Tips to Stay in the Moment This Month

Welcome to November! The months of my fashion illustration calender just keep flipping by, and it seems like everyone is anxiously looking forward to the holidays. As soon as we pass by Halloween and are into the second-to-last month of the year, it seems like it’s all about the holiday rush-Black Friday shopping, holiday decorating, and excitement for New Year’s. Now, I love all the post-Thanksgiving holidays as much as the next lifestyle blogger, but isn’t November supposed to be about, you know, the holiday that’s actually in November?

With stores opening earlier and earlier on Thanksgiving day and Christmas decorations going up right after Halloween, I started to think about how I want to stop and enjoy what I have, right now.  Instead of wishing fall away in excitement for the holidays, I want to really be present in the moment and notice November for what it has to offer. There will be plenty of time for the holidays after, I promise.

Here are a few ideas I have to help me be present this month. Have ideas of your own? Please share them, I’d love to add to my list.

Tips to Stay in the Moment in November

1. Enjoy the fall weather! Temperatures will be dropping before we know it, so I’m relishing the chance to wear cute falls coats before the serious down needs to come out. Plus, it’s still the perfect time for cute knitted headbands and sleek, flattering boots.

2. Take time to enjoy the calm. The flurry of holiday activity will be upon us in full force soon, so enjoying this calm before the storm is essential to avoiding holiday stress and burn out.

3. Look to four-legged inspiration. Borrow a friend’s dog for a walk (seriously, you can borrow mine) or pet a friendly cat. Animals really remind us to stay in the moment! Dogs really couldn’t give a howl about how long your to-do list is for the holidays. They just want your attention-now.

4. Notice the beauty of fall. November doesn’t have a reputation for being a beautiful month, but that doesn’t mean it’s without its own beauty. It just might take an extra moment to pause and notice it.

5. Gear up the gratitude. “The crazy thing about being thankful is that it’s the shortest distance between feeling OK and feeling great,” writes columnist Kim Ode. We have weeks  of the holiday season devoted to giving and receiving, but just one day for gratitude. So the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving are a perfect time for focusing on gratitude (even if what you’re grateful for is that the holiday season is right around the corner!).