The art of wintering

Me: It’s going to start getting cold outside soon.

A: I know, I absolutely hate the cold

Me: Really? I love the cold and I love wintertime

A: What’s wrong with you? Why?

As someone who really loves winter, this is actual footage of conversations that I have all the time with lots of different people.

While everyone else sees winter as a time of year when it’s dark all the time and very cold, I see it as a time of rest. 

I live in Virginia, U.S. and that means that I get to experience all four seasons every year which I am very grateful for. Although Fall is my favorite season, I love winter as well and I’ll give you a few reasons why. 

Shorter days means more resting and recharging

What are you supposed to do when it is cold outside and before 5:30 pm? Rest and recharge. I use wintertime to spend more time at home, living a slow life and recharging in the gym. I love getting back into my workout routine in the winter because I get very busy in the warmer months and struggle to stay on track.

Cozy blankets and reading

Staying in is amazing but staying in with a book or a new tv series to binge is the best. I’m always wearing one of my cozy robes. During Christmas, my house is even cozier because of our Christmas tree and decorations around the house

More time for hobbies

In the winter I like to spend more time on my hobbies like painting and scrapbooking. I am much too busy in the summer to put too much energy into my hobbies. When I have a day off and it is freezing outside, it is the perfect time to stay in and get creative.

Home projects. 

If you have things that need to get done around the house, winter is the perfect time to get started. You don’t really have much else to do and why not get it done while you are having some down time.

Soups and baking

I love to cook and bake but again, in the warmer months I am much busier and I don’t have too much time or energy to try new recipes. I cook a lot in the wintertime and I am always baking something delicious for my family to try.

Those are just a few of my reasons for loving the colder months. What I didn’t realize is that there is a term for resting and recharging during this time and it’s called Wintering.

Wintering explained

Wintering is simply the art of resting, relaxing, and recharging during the wintertime. However, people may start wintering after suffering a tragedy, illness or loss in life. 

There is a book called Wintering: The power of rest and retreat in difficult times by Katherine May. In this book, she goes deeper into wintering and why it is an important part of our lives.

Why is wintering important?

I think we can all agree that life can be very busy. Between work, school, families, friendships, etc. It can become overwhelming. During the warmer months, there is always pressure to be doing something. Traveling, staying out late or spending time with friends. We are constantly pushing ourselves to be more and do more. 

Wintertime though is different. People are cold and they want to stay inside. They aren’t traveling as much or staying out late. Wintering is important because it is a time to rest and slow down a bit. 

As someone who loves to live in alignment with nature, wintertime is nature telling me to focus more on my mind, body and soul rather than where I am traveling to or what I am doing next weekend. The trees have shed their leaves and the animals are all in their homes waiting for spring. Why shouldn’t I be as well?

Additionally, If you have suffered loss in your life or are battling an illness, you simply won’t have the energy or motivation to go out there and live life like everyone else. Even if it is summertime, some people will have to enter their wintering phase in order to recover from hard times.

Wintering & Elegance

What I love about elegant ladies is that they know their limits, they know when they need rest, and they aren’t afraid to give themselves a little grace in those times.

Elegant women can benefit from wintering because this is a time where they can focus on themselves and their hobbies. They can also start planning things that they want to do in the future.

Perhaps they are hosting more because everyone is staying in. They can spend more time cooking and entertaining. Times like these are a great way to nurture those close relationships as well.

Winter is also a time to glow up and focus on re emerging as a better version of yourself in the spring. Wintering is a fantastic way to become a more refined, elegant version of yourself just in time for the flowers to start blooming again!

How to embrace wintering

Slow down.

Start saying no. Don’t feel pressured to go out, to be busy, to stay later at work. Start living life at a slower pace. Get used to the idea of not having anything to do. Your calendar doesn’t need to be packed all of the time. Give yourself some time to just be. 

Stay active

Even though you are living life at a slower pace, don’t forget to stay active. My husband and I like to go to the gym a lot in the winter. There aren’t many people there when it is really cold outside and we see a lot of progress when we are consistent for 3 months straight. It’s the best time to work on our physical appearance.

Get cozy. 

As I said before, being cozy is one of my favorite parts of wintering. Make sure that you turn your home into an environment that will help you thrive during this time of year. De clutter your space if it has gotten messy throughout the year. Add blankets, candles and other lighting, music, etc.

Self care

This is the time to focus on taking care of your body if you aren’t already. Skin care, massages, nails, hair health and getting up to date with all of your doctor, dentist, or vision appointments.

If necessary, make sure that you are taking care of your mental health as well. If you have access to therapy and you need it, don’t be afraid to reach out to a therapist.

Read to improve your life

I love to read. Most of the time I am reading a romance or thriller, but in the wintertime I like to read books for personal growth and financial education. I get extra motivated to make improvements in my life since I don’t have much else to focus on. I also love spirituality books as well because I feel as though I am always doing some kind of soul searching.

Keep in touch with your loved ones

Take this time to call your grandparents, spend time with your parents and siblings. To be extra active with your children if they are in need of extra attention. Nurture the relationships that are most important to you

Make sure you are getting good sleep

Prioritize getting adequate rest during the colder months. If you struggle to sleep well, try changing up your night routine or your daily routine.

Final thoughts

Winter isn’t as bad as people make it seem. If you embrace the colder months as a time to rest, invest in your well being and live a peaceful life, it can become a very positive time of the year.