Harnessing Winter's Stillness: Trusting the Rest and Replenishment

January often brings people into the clinic with a shared feeling of depletion. Not always illness, not always pain—but a sense of being worn thin. Energy feels lower than expected. Sleep is lighter or interrupted. Emotions can feel tender, uncertain, or slightly raw as the calendar year turns and expectations reset.

From a Chinese medicine perspective, this is not surprising. Winter is a time when the body naturally draws energy inward and downward. It’s associated with the Kidney system, which governs our deep reserves—what we might call long-term vitality, resilience, and potential. This is not a season of outward expression or visible productivity. It’s a season of restoration.

Just as we wouldn’t expect a tree to be leafing out in January, it’s not reasonable to expect ourselves to feel fully energized, creative, or expansive right now. Much of the work happening in winter is invisible. Beneath the surface, the body is restoring, gathering resources, and preparing for what comes next.

When we try to override this quieter phase—by pushing productivity, ignoring fatigue, or dismissing the need for rest—the nervous system often responds with anxiety, shallow sleep, or a constant feeling of being “on edge.” In contrast, when we trust this inward rhythm, the body often softens. Sleep deepens. Anxiety eases. The system feels safer.

In this way, trust becomes a form of care. Trusting that rest is not laziness. Trusting that stillness is not stagnation. Trusting that our tender, hardworking bodies will adapt as the circle of the year unfolds. Trusting that even when nothing looks like it’s happening, important work is underway.

In agriculture, winter is considered fallow time—a necessary pause that allows the soil to regenerate so growth can return in the spring. Our bodies require the same respect. January is not about forcing change, but about allowing recovery. About tending the roots so that future growth has something to rise from.

What I’m seeing most clearly this month are our bodies asking for patience, warmth, and reassurance. What does that look like for you? Fatigue, low back discomfort (kidney channel), feeling emotionally fragile or overwhelmed, and cold hands/feet are all classic signs of depletion.

This season invites us to move gently, listen to what we truly need, and work with the cycle rather than against it. Here are a few of my favorite January suggestions:

• Gently warm the body with a hot baths, or heat packs on low back in the evening

• Create simple soups or stews that 'pre-digest' food for easier digestion

• Adjust bedtime/ waking hour to give yourself more needed rest (call it 'bear cave time'!)

• Encourage others to take it slow, lessen the load, and (temporarily) pause productivity