sleep, mood, pain, immunity and healing. As sunlight is scarce, include foods like oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel), eggs, and fortified dairy/plant milks. A supplement is often recommended.
Calcium: Go for dairy, fortified plant milks, tofu, almonds, sesame seeds, and leafy greens.
Magnesium & Vitamin K2: Found in pumpkin seeds, nuts, legumes, and fermented foods (natto, sauerkraut). These help calcium absorb into bones properly.
Boosting Immune Resilience: Try seasonal veggies (squash, kale, cabbage, carrots, ) for antioxidants and fibre. Citrus fruits, berries (frozen is fine), and bell peppers are all good for vitamin. Garlic, onions, ginger, turmeric can provide natural antimicrobial/anti-inflammatory effects.
Balancing Hormones & Managing Weight. Include protein in each meal (pulses, poultry, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt) helps with feeling full and muscle maintenance. Complex carbs such as oats, quinoa, sweet potatoes, and root veg keep energy steady. Healthy fats include olive oil, flaxseeds, chia, walnuts and these provide omega-3s that support mood and reduce inflammation.
Care for Heart Health. Limit ultra-processed foods high in sugar and trans fats, which can worsen cholesterol changes post-menopause. Instead, I suggest you favour whole grains, legumes, nuts, and omega-3-rich fish for cardiovascular protection.
Mood & Sleep Support. Tryptophan-rich foods like turkey, pumpkin seeds, oats help serotonin production, which improves sleep. Warm, balanced evening meals with magnesium-rich foods could include leafy greens, beans, and even dark chocolate can all help support better sleep.
Stay Hydrated. Central heating can be dehydrating. Herbal teas (chamomile, rooibos, peppermint) are alternatives to caffeine. Vegetable soups are nutrient-dense and warming.
Hot Flushes & Night Sweats. Some women find spicy foods, alcohol, or too much caffeine worsen symptoms.

Tip Two: Don’t get boxed in by the box sets!

I notice that September often marks the time when television channels and streaming platforms release and promote new series. The idea is to entice you to spend more time in front of your TV as the nights draw in.

I recommend avoiding binge-watching late-night TV and box sets. Although it’s tempting, it’s also likely to disrupt your sleep patterns and pull the rug out from your partner as she deals with challenging Perimenopausal symptoms.

As we get less sunlight exposure, our body winds down and goes into a slower metabolic rate, so it’s important to regulate your sleep and keep consistent as the nights draw in.

Tip Three: Draft an autumn exercise routine for both of you

Now’s the time to get back into a physical exercise routine. As the days get shorter and the evenings draw in, the temptation is for us to do less exercise because there isn’t as much daylight in the evenings. Life has got busy again after the holidays and your daily tasks may have crowded out exercise.

It’s really important to have a routine involving resistance and cardiovascular exercise to maintain bone health, fitness and weight management. Loadbearing exercise is the best form of exercise for bones, and for both of you at this age it’s helpful to either lift weights or do some resistance training.

This exercise doesn’t have to take place in a gym. You could tune into a YouTube channel and do a resistance-bands workout together at home. Or you might check out your local park to see whether there is a Green Gym there. They’re great fun for an outdoor work-out.

One of my favourite quotes from around this time of year was coined by the American romantic poet William Cullen Bryant, who famously said: “Autumn is the year’s last, loveliest smile.”

Autumn is the year’s last, loveliest smile.
- William Cullen Bryant

Get out there and enjoy it!

If you’ve got a question for Our Man in The Man Shed Dr Ben Sinclair, you can email him on drben@menopausematters.co.uk

Welcome to The Man Shed and I’m delighted to be your man in it!

My name is Dr Ben Sinclair (please just call me ‘Dr Ben’, everyone does), and I’ve been a GP for nearly 20 years. Bear with me a sec while I shift these spare paint tins and get my laptop set up…

If you’ve got a question for Our Man in The Man Shed, Dr Ben Sinclair, you can email him on:
drben@menopausematters.co.uk.

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