November: Among Lit Candles, Cold Days and Shopping Frenzy – Do We Still Know How to Take Care of Ourselves?

November is a special month. A month when the days shorten, temperatures fall, nature calms down, while we often find ourselves in a quite different rhythm. At the beginning of the month we stop at the graves of our nearest and dearest. We light candles, bring flowers, revive memories. Cemeteries are full, paths between graves shine in thousands of lights. At least for a moment it seems that we are prepared to stop. To remember what is really important.

But how long does this feeling stay with us?

Already a few days later we are seized by a completely different energy. Black Friday, discounts, advertising campaigns, countdowns and messages that right now is the right time for a purchase. The phone constantly warns us of new offers, online stores compete for our attention, and shopping is becoming almost a sports discipline.

Between remembering transience and chasing new things there are only a few steps. And right in this contrast hides an interesting question: do we still know today to recognize what we really need?

When the Body Needs a Different Rhythm

November is not demanding only due to the weather. Less daily light, colder air, more time in closed spaces and less spontaneous movement also affect our feeling. We reach for heavier food faster, often sleep worse, postpone movement to tomorrow, and replace fresh air with the warmth of the home couch.

But right now our body needs a little more attention.

We do not necessarily need large New Year’s promises or a completely new lifestyle. Sometimes it is enough that we dedicate some time every day to a walk, even when it is cold. To take care of quality sleep, balanced meals, enough liquid and regular movement. To air the spaces, socialize and not forget about prevention and recommended vaccinations.

Colder days are not a reason that we renounce nature. Perhaps November is one of the most beautiful months for slower walks, observation of changes in the forest and conscious breathing in the fresh air.

The Most Expensive Thing That We Cannot Buy on Black Friday

Black Friday has become a symbol of modern consumerism. Discounts are everywhere, shopping centers invite with always new reasons for a visit, online stores create a sense of urgency. We must buy now, because tomorrow it may not be so favorable anymore.

It is interesting that with a few clicks we can order almost everything, from a new phone to nutritional supplements, while for a walk, a conversation with a close person or quality rest we often cannot take even half an hour.

Of course there is nothing wrong with shopping. Also technology, products and services can improve the quality of our life. The problem arises when consumption starts to replace that which we really lack: the feeling of safety, connectedness, satisfaction and meaning.

Perhaps this year we should introduce a somewhat different Black Friday. A day when instead of the basket we fill our calendar with activities that benefit us. With a visit to a friend, a trip to nature, a preventive examination or simply an afternoon without screens.

Health Is Not a Project That We Start in January

In a world that constantly encourages us to productivity, efficiency and achieving new goals, we forget that also rest is not a waste of time. That care for oneself is not selfishness. And that health must not become yet another task on the list of obligations.

Perhaps November is the right moment for a small personal move. Not because the new year is coming, but because it is now the moment in which we can change something.

We can ask ourselves: When did I last do something good for my body? When did I really talk to someone without looking at the phone in the meantime? When was I in nature without a goal, without measuring steps and without the need to photograph the moment?

May technology help us with this, not dictate our life. Digital tools can support prevention, monitoring of well-being and better understanding of our own habits. But no application can feel for us when we need rest, closeness or change.

When we will again be lighting candles in November, we may remember something else as well: the life that we have today is worthy of our attention.

And if this year for Black Friday we bought only one thing, let it be something that cannot be packed in a box – more time for ourselves, more movement, more authentic relationships and more moments in which we are truly present.

Because health is not a seasonal trend. It is our most important long-term investment.