Wintering: The Quiet Work of Rest, Recovery, and Reflection

I should get out of bed. It’s 11:00 am. I’m conflicted, because I want to be a high performing successful and influential person. Those people get up early, don’t they?

The truth is, I don’t have to get up. I have a clear calendar today. All my supplies: my laptop, charger, snacks and water are right here. There are also two sleeping dogs who are in no way conflicted about whether to get up. Every few minutes they heave loud relaxing sighs as a reminder of how luxurious this moment is. How necessary.

Just when I was thinking I should get up and be “productive” the cuddly dog - Zoe, weasels her way closer to my warm body as a reminder that rest, reflection and restoration are also important part of our work. It’s like she is begging me to stay here. Ok. I will.

I think the reason that most people find winter difficult is because the natural cadence of winter - hibernation - is the opposite of what society demands of us. Animals know this. What would happen if we gave into it? If we retreat and succumb to concept of restoration?

While so much of modern life urges momentum, output, and constant responsiveness, winter whispers another invitation: slow down. Not as a failure of discipline or ambition, but as a deeply human and necessary rhythm. In nature, winter is not an absence of life. It is life conserving itself. Resting. Gathering strength.

Wintering is the practice of honouring that same wisdom in ourselves.

Today I will “winter”.

To winter is to retreat with intention. It is choosing rest not because we are depleted to the brink, but because restoration is part of the cycle. It is recognizing that growth does not only happen in visible, outward ways. Some of the most important work happens quietly, beneath the surface.

Rest: Letting the Body Lead

True rest is more than stopping. It is listening.

Winter invites us to pay attention to what our bodies have been signalling all year long. Fatigue that didn’t quite lift. A nervous system always slightly on edge. A sense of being “on” even when nothing urgent is happening. The pressure to keep up with social media posts that just contribute to “noise”. Let it go.

Rest in this season is permission-based. Permission to go to bed earlier. Permission to cancel plans without justification. Permission to replace productivity with presence.

This kind of rest is not indulgent. It is reparative. It allows our bodies to recalibrate, our breath to deepen, and our inner pace to slow enough that we can feel ourselves again. This is especially important after the whirlwind of holidays and family visits or year-end work pressures.

Recovery: Creating Space to Mend

Recovery is what happens when we stop asking ourselves to push through.

For many of us, the times are shaped by sustained uncertainty and emotional load. We adapt. We cope. We keep going. Winter offers a container to acknowledge that endurance alone is not the goal. Healing requires space.

Recovery may look like fewer decisions, simpler meals, gentler movement. It may mean stepping back from roles that consume more than they replenish, even temporarily. It might mean revisiting boundaries that blurred when everything felt urgent.

Wonderful things can happen you give yourself permission to prioritize your own healing. You would do it if your leg was broken. What if your heart is broken? Your nervous system trashed? Give yourself space.

This is not retreat as withdrawal from life but retreat as repair. Remember it is in the depths of winter that roots establish themselves.

Reflection: Listening for What Wants to Emerge

Winter’s stillness creates conditions for reflection that other seasons rarely allow.

When the noise quiets, we can notice what has been asking for our attention. What felt aligned this past year. What quietly drained us. What we are ready to release. What deserves more care.

Reflection does not require grand insights or elaborate rituals. Sometimes it begins with a notebook and a question left open long enough to answer honestly. Sometimes it arrives during a slow walk, a long bath, or a moment of stillness by a window.

Answers to some of our most complicated challenges, at work or at home, often come in the quiet moments. Give yourself some quiet moments.

The purpose of reflection is not self-critique. It is self-connection. It helps us orient ourselves not by external expectations, but by what feels true and sustainable - for us.

Retreating as an Act of Wisdom

In a culture that equates worth with visibility, choosing to retreat can feel uncomfortable. Even risky. But winter teaches us that retreat is not the opposite of progress. It is part of it.

Seeds do not sprout year-round. Trees do not bloom without dormancy. Neither do we.

When we allow ourselves to winter, we step out of constant reaction and into deliberate renewal. We trust that pausing now makes room for clarity later. We acknowledge that rest, recovery, and reflection are not rewards for productivity, but foundations for meaningful, resilient living.

So, if this season is calling you inward, listen.

Light the fire. Close the door. Cuddle with sleeping pets. There is important work happening here, even if no one can see it yet.

Just yesterday I heard birds for the first time in months. Spring will come soon. It always does. And when it does, I intend to meet it restored, rooted, and ready. Won’t you join me?

Kimberley MacKenzie is a leadership coach, facilitator, and fundraising strategist who works with values-driven organizations, teams, and individuals to lead with clarity, integrity, and care. With more than two decades of experience in the philanthropic and nonprofit sector, she has partnered with boards and leaders across Canada and internationally on strategy, governance, culture, and leadership development. A Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and ICF-certified coach (CPCC, ACC), Kimberley brings a practical, human-centred approach to leadership and believes that we can live a life of service without compromising our own well-being or breaking our teams. Now based in Stratford, she is excited to bring her global experience home in service of strong, resilient communities. You can learn more about Kimberley at www.kimberleymackenzie.ca or follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kimberleycanada/