How to honour your energy, rebalance your body, and reclaim your rhythm this winter
Every year, I hit the ground running in January.
By mid-January, I’ve usually mapped out my quarter, booked talks, planned content, and started executing. But this year… something shifted.
A personal event made me pause. Really pause.
It reminded me of something I say often: “health is wealth.”
We say it like a mantra – but when someone close to you is impacted, those words hit harder.
Why January is the wrong time to push
We live in a world that celebrates the sprint, the hustle, the “new year, new me” grind. But nature doesn’t operate like that. And neither should we.
Remember the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare? The hare races ahead, burns out, and ultimately loses. The tortoise moves slowly and steadily – and wins. January, for many of us, has become “hare season” : full of resolutions, urgency, and pressure to transform.
But what if January isn’t the starting line?
What if it’s the warm-up. A time to recalibrate before the real growth begins in spring?
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” – Lao Tzu
The Science Behind Slowing Down in Winter
Slowing down in January isn’t laziness – it’s biology. Here’s what’s happening beneath the surface:
1. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- SAD affects around 1 in 15 people in the UK.
- Caused by low light exposure, indoor living, and disrupted circadian rhythms.
- Can lead to fatigue, low mood, poor sleep, and a general lack of motivation (1, 2)
- Read more about SAD and how nutrition can help here: SAD
2. Post-Holiday Burnout
After the indulgence and emotional load of December, January often brings a crash – physically, mentally, and financially(3)
3. Circadian Rhythm Disruption
Less daylight affects serotonin and dopamine production – critical for mood, motivation, and immune resilience (4). This is turn will affect our sleep cycles and energy. Which will not be in line with sprinting or ‘doing’ much.
4 Ways to Honour the Tortoise in You
If you want to feel more balanced, resilient, and ready for spring, start now by slowing down.
1. 🌞 Start Your Day Slow: No Screens Before Breakfast
Your nervous system is most vulnerable first thing in the morning. Reaching for your phone before water or breath puts you in fight-or-flight before you’ve even left your bed.
Try this instead:
- Keep eyes closed for a minute and breathe slowly (3–4–5 breath cycle)
- Drink a large glass of water, then a warm drink
- Get 10–15 minutes of natural light (or use a SAD lamp)
- Set an intention for your day: grace, clarity, calm, energy, etc
This sets the tone for hormonal balance and mental focus.
2. Eat Warm, Grounding Foods
Cold smoothies and quick coffees can be depleting in winter. Your digestion and hormones thrive on warm, comforting meals.
Focus on:
- Fibre, healthy fats, protein, and slow carbs
- Think: porridge with seeds, eggs with greens, lentil soups, root veg stews
- Balance blood sugar to avoid mid-morning crashes and emotional eating by having plenty of protein at each meal and drinking your ‘quota’ of room-temperature water (not cold from the fridge). More on blood sugar here.
3. Reassess Your Commitments
Far too many of my clients are ‘doers’. They just don’t know or don’t want to say ‘no’ to anyone. But in doing so, they are saying ‘no’ to themselves. Their needs, their dreams, their own time and wants. In addition to this tendency, January is also overloaded with goals, plans and “shoulds.”
But your energy is not infinite and your body knows it.
Ask yourself:
- What truly needs my attention this month?
- Where am I leaking energy: through guilt, overcommitment, or urgency?
- What can I pause, reduce, or let go of (just for now)?
Doing less can create the space you need to heal, focus, and feel better in your body.
4. Prioritise Deep Rest
Real rest isn’t just sleep. It’s the nervous system being allowed to relax and exhale during the day.
This might look like:
- A nap without guilt
- A 10-minute walk with no phone
- Saying “no” to one non-essential commitment each week
- Going to bed 30 minutes earlier when possible.
More rest now = more energy, clarity and vitality later.
This Isn’t the Reset. It’s the Recalibration.
What if January wasn’t a race, but a warm-up. A month of planning, recalibrating, resetting and resisting the need to ‘do’ rather than ‘be’ all the time.
Think of this: your value isn’t measured by your productivity. And it definitely isn’t measured by the number of sacrifices you make to get the jobs done.
You don’t need to become someone else: you need to remember who you are when you’re nourished.
Let the tortoise lead. She knows the pace that lasts.
References
- NHS – Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):
https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/ - NHS Inform Scotland – Seasonal Affective Disorder:
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/mental-health/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/ - NHS Keeping Well – Rethinking the January Blues:
https://www.keepingwellnwl.nhs.uk/news/rethinking-january-blues - National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) – Circadian Rhythms and Mood:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7897275/