By Alison McGill
Once upon a time, November had its own identity. November 1st wasn’t the day Mariah Carey was thawed and hard launched into a mass of holiday clutter. November never used to be about month-long Black Friday sales. Its arrival wasn’t a signal to switch your life soundtrack to holiday tunes and your binge-watches to Kevin McCallister’s Home Aloneadventures and Christmas rom-coms.
As a late-November baby born in Canada, I have spent my entire life watching this month evolve from the sidelines. It has morphed from a quiet, reflective time on the calendar, when we respectfully mark Remembrance Day, into a month completely swallowed up by the juggernaut that is the festive season.
I am not a holiday hater, but for me, the early onset has made the tinsel and twinkle lose their glitter well before the actual events arrive. I would also argue it has made the already difficult month of January that much harder; after what feels like endless weeks of fun, frivolity, and twinkle, everything goes dark in a month when we need extra sparkle the most.
But I digress. Let’s get back to November.
By no means is it an easy month, but it can be a wonderfully restorative one. It’s the perfect time to take things at a softer pace for just a little bit. If you think about it, your life has likely been on a fast-and-furious trajectory since the onset of springtime. Slowing down and moving at a less frenetic pace can feel uncomfortable, but November is the perfect time to try it. It’s the kickoff to cozy season, and there’s nothing wrong with fully embracing that and doing only the things you want to do and giving a hard pass to anything that makes you feel stressed or heavy.
Some things to be mindful of in November that can make it better. Light loss happens daily as we head towards winter solstice and that can be hard on your mood. If you experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) it’s important to stay on top of how you’re feeling. Take your vitamin D, expose yourself to as much daylight as possible, and if it feels difficult to lift your mood, invest in a light therapy lamp to help. I have had one for most of my adult life and it’s my superhero.
November is also the month to get protective of your self-care routine. Be strict with your bedtime and keep a consistent sleep schedule. If you love to walk outdoors like I do, make sure you find time to get into nature to do that. It’s colder, but it’s not polar vortex season, so layer up in a cute ‘fit and get outside.
We have also arrived at the month when digital fatigue hits hardest. Step away from the endless scroll and find your way back to analog life and off-screen activities. I love that physical media is back. Magazines, books, albums and CDs are things that spark nostalgic joy. Real-world hobbies are back, and people are once again embracing the ritual of sitting down to do puzzles, play board games, knit, paint, craft and create. Now is the time to get together with friends, have a dinner date and keep your phones off the table. Let the good times you have—not the content you create—be the core memories.
‘NO’vember is the time to say no to anything—people, places and things—that drains your energy. Make it a gentle month, one in which you choose to do as you please with whom you please. Make it a me month to enjoy any which way you like, fully decked or completely unwrapped.
