Wintering - what is it?
“The plants and the earth are resting
Maybe we should too.
The long days will be here soon enough”
- Rebecca Raider
Wintering, the practice of mindful calm, restfulness and rejuvenation. Looking to Nature to inspire replenishment in our busy lives
Wintering seems to have become a bit of a buzz word at the moment and I can understand why. Every living thing, whether plant or animal, needs to nurtured and Winter’s way to pause, conserve energy, to quieten and replenish ready to flourish again and who am I to argue? There are lessons to be learnt, or perhaps remembered, from Nature and this year I think I’ve begun to listen.
Ways to embrace Wintering
Create a self-care routine that nurtures and priorities your wellbeing.
Take notice of both your mental and physical health. It could be as simple as a morning ritual of mindful exercise and a herbal infusion to energize your body and mind. Or a restorative evening routine of lighting a candle and unwinding with a book before bed.
Take time to asses and reset your goals, re-think what motivates and sustains you.
Make a habit of regularly decluttering your brain with a braindump. This practise lets you unpack everything that you’re storing in your brain and clear the decks. Separate the things that are unimportant and holding you back and prioritise the things that will make an impactful difference to your life
Practice mindful observation and consciously reconnect with nature.
Challenge yourself to observe and capture nature in a creative way. This year I’ve been trying to take photos and redraw a snapshot of nature that I’ve come across and find beautiful. I want to build on this practise so it becomes a habit so I can ultimately document the changing seasons around me in sketch and photo form
Embrace your home as a welcome retreat, a refuge where you can truly relax and recharge.
Surround yourself with less of what drains you and more of what fills you up. To me creating a calm and warm space isn’t about minimalizing your home, it’s recognising and surrounding yourself with things that embrace and nurtures your sensory needs rather than being in conflict causing overwhelm.
My personal Wintering isn’t hibernation or withdrawing into an insular state, it’s not about hiding from the world. For me it’s about nourishing and rejuvenating what’s within to re-centre and grow.