Winter Self-Care: What the Season — and the Horses — Teach Us About Slowing Down

by | Dec 20, 2025 | Uncategorized

Elf in Snow
  • Winter has never been my easiest season. As the years have passed, the cold feels heavier, the days feel shorter, and my body and spirit both crave warmth, rest, and quiet more than they once did. Living in Maryland, winter can feel especially long and uninviting.
    For a long time, I resisted this season. I tried to move through winter with the same pace and expectations I hold in spring and summer. Eventually, I realized that winter was inviting me to do something different.
    Winter is not a season of pushing.
    It is a season of listening.
    ________________________________________
    The Wisdom of Winter
    In nature, winter is a time of rest. Trees release their leaves. The land goes quiet. Growth doesn’t disappear—it simply shifts beneath the surface, preparing for what will come next.
    We often forget that we are part of nature, too.
    Winter invites us inward. It asks us to slow down, reflect, and tend to ourselves with more care. In a world that values constant productivity, honoring this rhythm can feel uncomfortable—but it is deeply necessary.
    ________________________________________
    What Horses Know About Energy
    Horses are incredible teachers when it comes to energy. In winter, you’ll notice subtle changes in the herd. Movement becomes more intentional. Energy is conserved. Nothing is wasted.
    Horses do not fight the season—they adapt to it.
    As humans, especially those of us who care for horses, this can be challenging. Our responsibilities don’t disappear when the temperature drops. Horses still need care, often requiring us to be outside in harsh conditions.
    And yet, horses mirror something important back to us:
    Energy must be replenished to be sustainable.
    If we continually give without restoring ourselves, our nervous system becomes depleted. Over time, this can show up as exhaustion, irritability, disconnection, or burnout.
    Winter reminds us that caring for ourselves is not separate from caring for others—it is what makes it possible.
    ________________________________________
    Redefining Winter Self-Care
    Winter self-care does not need to be elaborate or time-consuming. Often, it lives in small, intentional moments:
    • Allowing yourself to rest without guilt
    • Creating warmth—physically, emotionally, and energetically
    • Moving your body gently rather than forcefully
    • Spending quiet time in reflection or journaling
    • Saying no when your energy feels limited
    • Giving yourself permission to slow your pace
    Self-care is deeply personal. What restores one person may not restore another. Horses teach us this as well—each horse regulates and responds in their own way.
    The most important question to ask is:
    What does my energy need right now?
    ________________________________________
    A Journaling Invitation for Winter
    Take a few quiet moments with your journal and explore the following:
    • Where am I pushing when I could be softening?
    • What feels heavy for me during winter, and what feels nourishing?
    • If I allowed myself to conserve energy this season, what might change?
    • What would it look like to care for myself with the same patience I offer my horse?
    There is no right or wrong answer—only honest noticing.
    ________________________________________
    Taking Up Space in the Quiet
    As we move through the heart of winter, I invite you to take up space. Pause when you can. Breathe deeply. Listen to what your body and energy are asking for.
    Winter is not asking you to do more.
    It is asking you to be more present.
    When we honor the quieter seasons of our lives, we often emerge stronger, clearer, and more grounded—ready to meet spring when it arrives.
    However you choose to care for yourself this winter, know this: it matters.