Wintering offers ample time and space for reflection, rest and exploring quieter hobbies. It also provides space for leaning into our routines that are working and serving us. Oftentimes, wintering can be solitary pursuits. Other times it can be enjoyed and explored within the company of your home.
Wintering is the season where you get to dig deep into your more quiet hobbies. Move slowly and with intention. Life isn’t rushed here. Rather, life is spent maintaining routines, rhythms and rituals that sustain you.
Rest, reflection and gentle planning are big components during the fallow months of the wintering season. These practices prepare you for the time when life blooms again and grows at a rapid pace. And you naturally have the energy to match it.
The season of wintering offers a natural space for restoration and healing from the burn out life often throws at us. While outwardly it may look like very little productivity, inwardly, we are building resilience for whatever may be ahead of us. Whether that’s hardship, challenges or the regular growth spurts we experience throughout life.
If you are subscribed to my newsletter, Singlenesting Letters, over on Substack, you know that we are currently exploring this gentle, seasonal concept of wintering. So much of wintering takes place in the quiet moments and, often, in solitude. The beauty of wintering, however, doesn’t have to equate to loneliness or isolation. So, how can we intentionally invite others into our wintering practices?
Here are six gentle, invitational ways to winter with others that feel cozy, low-pressure and very Singlenesting 🤍
- Host a “Bring Your Own Mug” Evening
Invite a few people over for tea, cocoa or mulled cider and ask everyone to bring their favorite mug. Keep it simple: a simmer pot, soft lighting and unhurried conversation. The mug becomes an easy icebreaker and a quiet way to share personal stories.
- Plan a Shared Quiet Night (Together, Separately)
Invite friends over with the expectation that you’ll all do your own quiet activity, think reading, knitting, journaling, together in the same space. Light candles, put on instrumental music and let togetherness exist without the pressure to perform.
- Start a Winter Walking Ritual
Choose a weekly or biweekly winter walk with one or two people. No fitness goals. Just movement, fresh air and conversation. End with coffee or soup, if you’d like, or simply part ways feeling a little more grounded.
- Create a Soup Swap or Simple Supper Rotation
Wintering doesn’t always mean hosting a full dinner. Trade pots of soup, bread or freezer-friendly meals with a small circle. It’s nourishing, practical and deeply communal without being overwhelming.
- Gather for Gentle Reflection or Prayer
Invite a few trusted women for an evening of reflection. Choose to read a short passage, sharing what this season is teaching you or praying together. Keep it intimate and unpolished. Winter gatherings can be sacred without being formal.
- Offer Your Home as a Soft Landing Place
Instead of a planned event, let friends know your home is open for impromptu drop-ins like an afternoon cup of tea, a place to exhale, a couch to sit on. Wintering with others often looks like availability, not activity.
Wintering is the season that feels made for quiet companionship. Let’s embrace that!
