December Is for Wintering

Have you ever heard of wintering?

There’s a beautiful book called Wintering by Katherine May that explores the idea that just like the seasons, we go through internal winters too — periods of slowing down, turning inward, restoring, and rebuilding. Not as punishment. Not as weakness. But as a natural, necessary rhythm of being human.

And if you’re a high achiever?
You probably hate that idea at first.

Because everything in you wants to fight it.
You want to outwork the shorter days.
You want to stay sharp, driven, productive, on your game — even when your body is whispering for rest.

I see you. I am you.

But December isn’t asking you to push harder.
It’s asking you to winter.

To soften your grip.
To stop forcing momentum where your system is craving stillness.
To recognize that rest isn’t laziness — it’s recalibration.

This month is not about dramatic reinvention or pressure to become someone new by January. It’s about reflection. Presence. Gentle integration. It’s about honoring everything you held this year and allowing space for your nervous system to breathe.

Wintering doesn’t mean giving up.
It means replenishing.

Because growth doesn’t only happen in sunlight.
It also happens in the quiet, in the slower mornings, in the evenings that stretch a little longer, in the moments you choose to pause instead of perform.

So if you feel called to move slower this month — trust it.
If your body wants more sleep, more space, more softness — listen.
If your spirit feels tender — protect that.

You don’t need to conquer December.
You’re allowed to rest inside it.

This is your season to recharge, reflect, and return to yourself.
To prepare for what’s next — not with urgency, but with intention.

And yes… high achiever or not…
You are allowed to winter.