Wintering, Leaning into Rest: What Your Body & Soul Needs

Rita Mercer Author

Discover the power of "wintering" - honoring your need for rest and renewal in a world that glorifies constant productivity.

Wintering, Leaning into Rest: What Your Body & Soul Needs

In our hustle-driven world where productivity is often valued above all else, the concept of "wintering" offers a refreshing counterpoint—an invitation to pause, retreat, and renew our mind, body, and spirit. Just as nature cycles through seasons of growth and dormancy, we too need periods of rest and reflection to truly thrive.

What is Wintering?

Wintering goes far beyond the literal cold season. It's a deeply personal journey of retreat and renewal that allows us to honor what our bodies and souls truly need. By taking cues from nature—observing how trees shed their leaves, how wildlife becomes less active, how the days grow shorter—we can recognize our own need for cycles of rest and activity.

Nature teaches us that life consists of many seasons: joy and pain, lack and abundance. This natural cycle of pause and stillness reminds us to tune into our bodies and recognize what they're craving:

• Perhaps more rest
• Time for reflection
• A period of waiting and preparation

Whatever feels true to you, winter invites you to honor those needs without judgment.

Recognizing When It's Time to Winter

Wintering often signifies a transition or change: a loss, disappointment, relationship change, health challenge, or emotional difficulty. If you find yourself constantly pushing through, that's a signal that you need to slow down.

The truth is, if we don't choose to slow down voluntarily, life has a way of forcing us to stop. It demands that we enter seasons of rest to heal our mind, body, and spirit. Just as trees conserve energy during winter months, we too need periods of withdrawal to do our internal work.

My Personal Wintering Journey

As I navigate perimenopause and the many changes happening in my mind and body, I'm learning to embrace my own season of wintering. Rather than resisting these changes, I'm choosing to lean into them through:

• Reflecting on what brings me joy
• Focusing on the things and people that light me up
• Prioritizing self-care and self-love
• Tuning into my body's needs
• Being less apologetic about needing rest (yes, I love my naps!)
• Embracing comfort over constant grinding
• Setting clearer boundaries around my time and energy

I'm learning that not all opportunities are worth pursuing—especially those that don't honor my skills, expertise, or boundaries. In this season, I'm giving myself permission to show up as my authentic self without compromise.

Shifting Our Mindset About Rest

It's important to understand that wintering is not weakness. It's not failure, giving up, or staying stuck. Instead, it's an active process of:

• Healing
• Strengthening
• Renewal
• Preparing for new growth and opportunities

Give yourself permission to believe that healing isn't linear and that rest isn't laziness—it's a necessary component of growth. In our grind-obsessed culture, the idea of stillness may feel uncomfortable or even frightening, but these moments of stripping away our "strong one" identity can be transformative.

Questions to Consider

Be honest with yourself:

• How long have you been the strong one for everyone else?
• How long have you been putting on a brave face while crying inside?
• How often do you put others' needs before your own?
• How long does it take you to recover when you've pushed yourself too hard?

These questions aren't meant to shame you but to encourage reflection. If what you're doing isn't working, it's time to switch approaches. If your current path is risking your mental or physical health, straining important relationships, or stretching you too thin—it's time to pause.

When to Begin Wintering

If not now, then when? Are you waiting for the "perfect time" to pause, or perhaps for a serious health wake-up call? In reality, there is no perfect time—we're all busy. But now is the time to put yourself first. Not tomorrow, not after your next achievement, but right now.

Taking time to rest and reflect is the essence of wintering. It's about creating space to understand yourself more deeply, to sit with your emotions, and to reflect with self-compassion and grace.

How to Lean into Wintering

Nurturing during wintering looks different for everyone. It might involve:

• Journaling
• Taking a day off from responsibilities
• Meditation
• Spending time in nature
• Creating art
• Listening to music
• Simply sitting quietly or taking a nap

The key is finding what helps you reconnect with yourself and brings moments of peace and reflection. Consider this time as a season of internal restoration—like seeds lying dormant underground, preparing for spring, you too are preparing for your next phase of growth.

Steps to Embrace Your Winter Season

1. Recognize and honor your season of wintering. Don't resist or feel ashamed about it. This is a natural part of being human that requires no explanation or apology.
2. Create a supportive environment conducive to what you need. Stop waiting for permission to tune into your body and what makes you comfortable. Set healthy boundaries, notice when you feel overstimulated, and seek support from trustworthy friends or professionals.
3. Develop nurturing habits for your mind, body, and spirit. These don't need to be Instagram-worthy gestures—small, consistent acts of kindness toward yourself are powerful. A warm bath, a cup of tea, moments of deep breathing, or reading a good book can be transformative.
4. Trust the process. Wintering isn't permanent. Like all seasons in nature, it's temporary. Just as winter gives way to spring, your challenging season will gradually transform into a new period of healing, resilience, wisdom, and joy.

Finding Strength in Stillness

Remember that wintering isn't weakness—it's actually a sign of great strength. It's not about merely surviving but about thriving. It's a time to feel renewed, restored, and transformed from the inside out.

Wintering teaches us to flow with life's seasons, taking notes from nature and navigating life's ebbs and flows with stillness, grace, mindfulness, intention, and loving kindness.

As you consider your own relationship with rest and renewal, remember that your worth isn't determined by productivity, busyness, or constant availability. Your worth is defined by how you love yourself and show up authentically each day.

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This post was adapted from The Daring Well Podcast. If you found value in these words, please share them with someone who might need a gentle reminder to pause and rest.

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Categories: : Grounding, Self Care, Soul, Wellness