Ah it's so interesting you've been feeling similarly, Tammy! I wonder if it has to do with something energetically about this year. I'll have to do some research!
I appreciate you sharing this & resonate with this feeling completely. Back in 2023, I didnt start “planning” until March (about spring equinox interestingly!) because it felt more aligned and i was recovering from burn out in 2021, that bled into 2022. I came back stronger in 2024 & Im honoring the place Im at and acknowledging others are in different spaces as well. We can share, we can continue to hibernate, and ultimately we can take our well deserved time 💖
I love this, Eril. I'm definitely feeling into alignment for me and realizing that it might look different from the "mainstream" and that's totally okay. I'm so glad 2024 is off to a strong start for you and you've been able to heal!
Yess!! I felt this so hard last year, I couldn’t stomach any of it and one of my first posts here was about how winter was for reflecting and planning not doing! This year I feel a mix of gentle activity and lots of reflecting! Everyone needs to take their own pace, the date change is literally irrelevant as there are personal situations people deal with as well as collective energies going on.. not everyone is ready for a fresh start in the first week of the new year .. and often I don’t even think it’s the best way to do things after the rush of the holiday season, sometimes we just need a long breath before moving forward .. enjoy your time in quiet reflection and sending you love always 🤍
Thank you so much for this, Jennifer! It's definitely felt weird for me as in the past I have really enjoyed the new year energy, but this year I want nothing to do with it and have felt really confronted by it all. I'm glad you are feeling more grounded than last year with it, I'm hoping for that in the next year too. Sending love back!
Absolutely this. I always tend to feel more energised by the moon cycles than I do by calendar dates. Over Christmas (full moon) I just wanted to hibernate whereas now with the new moon approaching I'm fizzing with all the plans.
Hibernation is on my mind as well. I wish we had a buffer zone, a No-Man's-Land between each year. A time when we aren't expected to make lists or better ourselves, where we're free to just meander about in PJs and get ourselves in order. Nevertheless, thanks for a year of Substack posts!
I loved reading this, thank you. I had grand plans for being online over the break but instead I ended up in full on hibernation mode. I did have a few FOMO pangs and worried about the whole "being left behind" thing so it's so reassuring to hear that others feel that too. On the whole though, I'm glad I took a break and I feel a lot better for honouring my need for quiet and not powering through.
I was the same, and am still kind of finding my footing in the new year. But it definitely feels good to take a breather and see what comes from that space. So glad you were able to listen to it and lean in.
Goodness I love that slingshot metaphor. It’s one I use often in my coaching practice around motivation as in when we are feeling unmotivated it is often time to pull back and fine tune, like drawing back a bow before firing the arrow. I think we are conditioned to keep firing arrows without really aiming...just to see what lands.
Feel the same way about the new years posts. I tried to write one myself because I felt like I “should.” I feel fortunate that intentional living has taught me to question every “should” that pops up in my mind. So I stopped trying and wrote the thing I actually felt called to write. Thank you for your wisdom!
Yes definitely! I did the same, started a whole big post and then was feeling so uninspired by it, so wrote this instead. So glad you were able to listen to your "shoulds" and make a different decision based on alignment!
Thank you, Hunter. Spent the last two years attempting to take nature’s lead in the reflection of time and found the cyclical and following the seasons to be what’s most in tune with my mind and soul. Wishing you ease in the new year.
So in this with you darling 🤍 I personally feel now just isn’t the time for me to push or force anything, I’m dreaming and feeling, but no actions will be taken for quite some time yet. Winter is sinking into me so deeply this year and I am embracing so much of its wisdom, and part of that is simply doing as little as humanly possible (with a toddler of course!)
I like to look at the seasons in line with my own inner season. That being said Day 1 of the menstrual cycle would line up with the winter solstice the darkest slowest most low tide moment. Unfortunately for most of us, and I think this is indicative of the society we live in Dec 21st is typically the busiest time for many women.
Today, I would put my equivalent day to Day 2 of the period cycle and the end of January as Day 3.
