This January morning, I watched my cat wander into my bedroom and curl herself into a neat, contented ball at the foot of my bed. An hour later, she was perched on the windowsill with the sun on her face. Later still, I found her asleep on top of a blanket in the lounge, before helping herself to a drink of water. Watching her move through rest, warmth, observation, and nourishment, I thought of Katherine May’s book: Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times.
May writes about the seasons of our lives: times when we flourish and feel expansive, and times when things fall away, leaving us more exposed and stripped back. Winter may result from illness, grief, burnout, fatigue, or just the natural cycle of life. Just like a cat who winters with wise acceptance, we can choose how to meet these fallow periods by turning inwards, conserving energy, allowing ourselves time to rest and heal.
May observes that our culture rarely values these slower, restorative periods, yet they are essential to our wellbeing. For example, when New Year arrives, our culture’s loud messaging of fresh starts, productivity, and self-improvement is synonymous with doing more, achieving more, and constantly moving forward. However, for you, this may be a time of wintering – when your body and mind are sending you messages that it needs rest, quiet, calm. May explains, “Doing those deeply unfashionable things- slowing down, letting your spare time expand, getting enough sleep, resting - is a radical act now, but it is essential.” Self-care is foundational to giving ourselves the space to heal and rejuvenate.
When wintering, we can still explore new ways of moving through the world, but rather than the focus being on doing more, we can dial down, create space, and move at a pace that feels sustainable. Wintering can be found in small, intentional actions: Sleeping for an extra half hour, taking a walk during your lunch break, having a bath before bed, or sitting quietly with a loved one. Like the seasons, growth often happens quietly, beneath the surface, and it is in these subtle pauses that we gather the energy to flourish again.
Watching my cat today reminded me that wintering is a valuable experience. We can still move forwards in line with what’s important to us while honouring the slow season, even in small ways. Sometimes, the wisest choice we can make is simply to pause, rest, and be gentle with ourselves.
At Flourish with Fatigue, our therapy team can help you to notice what season you’re in, respond to it with compassion and wisdom, and find ways to live meaningfully alongside it.
Reference:
May, K. (2020). Wintering: The power of rest and retreat in difficult times. Ebury Publishing.