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November whispers, not speaks. ‘The November crisis’

Do you ever feel like all of the sudden your energy dropped, or you are feeling tired no matter how much you rest? Like the only thing you dream about is going home to crawl up under a blanket and start counting down the days until the holiday break?



Bohn, Herr. Empty Road between Trees, unsplash.com/photos/empty-road-between-trees-mRt-9eyAOhM. Accessed 25 Nov. 2025.
Bohn, Herr. Empty Road between Trees, unsplash.com/photos/empty-road-between-trees-mRt-9eyAOhM. Accessed 25 Nov. 2025.

This is what I call ‘The November crisis’. Every year when the leaves start to fall, the temperature hovers just above zero and night seems to arrive around 4pm, that is when you know it is November. It happens to me every single year, like my body and mind know that Fall has arrived.


They call it fatigue or lack of motivation, but for me ‘The November crisis’ is something more than simply being tired or feeling like everything is falling apart. It is about feeling that the world has quietly lost its rhythm. Sticking to your routine no longer gives you a calming effect because it is disturbed by seasonal changes. 




The days blend into one another. You wake up to darkness and come home to darkness. Time itself feels slower and heavier. Even simple things start to demand more energy. All of a sudden it is hard to get out of bed, focus or smile. It feels like November forces you to face everything you have been avoiding to feel. You get frustrated and annoyed quicker. One moment you are laughing and the other crying. It is as if your emotions no longer follow logic. The lack of sunlight blurs the line between tiredness and sadness, and your mind starts to wander into places you usually keep quiet. November does not shout, it whispers, softly reminding you of thoughts you have tried to silence. And maybe that is why it feels so heavy because it asks for honesty, not distraction. 



Behind the heaviness, there is also something psychological. A quiet shift is happening inside your body. With less sunlight, the brain produces less serotonin, which is a hormone linked to mood and energy, while increasing the release of melatonin, which makes you feel sleepy. The rhythm that once guided your days begins to blur. It is a strange kind of emptiness because it is not painful, but numb.


You know the warmth of December is around the corner but somehow still feels out of reach. 


At least knowing that there is nothing ‘wrong’ with you can be comforting. There is biological evidence for our mood switch but there are few things that you can do to minimise the effects of fall. To prepare for what I call ‘November crisis’ it helps to act gently but early to adjust your habits and body to a new environment. As autumn shortens the daylight, aim to expose yourself to natural light. Keep your sleep routine regular, try to go to bed and wake up around the same time everyday. This will help your internal clock stay balanced and steady despite the darker evenings. And the most important is that November teaches us something. 


il0vey0upls. Pinterest, pl.pinterest.com/pin/25543922886432501/. Accessed 25 Nov. 2025.
il0vey0upls. Pinterest, pl.pinterest.com/pin/25543922886432501/. Accessed 25 Nov. 2025.

The quiet beauty of November is that it whispers, not speaks. You learn to listen. You learn to observe. You learn to notice small changes surrounding you and you learn to adapt. You begin to understand that stillness is not emptiness. The air feels heavier, yet somehow softer. The world fades into shades of grey and gold and somewhere between the fading daylight and the glow of the first candles, you realize that November is not here to drain you. It is here to remind you to slow down, to rest and make space for the light that is about to return. 


Page design: Antonina Szklarzewska

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