Winter Rest as Resistance: Slowing Down Without Feeling Guilty

As the year winds down, I can feel my body asking for a different pace. Winter always nudges me toward stillness, yet every December I catch myself fighting the urge to slow down. I’ve spent so many years equating rest with falling behind that even now, choosing quiet over productivity feels uncomfortable. What I’m learning, though, is that rest is not avoidance. Rest is preparation.

This year has been full for me in ways I didn’t fully expect. Between growing my business, supporting clients, and tending to my personal healing, my energy has stretched itself thin at times. When the holidays approach, I feel the familiar pull to keep going, to push through, to accomplish just one more thing before the year ends. But this season, I’m choosing a different rhythm. I’m choosing to rest with intention so I can step into the new year with clarity rather than exhaustion.

Winter has a way of inviting us to pause. The trees become bare, the days shorten, and the world becomes quieter. Nature reminds us that everything moves in cycles, including us. Rest is not a break from growth. Rest is part of growth. When I honor that, I feel steadier, calmer, and more aligned.

If you find yourself struggling with rest this season, take a gentle breath and remind yourself that slowing down does not diminish your strength. Your worth is not measured by how much you produce. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is step back, soften, and allow yourself to be held by the quiet.