Then I think what do I need in my winter season of Day 2 and Day 3. Rest. Hibernation. Even when I'm in my Spring inner season, like I am today. Spring doesn't have the same energy and bounce back in the winter months. And this is okay.
I think you are living with your flow. And we all need to live with the flow.
This time of year asks us to be at low tide. To reflect, rest, restore, sit and simmer. To wait. To find our real values. If we use the menstrual cycle as our guide we know that goal setting comes at the end of winter after we have sorted the seeds from last harvest. Then we can begin to plan and plot it out, authentically.
If we rush it now we miss "the rest". And more than likely we will burn out before we really begin.
I am Day 10 in my cycle and Spring is definitely not in my step. Of course I'm just getting over a 7 day fever I had over Christmas week, so I know that the Spring energy I rely on and look forward to, was just not going to greet me this time.
All this to say, I think you are totally on par with what nature is calling us to- rest.
All seeds start in darkness, rest and waiting. That's day 1. That is the start of something new. It starts at rest and darkness and it germinates and emerges in its Spring time.
Such a beautiful parable. I hope you are encouraged to rest and wait for new life and energy! Cause when it hits, watch out!! Lol
I love this, Jess! Such beautiful thoughts. I've been tuning in a lot with my cycle and how it affects my energy levels/inspiration throughout the month. I actually just started my period this morning so am taking is nice and easy today, and it feels good to lean into rest and hibernation. Thank you so much for your wisdom-filled insights!
That's perfect! you are in line with the new moon! You might find that your coming Spring brings a new interesting energy in January. Sometimes in the winter months my Spring energy has me re-arraging the house! In a few days you may find you want to review your month from last and then sit with your deepest values and around day 5, dream and plan your Spring that is coming. Wishing you a restful inner winter phase in the actual winter and in the new moon. Now that is some deep rest, my friend. zzz
I love that, and am already feeling more inspiration in these past few days than I've been feeling lately. It's so cool how our bodies just know. Thank you so much for sharing, Jess!
I want to be a bear. Stay under the covers, read, binge watch my favorite shows. Eat comfort foods, not workout, snuggle my cat. Winter is my favorite season because the world slows down. My new favorite word is “wintering” and that’s what I’m trying to do.
Yessss. I'm definitely "bear-ing" right now and it feels gooood. Wintering is such a beautiful term, isn't it? Have you read Katherine May's book on it?
I think you’re exactly on track! The world around us is still in deep hibernation at the moment and it makes no sense at all to try and be energetic in January. Plenty of time for all that when spring rolls around. Enjoy the peace and quiet of January - you’re perfectly mirroring nature right now 🌿☺️💫
What a wonderfully refreshing post! Thank you. New year seems to be another festival boycotted by the fast and frantic demands of society to set goals and better oneself! I definitely felt myself being pulled into that frenzy but a nasty bout of Covid (which set in on New Year’s Eve) has reminded me that this time of year is all about being a little quieter, a little gentler with oneself and nourishing our inner flame. Sending love and gratitude for your inspiring and honest post. xxxx
I'm so glad it spoke to you, Emma. Yes, it's like we just shove ourselves into all this energy in a time that should be slow and steady. Hope you're feeling better!!
Your pace is perfect... I’ve felt so much of this over this past few years of pregnancy and Mothering... I’ve had to dig deep to stay in my own lane. Ease in gently and in your own rhythm. Grateful for your beautiful words and honesty always. Xxx
Love this, Hunter. I’m very much leaning into hibernation energy this January. Slowness and rootedness is the energy I’m seeking.❤️
Yesss, I love that, Jen. So glad you're embracing the winter energy too!
Hibernating is the exact vibe I have had this year. I am usually all about the posts for goals too
Not this year. Thank you for this post.
Ah it's so interesting you've been feeling similarly, Tammy! I wonder if it has to do with something energetically about this year. I'll have to do some research!
