Winter has a way of stripping things back.
The light fades earlier, the trees go bare, and the season asks us to do less. And yet so many of us keep trying to live as if nothing is happening. Pushing, striving, filling every hour and then we wonder why we feel so tired, flat or disconnected.
I am currently reading ‘How to Winter’ by Kari Leibovitz with my book club, The Wellness Shelf, and it’s been reminding me of something that may have been forgotten: winter is not the failure of the year. It is a necessary, beautiful season.
This idea also sits at the heart of my In Season workshops last week: learning how to live with the rhythm of the year instead of fighting it, and not putting life on hold until the sun comes back.
Because how many months of our lives do we spend thinking, I’ll feel better when it’s summer… I’ll start living properly when it’s warmer?
And all the while, winter is quietly passing us by.
Rest is not lazy: it’s seasonal
In nature, nothing blooms all year long. Fields lie bare. Animals hibernate. Trees drop their leaves. Everything pulls its energy inward so that it can survive and later, grow again.
So why do we expect ourselves to be endlessly productive?
Winter is the season of slowing down, going to bed earlier, cooking warmer food, spending more time indoors, and allowing ourselves to be quieter. In summer we might eat outside, stay up late, feel expansive and social. In winter, we are invited to nest.
This is where hygge comes in the Danish idea of deep cosiness, comfort and presence, that I love so very much. Candles flickering. Soft lighting. Warm blankets. A hot mug of herbal tea. Hygge isn’t about aesthetics (as you might see on Pinterest) it’s about creating spaces that make us feel safe enough to soften.
And when we soften, we can finally hear ourselves.
Maybe it’s just winter….
So many of us move through winter telling ourselves stories like: I’m lazy. I’m unmotivated. Something must be wrong with me. But what if… it’s just winter?
What if your body wanting more sleep, more stillness, more time in bed… isn’t a flaw it’s a biological and emotional response to the darker, quieter days?
There are fewer plans. Fewer distractions. The world isn’t pulling us outward as much and that can feel uncomfortable. When things slow down, we’re left alone with ourselves. Our thoughts. Our truth. The feelings we’ve been too busy to feel. And that’s not depression, that’s winter doing its work.
It’s an invitation to reflect. To notice what isn’t aligned. To listen to what wants to change.
To ask, How am I really?
When we stop shaming ourselves for needing rest and instead let the season hold us, something honest begins to emerge. And that’s where real growth quietly starts.
Living with the seasons: inside and out
Living seasonally doesn’t just mean noticing the weather. It means letting our lives and ourselves adapt. Winter is for: reflecting, resting, dreaming, going inwards.
It’s not a pause before “real life” begins! It is real life. This inward season is where clarity is born. and just like nature, we also move through seasons within ourselves. Right now, I am in a winter of my own life. After a lot of change, a lot of endings and uncertainty, I’m not in full bloom, and that’s okay. I’m gathering my energy. I’m sitting with the questions. I’m letting myself be in the quiet of not knowing yet. Spring will come along with more clarity and then Summer will arrive when I’m in the midst of creating, moving, doing.
But winter? Winter is where it all begins.
Preparing for winter
There’s something grounding about preparing for the season as if you’re telling your nervous system, we are safe here.
Some winter rituals I love:
• If you’re lucky enough to have a fire: stocking up on firewood
• buying new candles (you can never have too many)
• hanging fairy lights
• washing your softest blankets and throws (ready to get cosy!)
• cleaning and waterproofing your boots, ready for cold, blustery walks
• setting up a little reading or journaling corner
These small acts turn your home into a hibernation nest, a place to rest, think, feel and just be. Even reading ‘How to Winter’ feels like part of this preparation too. Choosing words and stories that meet us where we are, rather than pushing us to be somewhere else.
Let winter hold you. We don’t need to rush through winter to get to something better. Winter is the pause. Where we come home to ourselves.
So light the candles. Pull on your thick socks. Go for the cold walk, then come back to warmth. Let yourself live now, not later. Winter is part of your life too not something to wait out.
