Wintering
Illustration by Alexandra MacVean
I didn’t consciously prepare or think about this. The week before Christmas, I led several services at the church and immediately following, hopped onto a plane with my little clan to Boston to celebrate Christmas with my husband’s side of the family. We had a lovely time that was both restful and energizing.
But after we returned home, I caught another cold (my second within a month’s time) and hibernated with mugs of tea and books. Even after recovering, I didn’t reach out to friends to let them know we had returned and was wanting to hang out. My usual routines of church work also felt heavier than usual. I lacked the energy to carry on with usual tasks like editing my book and posting on social media. I was grateful for rainy days because it gave me permission to lean into my sluggishness and introversion.
As such, it felt serendipitous to come across Katherine May’s bestselling book Wintering. I had already read her other book Enchantment and loved it but hadn’t thought to check out Wintering until a little birdie whispered it into my ear.
The primary thesis of Wintering is that it’s not only normal but healthy for individuals to move inward and become more inactive during certain periods to rest and restore, just like animals hibernate. These wintering seasons of our lives can coincide with the actual winter months—convenient since the weather facilitates such a state of being. But wintering can also happen for years at a time. When we resist it or push ourselves to keep our productivity levels at max speed, we burnout, sizzling like an overcooked strip of bacon that has lost all of its flavor.
It saddens me that most people, especially Americans, don’t allow themselves to fully winter during winter. January 2nd begins and BAM! We’re expected to be back at work and not just that, with extra pizzazz because, hey! It’s a new year! Seize on the fresh beginning by pursuing that fitter body, a higher salary!
This time, I just…didn’t want to. I couldn’t will myself to do it.
I wanted to sleep under a cave like the bears. I wanted to read for hours on end without guilt. I wanted to paint. I wanted to take slow walks through the woods, without rushing back to respond to emails and phone calls. After all, that’s what winter is about!
The light outside grows dim and it moves into the home, into one’s heart. We put up twinkle lights to settle into our homes during the cold months. But we need to do more than that! We should reduce our work hours and increase our sleep hours. We need to slow down our schedules to restore our bodies.
Winter doesn’t end until the Spring Solstice, which is March 19th. That’s right, our bodies are biologically wired to take it slow until the start of spring. Doesn’t this realization make you want to laugh aloud? Who among us is given permission to take it slow and rest until March 19th?
Obviously, we can’t all quit our jobs and I have no desire to do so either. And obviously, I have children to take care so I can’t sleep for however long I want to.
However, here’s what we can all do. Instead of forcing ourselves to jump into the new year at turbo-charge (and feeling guilty when we can’t), let’s give ourselves permission to winter in small but impactful ways.
Winter routines will look different for everyone. For me, I’ve incorporated more winter walks and less email time. I’ve set aside my long to-do list while highlighting only the high priority items. Lower priority items like scheduling appointments with my dentist and eye doctor have been marked into my calendar for later in the year, when I have the bandwidth to deal with them. I’m trying to keep my social events minimal. I’ve increased my prayer and journal-writing times. These are the wintering rituals that feel good and attainable for me.
Now, turning to you:
Has your energy also waned these past few months? If so, how are you dealing with it?
I don’t want to ostracize those who did begin the new year with a pep in their step. If that’s you, ride that wave!
What are some wintering rituals you can incorporate to lean into this season of rest and restoration?