Engaging with “Wintering”

You may have a sense that the darkest time of year is not actually on the Winter Solstice (December 21), but during the first week of December. While the solstice technically has the shortest amount of daylight, the earliest sunset does not occur on that day. Rather, the earliest sunset was last week. Thus, these early weeks of December may feel the darkest. After the winter solstice, we inch closer to longer days, though it may not feel like it. After the holidays in January and February, the darkness may feel particularly looming, as the sunrises become later, despite the later sunsets. 

Winter can often be a difficult season for some due to this lack of light. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can cause low energy, low mood, irritability and other difficult symptoms. Even if you do not experience SAD-specific symptoms, winter may still pose challenges. How can we engage with “winter” during what may feel like a difficult time?

In Katherine May’s memoir Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times, she writes about how to engage with these “fallow” periods in our lives. I read her book during my first winter in Boston, and it was heartening as I navigated this period and transition in my life.

Although not focused solely on the winter season, May writes about times when we may feel cut off or blocked internally—through illness, loss, burnout or other hardships. She uses the seasons as a metaphor for life’s ups and downs, and by understanding our own internal rhythms, we can move through these “low” and liminal periods, which ultimately can lead to renewal and growth. Just as leaves fall from the trees and then later bud and grow again, we too cycle through phases of rest and regeneration. I remember going for a walk shortly after reading her book, during the dead of winter, and beginning to appreciate the leafless trees. They seemed to be “resting,” now to me, engaging in the seasonal cycle that supports their renewal. 

The reality is that as human beings, we must rest as well in order to sustain our bodies and minds—and in fact our neurobiology needs us to do so. Across the animal kingdom, many animals hibernate during winter to conserve energy. It is only relatively recently in human history that we stopped retreating during the winter as well. 

We are wired and compelled to rest. Allowing yourself to do so—while seeking any necessary support from loved ones, mental health professionals and your wider community—may be what is needed to reconnect to your inner power and strength. 

As we navigate through this dark season, rest well.

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Elissa McDavid is a second-year Clinical Master of Social Work student at Boston College, with a concentration in Mental Health. Elissa has a passion for providing trauma-informed, client-centered and anti-oppressive therapy. She approaches therapy with curiosity and collaboration. Before attending Boston College, she worked at a humanitarian aid organization in Arizona and provided services to immigrants, with a specific focus on serving survivors of violence and torture. 

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