Wintering
Introduction to Wintering: The Beauty of Slowing Down
What does comfort mean to you? In nature, winter is a time of hibernation—a season of stillness and retreat. As trees shed their leaves and the world quiets, shouldn’t we, too, slow down and reflect? If we are truly connected to nature, wouldn’t it make sense to live in rhythm with the seasons?
For us, winter is about finding warmth within as the world outside becomes less accessible. After spending years in the Sunshine State, this transition to colder months has been both challenging and transformative. When the weather is always perfect, there’s a subtle guilt that comes with staying indoors. But here, in the depth of winter, I’ve discovered the beauty of slowing down.
There’s something powerful about listening to our naturally shifting energy levels and living in sync with the world around us. Winter offers a rare opportunity to embrace stillness, to indulge in boredom, and to see where our wandering minds take us. It’s a season that invites creativity, cozy routines, deep conversations, and moments of quiet reflection. And what a privilege it is to have time at all.
We’ve come to call this embrace of the season— Wintering.
Winter is an invitation to turn inward, to rest, to recharge—so that when spring comes, we are ready to bloom. But that doesn’t mean the season doesn’t come with its challenges. The cold, the darkness, the feeling of being stuck indoors—it’s easy to get restless. How do we combat these feelings? What is this resistance telling us?
Maybe it’s not a lack of stimulation, but rather, an unfamiliarity with true stillness. Boredom has a bad reputation, but what if it’s actually an open door? A chance to discover what quietly calls to you when there’s nothing else in the way. Maybe it’s listening to an entire album, start to finish, without distractions. Learning to play chess. Knitting. Calling an old friend. Reading for hours without checking your phone.
What if we started putting “get bored” on our to-do lists?
Here are some ideas to embrace wintering:
Try a new yoga or workout class
Sauna membership? Tempting.
Make playlists that match your mood
Spend slow mornings in a café
Dive into books, books, and more books
Journal without overthinking
Learn an instrument, just for fun
Experiment with new recipes
Rewatch your favorite series with no guilt
Bundle up and try a winter sport
Rearrange your space for a fresh perspective
Get creative—paint, write, build something
Take long baths, light candles, romanticize the little things
Soak up the sunlight, even through the windows
Wintering is a practice—a reminder that slowing down is not the same as stopping. It’s a season of gathering energy, of nourishing yourself in ways you often don’t have time for. And when the world begins to thaw, you’ll be ready to step forward, renewed.
Next up: Hygge—how to take wintering to the next level.
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