Presence Over Presents 🌿
November asks us to slow down—not for the sake of productivity, but for the sake of remembering what matters.
As the world ramps up into holiday pressure, this month invites us into something quieter, more intentional: community, reciprocity, and shared care.
Photo by RDNE Stock project
And as we approach Thanksgiving, it feels important to name something with honesty and respect:
This month is also Native American Heritage Month—a time to honor Indigenous communities whose traditions of stewardship, reciprocity, and collective care have shaped the land many of us now call home.
Photo by Dziana Hasanbekava
Their teachings remind us that connection is a responsibility, and that gratitude isn’t a holiday—it’s a daily practice of acknowledging the people and histories that came before us.
So this November, here are 3 ways to recenter the season around community over consumption:
1️⃣ Practice presence as a form of generosity.
Make time the gift. Be slower, softer, more attentive. Leave your phone in another room. Make conversations linger. Presence is the kind of wealth that doesn’t run out.
2️⃣ Spend with awareness and intention.
If you choose to shop, consider supporting Native-owned brands, local artisans, or small businesses rooted in care. Align your spending with your values—not the season’s urgency.
Here are two easy ways to start:
• Look for Indigenous creators and educators to follow and support
• Redirect at least one holiday purchase toward a local or small independent business
Even small choices ripple outward.
3️⃣ Gather in ways that nourish, not drain.
Plan a gratitude dinner, a circle of rest, a journaling night, or a movement session with a friend. Let it be imperfect. Let it be heartfelt. Let it deepen the relationships that sustain you.
Photo by August de Richelieu
4️⃣ Spend with intention, not urgency.
Holiday culture often tells us that “more” is the goal—more buying, more rushing, more noise. But meaningful giving comes from alignment, not pressure.
Try anchoring your choices in care:
• Support Native-owned and Indigenous-led brands
• Choose small or local businesses
• Gift experiences over things
• Focus on needs, not trends
Every mindful purchase becomes a vote for the world you want to help shape.
5️⃣ Practice “just enough” living.
Instead of maximizing your calendar, your to-do list, or your spending, try honoring enough:
Enough rest.
Enough commitments.
Enough giving.
Enough doing.
When you stop overflowing your plate, you create space—space for joy to settle, and for your nervous system to breathe again.
Photo by Abby Kihano
6️⃣ Choose connection over performance.
Not every gathering needs hosting energy. Not every interaction needs polish. Let yourself show up as you are—and let others do the same.
Text someone you miss. Share a meal. Sit together without the pressure to “entertain.”
Community grows in the spaces where we allow ourselves to be human, not curated.
Photo by Mike Jones
If you’re craving deeper grounding before the year ends…
My 1:1 and corporate coaching sessions are open for November.
If you’re ready to create space, clarity, and emotional steadiness before 2025 closes, you can book a session here.
You can also stay connected with daily grounding tools on Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.