The Psychology of Wintering: Why Rest Is Not a Problem to Solve

In recent times I find people often treat low-energy seasons, both literally and

metaphorically as obstacles to get through. In the press there is a strong narrative to

“fight” the winter blues, to “overcome” burnout, and “push through” tiredness.

What if we have got this approach entirely wrong? Katherine May, the British writer of a gem of a book: Wintering, frames these periods not as failures, but as necessary, restorative phases of the human cycle. Psychology offers us a language to understand why.

The Critical Role of Rest

Psychologist Anders Ericsson’s research on expertise revealed a non-negotiable truth: Elite performers achieve mastery not through endless grind, but through deliberate practice punctuated by deliberate rest. The brain consolidates learning and repairs itself during downtime. Wintering is the ultimate deliberate rest, a full-system consolidation.

Yet, we resist. And social psychology tells us why: In cultures that glorify “the hustle,” rest feels like deviance or a guilty pleasure. We fear falling behind, violating the unwritten rules of productivity. This creates cognitive dissonance, the discomfort of holding two conflicting beliefs (“I need rest” vs “rest is lazy”). Too often, we resolve it by abandoning rest, not the unrealistic belief.

Acceptance, Not Forced Positivity

The field of Clinical Psychology, particularly through Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), gives us a better tool. ACT teaches that struggling against difficult emotions amplifies suffering. The classic “What we resist, persists.” Wintering invites us to practice psychological acceptance: To acknowledge the sadness, the quiet of depletion, or the stillness of uncertainty without immediate judgment or a frantic plan to fix it.

This is not passive resignation. It is the active choice to stop fighting the weather of

your own mind.

How to Winter, Psychologically:

1. Reframe the narrative: Use cognitive restructuring (a CBT technique) to challenge

thoughts like “This is wasted time.” Replace them with: “This is a necessary phase of

my cycle.”

2. Practice self-compassion: Drawn from the work of Kristin Neff. Speak to yourself about your fatigue or low mood with the kindness you would offer a friend. This

reduces the shame that amplifies winter’s chill.

3. Embrace ritual: Behavioural psychology shows us that small, consistent actions anchor us. A morning tea, a daily walk in the weak sun, lighting a candle. These are behavioural activation not to force cheer, but to provide gentle, rhythmic structure.

4. Lower the Bar: Temporarily reduce cognitive load. This again is not failure; it is energy management. Conserve your finite willpower and executive function, as studied by researchers like Roy Baumeister.

Wintering is not a pathology to cure with light boxes and forced gratitude although

both have their place. It’s a psychological season. A time to retreat, reflect, restore

and repair. The promise of spring is not some sort of reward for surviving winter, but

that it is the natural, eventual outcome of having allowed the winter to do its essential, quiet work.