I appreciate you sharing this & resonate with this feeling completely. Back in 2023, I didnt start “planning” until March (about spring equinox interestingly!) because it felt more aligned and i was recovering from burn out in 2021, that bled into 2022. I came back stronger in 2024 & Im honoring the place Im at and acknowledging others are in different spaces as well. We can share, we can continue to hibernate, and ultimately we can take our well deserved time 💖
I love this, Eril. I'm definitely feeling into alignment for me and realizing that it might look different from the "mainstream" and that's totally okay. I'm so glad 2024 is off to a strong start for you and you've been able to heal!
Yess!! I felt this so hard last year, I couldn’t stomach any of it and one of my first posts here was about how winter was for reflecting and planning not doing! This year I feel a mix of gentle activity and lots of reflecting! Everyone needs to take their own pace, the date change is literally irrelevant as there are personal situations people deal with as well as collective energies going on.. not everyone is ready for a fresh start in the first week of the new year .. and often I don’t even think it’s the best way to do things after the rush of the holiday season, sometimes we just need a long breath before moving forward .. enjoy your time in quiet reflection and sending you love always 🤍
Thank you so much for this, Jennifer! It's definitely felt weird for me as in the past I have really enjoyed the new year energy, but this year I want nothing to do with it and have felt really confronted by it all. I'm glad you are feeling more grounded than last year with it, I'm hoping for that in the next year too. Sending love back!
Absolutely this. I always tend to feel more energised by the moon cycles than I do by calendar dates. Over Christmas (full moon) I just wanted to hibernate whereas now with the new moon approaching I'm fizzing with all the plans.
I am the same!! I literally got woken up last night at 3am with so many ideas!
Hibernation is on my mind as well. I wish we had a buffer zone, a No-Man's-Land between each year. A time when we aren't expected to make lists or better ourselves, where we're free to just meander about in PJs and get ourselves in order. Nevertheless, thanks for a year of Substack posts!
YES! I so wish for that too. I guess we just have to make it ourselves. Thank you so much for being here, Will!
Exactly! We have to carve out our own No-Man's-Land! Thank you for your words!
ahhhh i just wrote an essay about this and then read your newsletter 🥹🫶♥️
That's amazing!
I loved reading this, thank you. I had grand plans for being online over the break but instead I ended up in full on hibernation mode. I did have a few FOMO pangs and worried about the whole "being left behind" thing so it's so reassuring to hear that others feel that too. On the whole though, I'm glad I took a break and I feel a lot better for honouring my need for quiet and not powering through.
I was the same, and am still kind of finding my footing in the new year. But it definitely feels good to take a breather and see what comes from that space. So glad you were able to listen to it and lean in.
Goodness I love that slingshot metaphor. It’s one I use often in my coaching practice around motivation as in when we are feeling unmotivated it is often time to pull back and fine tune, like drawing back a bow before firing the arrow. I think we are conditioned to keep firing arrows without really aiming...just to see what lands.
I love that, Kristell! Exactly. It's about getting super clear on where we're going, and to do that requires slowing down and listening.
Feel the same way about the new years posts. I tried to write one myself because I felt like I “should.” I feel fortunate that intentional living has taught me to question every “should” that pops up in my mind. So I stopped trying and wrote the thing I actually felt called to write. Thank you for your wisdom!
Yes definitely! I did the same, started a whole big post and then was feeling so uninspired by it, so wrote this instead. So glad you were able to listen to your "shoulds" and make a different decision based on alignment!
Yes! You too🙌🏼
Thank you, Hunter. Spent the last two years attempting to take nature’s lead in the reflection of time and found the cyclical and following the seasons to be what’s most in tune with my mind and soul. Wishing you ease in the new year.
I'm so glad you've found following the seasons nourishing, Sarah. I have too. Wishing you a beautifully slow new year.
So in this with you darling 🤍 I personally feel now just isn’t the time for me to push or force anything, I’m dreaming and feeling, but no actions will be taken for quite some time yet. Winter is sinking into me so deeply this year and I am embracing so much of its wisdom, and part of that is simply doing as little as humanly possible (with a toddler of course!)
Yes! I soo get that. Haha there's only so much we can rest when toddlers are running around! They are like energizer bunnies!
