Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May

As someone who’s constantly working on being kinder to myself while I help others do the same, this book had so much wisdom to share.

May describes winter as both a literal and metaphorical season - a time to retreat, heal, and reflect. A “winter” could be period of burnout, illness, or even the grief of losing someone close to you.

Seasons always change and spring always comes. Instead of being harsh and critical of periods where we hunker down and rest, we can welcome it as an expected phase of life that is necessary to grow and restore.

Meeting our needs means resisting the temptation to shame what our body is communicating to us. Rest is sometimes best.