Honoring Rest and Renewal After the Holidays
January often arrives with a strange mix of pressure and fatigue. The rush of the holidays has ended, the decorations are packed away, and the world seems to expect a fresh burst of motivation — new goals, new routines, new you. But what if, instead of forcing a restart, we allowed ourselves to rest? What if the quiet of winter isn’t a void to fill, but an invitation to slow down — to notice, recover, and reconnect? Healing and growth aren’t found only in motion. Sometimes, they unfold most powerfully in stillness.
Why Rest Feels Hard
Many of us have learned to equate rest with laziness, or slowing down with falling behind. The cultural push toward productivity doesn’t pause when the year turns — it simply shifts into resolutions and “self-improvement.” But the body, mind, and nervous system have a different rhythm.
After prolonged stress or social intensity (like the holidays often bring), our system craves down-regulation. Rest isn’t weakness — it’s repair. Just as nature turns inward during winter, we, too, need seasons of quiet to integrate what we’ve experienced and prepare for what’s next.
Wintering: The Practice of Turning Inward
Author Katherine May uses the term wintering to describe those natural periods of withdrawal and reflection that are part of every life. Wintering isn’t failure — it’s part of being human.
It might look like:
- Saying no to extra plans so you can spend an evening in stillness.
- Letting yourself feel the post-holiday sadness without trying to fix it.
- Listening to what your body actually needs, rather than what you think you “should” be doing.
When we allow ourselves to “winter,” we create space for emotional repair, creativity, and clarity to return in their own time.
How to Honor the Quiet Season
You don’t have to retreat entirely to experience the benefits of slowing down. Even small shifts can help you reconnect to your own pace:
- Create warmth: Light a candle, make tea, sit by a window — simple sensory cues of comfort signal safety to the nervous system.
- Set gentle intentions instead of resolutions: Ask, “What feels nourishing right now?” rather than “What do I need to fix?”
- Allow stillness: Journaling, mindful walks, or simply doing less can help you tune in rather than tune out.
- Rest without justification: You don’t need to earn rest by doing more — rest is the work.
If Slowing Down Feels Uncomfortable
Sometimes stillness can surface emotions we’ve been too busy to feel — grief, loneliness, or exhaustion. If that happens, it doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. It means your body and mind finally have space to speak. Therapy can offer support in those quieter seasons — helping you listen, understand, and care for what arises.
Honor the natural cycles of healing — the seasons of movement and the seasons of rest.
This winter, may you give yourself permission to pause. The quiet season isn’t empty — it’s where renewal begins.