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November must be one of the most underrated months of the year. “Stick season” has a bad reputation. The leaves are gone from the trees, Halloween is over, daylight saving is ending and the clocks fall back an hour so we lose daylight and vitamin D, and it starts to get really cold as winter approaches. Because of this, I can understand the allure of jumping right into the Christmas mindset, but I would like to challenge you to slow it down and truly accept and appreciate the month of November and the message of gratitude the Thanksgiving month brings before you go full holiday mode.
The month of October is a busy one. With Halloween gatherings and all the fall activities packed in while the weather is nice and the autumn leaves are here, the entire month goes by in a whirlwind. I am also a wedding photographer, so the month of October is also a busy one work wise as well. December can also get busy quickly with holiday parties and prepping. November is that lovely in between month that I believe many of us, myself included, take for granted. Perhaps in between so much commotion, people have more difficulty accepting the slower pace. Busyness can be addicting.
Personally, I love the slowness. I do not have very many weddings and photo shoots in November so I can focus my time on editing or even taking weekends off to slow things down. I spend more time on quiet walks and go out less. It is cozy season with candles lit on dark nights and warm blankets wrapped around as I finish my autumnal reading list.
November is beautiful. I know that can challenge us because many of the leaves are fallen now and the ones that are here are deep shades of yellows and browns. The grass is browning and it becomes dark earlier. November is not known for being beautiful in nature. Yet there is beauty in the monochrome this time of year. There is beauty in the change of pace, and most importantly, the gratitude that the month inspires.
When I started this blog several years ago, I was working a corporate job that had a fast pace and a toxic office environment. I embraced November that year as a way to practice thankfulness and gratitude, not just on Thanksgiving day, but the whole month through. It was also a way to slow consumption, not just in activities and busyness, but also in materialism as well. I limited my spending to the essentials and focused on the things I was truly grateful for. It really helped to get me through a hard time. Thankfully, I have come a long way since then, but the practice of thankfulness November has been something I have brought with me and continue to practice year after year.
I hope that you will join me this year.
Here are a few ways we can practice Thankfulness November:
One. Spend more time in nature. As the weather gets a little cooler and the nights darken earlier, we tend to spend less time out doors. Get yourself a healthy dose of vitamin D with a morning walk or an afternoon at a park.
Two. Spend less. You don’t have to go on a spending ban or a “no spend November,” but limiting overconsumption is a great way to appreciate what you already have and practice thankfulness.
Three. Practice gratitude. Each day, start or end the day by writing down or thinking about three things you are grateful for. Gratitude has a powerful effect on how we feel and can change our brains for the better.
Four. Focus on the present moment. This may mean waiting until after Thanksgiving to set up your holiday decorations. Instead, decorate for the late autumn season and live in the present.
Five. Write someone you know a note or a card telling them why you are grateful for their friendship/ companionship/ love.