I like to look at the seasons in line with my own inner season. That being said Day 1 of the menstrual cycle would line up with the winter solstice the darkest slowest most low tide moment. Unfortunately for most of us, and I think this is indicative of the society we live in Dec 21st is typically the busiest time for many women.
Today, I would put my equivalent day to Day 2 of the period cycle and the end of January as Day 3.
Then I think what do I need in my winter season of Day 2 and Day 3. Rest. Hibernation. Even when I'm in my Spring inner season, like I am today. Spring doesn't have the same energy and bounce back in the winter months. And this is okay.
I think you are living with your flow. And we all need to live with the flow.
This time of year asks us to be at low tide. To reflect, rest, restore, sit and simmer. To wait. To find our real values. If we use the menstrual cycle as our guide we know that goal setting comes at the end of winter after we have sorted the seeds from last harvest. Then we can begin to plan and plot it out, authentically.
If we rush it now we miss "the rest". And more than likely we will burn out before we really begin.
I am Day 10 in my cycle and Spring is definitely not in my step. Of course I'm just getting over a 7 day fever I had over Christmas week, so I know that the Spring energy I rely on and look forward to, was just not going to greet me this time.
All this to say, I think you are totally on par with what nature is calling us to- rest.
All seeds start in darkness, rest and waiting. That's day 1. That is the start of something new. It starts at rest and darkness and it germinates and emerges in its Spring time.
Such a beautiful parable. I hope you are encouraged to rest and wait for new life and energy! Cause when it hits, watch out!! Lol
I love this, Jess! Such beautiful thoughts. I've been tuning in a lot with my cycle and how it affects my energy levels/inspiration throughout the month. I actually just started my period this morning so am taking is nice and easy today, and it feels good to lean into rest and hibernation. Thank you so much for your wisdom-filled insights!
That's perfect! you are in line with the new moon! You might find that your coming Spring brings a new interesting energy in January. Sometimes in the winter months my Spring energy has me re-arraging the house! In a few days you may find you want to review your month from last and then sit with your deepest values and around day 5, dream and plan your Spring that is coming. Wishing you a restful inner winter phase in the actual winter and in the new moon. Now that is some deep rest, my friend. zzz
Yes! I am so excited that I'm lined up haha
I love that, and am already feeling more inspiration in these past few days than I've been feeling lately. It's so cool how our bodies just know. Thank you so much for sharing, Jess!
I want to be a bear. Stay under the covers, read, binge watch my favorite shows. Eat comfort foods, not workout, snuggle my cat. Winter is my favorite season because the world slows down. My new favorite word is “wintering” and that’s what I’m trying to do.
Yessss. I'm definitely "bear-ing" right now and it feels gooood. Wintering is such a beautiful term, isn't it? Have you read Katherine May's book on it?
I have not! And I should, but that to-read list, you know?it’s beyond cold here in CO today, how I wish I could have bear-ed instead of working!
I think you’re exactly on track! The world around us is still in deep hibernation at the moment and it makes no sense at all to try and be energetic in January. Plenty of time for all that when spring rolls around. Enjoy the peace and quiet of January - you’re perfectly mirroring nature right now 🌿☺️💫
Yes!! You are so right, thank you for the reassurance. Nature is filled with all the wisdom we need, isn't it?
What a wonderfully refreshing post! Thank you. New year seems to be another festival boycotted by the fast and frantic demands of society to set goals and better oneself! I definitely felt myself being pulled into that frenzy but a nasty bout of Covid (which set in on New Year’s Eve) has reminded me that this time of year is all about being a little quieter, a little gentler with oneself and nourishing our inner flame. Sending love and gratitude for your inspiring and honest post. xxxx
I'm so glad it spoke to you, Emma. Yes, it's like we just shove ourselves into all this energy in a time that should be slow and steady. Hope you're feeling better!!
Your pace is perfect... I’ve felt so much of this over this past few years of pregnancy and Mothering... I’ve had to dig deep to stay in my own lane. Ease in gently and in your own rhythm. Grateful for your beautiful words and honesty always. Xxx
Absolutely, mothering & pregnancy have taught me so many lessons around this. Thank you so much for the reminder.