An Invitation: To Live and Lead Seasonally this Winter

The darkest day in the Northern Hemisphere lands on December 21st. It marks the beginning of winter, naturally a time of dormancy and preservation. Many trees have lost their leaves, plants divert their energy to their roots, and some animals experience migration while others experience hibernation - reducing their metabolic and heart rates to conserve energy during the cold, harsh months. These adaptive strategies of slowing down, changing habits, resting, and conserving all contribute to the resilience of many species - it’s a natural cycle.

How aligned are our lives with the seasons these days? In a society that encourages hustle, competition, and consumerism, we may sometimes lose our instinct to rest, repair, and take stock of what we already have. How might we use the winter season to our advantage? What benefits might come from intentional periods of deep rest?

Through my education in leadership and trauma-informed coaching, I’m more aware of the signs of fatigue, burnout, stress, and the potential loss of that inner light we all have. We can’t afford for those in positions of influence to have their light extinguished. It takes self-awareness and courage to feel into our bodies and recognize when something isn’t right – when we’re not living in a state of homeostasis, not in alignment with what our bones know to be true. It also takes courage to disrupt systems that promote unrealistic productivity, urgency culture, and dehumanizing practices steeped in colonialism and unsustainable models.

As my friend, Joce, would say, “Ok, but how?”. On this dark day, here are a few suggestions that may be helpful to explore while we wait for the light:

• Consider doing a Year-in-Reflection exercise: Use the spirit of winter to reflect on your past year. You may want to journal, create art, or just take time to talk it through with a trusted friend: What went well? What values did I fully live this past year? What missed the mark? What did I learn about myself? When did I feel at my best? My worst? What am I proud of?

• Practice Listening to your Heart and your Gut: We seem to pride ourselves for being busy. We are conditioned early to believe that being idle is “bad” and being productive is “good”. We are often rewarded with admiration when we work long hours into the wee morning – or put others first and our self-care last. We may get so busy we forget to check in with ourselves. This winter, I invite you to harness the wisdom that resides in both our heart and our gut and take time to check in with these parts of yourself:

  • Heart Questions. If comfortable, place a hand on your heart and ask: How am I feeling? What emotions are coming up? Can I name them? What would rest do for me right now? What is my heart trying to tell me?

  • Gut Questions. If comfortable, place a hand on your stomach and ask: What is my intuition trying to tell me? What are the physical sensations in my body? What instincts do I have? What way can I nourish myself? What is my gut trying to tell me?

• Model Rest as a Leader: Harnessing the winter months and modeling how to rest and care for ourselves and meet our needs suggests a different way of being for those within our influence. In her book, "Rest in Resistance: A Manifesto," Tricia Hersey calls us back to ourselves and offers us not only permission to rest and to listen to our bodies but to do it as a way to regain our strength and energy so we can show up as activists and allies and do the work of rebuilding systems - promoting more equity and belonging for us all. Consider modeling behaviors that keep you healthy and balanced like eating delicious nutritious meals, sleeping when you’re tired (that might mean sleeping in or going to bed early), reading for knowledge AND pleasure, putting the phone down, and being more discerning where - and with whom - we put our valuable attention. Whether we’re modeling for our employees, our children, our partners, or as a self-compassionate reminder for ourselves – rest is what will allow us to sustain our energy to be the effective, caring leaders we need more of in this world.

On this shortest day of the year, as we commit to winter, remember that from tomorrow onwards the light is slowly coming back, and with it: spring. The change to that season will call for us to plant seeds, nurture, be more active, and to release energy out into the world. Spring is a season for Hope. But for now, what would it look like if you could take just a few extra breaks, a few moments of calm, a couple of minutes of reflection?

What might living fully into this winter season offer you?