November: When Sadness Seeps In
Today was a beautiful day in Vancouver, with an abundance of colourful leaves contrasting vibrantly against the blue sky. Yet, soon the days ahead will become grey and rain-soaked, bringing a shift in our emotional landscape, and the possibility of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) for some folks.
As we spend more time indoors, we may find ourselves reflecting on the months behind us and even the weeks leading into the new year. The busyness of summer and early fall begins to settle, inviting a slower pace. In this quieter space, emotions can surface, aligning with the transition toward winter.
Also with shorter days and less sunlight, sadness, grief, and feelings of loss can sometimes seep in. Fatigue may settle into the body, or tears may come unexpectedly. These are the quieter, heavier days when we might find ourselves feeling more than we can easily explain. Grief and sadness, like love, are deeply human experiences. They cannot be rushed, controlled, or neatly resolved. Rather than something we must overcome, we can learn to move with their waves, allowing space for what needs to be felt. Sometimes tears and moments of sadness invite us to pause, reflect, and make meaning of what we have experienced, are missing, or what we need to release. We might ask ourselves: Are we tired emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually? Is something missing? Is there something we are holding onto that we are ready to let go of?
There is a meaningful connection here to Indigenous holistic understandings of wellness, where balance and healing are experienced with the interconnectedness of mind, heart, body, and spirit. The Medicine Wheel* reminds us to consider all Four Directions when tending to ourselves. There are many ways to honour sadness and sorrow: Walking on the land, spending time among the trees, by the water, or simply moving our bodies can help restore a sense of balance when our thoughts feel heavy or our hearts are unsettled.
Imagine your Circle. What might you need in each of the Four Directions?
It might also be time to reconnect with your voice and give expression to what you are carrying through storytelling, art, music, or writing. There is no need for polished words or artistic skill. Riff on a few words or themes, write freely for 15 minutes, following a thought or feeling. Sketch an emotion, an idea, or a sensation held in the body. Reconnect with your senses through the sounds, smells, and textures of the natural world, or through objects that carry memories, meaning, and energy. I often find this work most meaningful in nature. Creating a Circle and moving through the Four Directions, much like a Talking Circle, allows the time to feel, engage, reflect, and release.
Hoping that November is not simply a time to endure the darker days, but an invitation to slow down, listen inward, and tend to what is asking for our attention. We do not need to push sadness away. We can make room for it, honour what it has to teach us, and gently find our way back toward balance.
*PEACE Toolkits were created for men (p,18 for Medicine Wheel), women, girls, boys, and two-spirit. Search the NWAC Knowledge hub for specific toolkits.
See also the NWAC Project Uplift Tookit, for all genders.
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