I identify with this month’s feature article, The Burnout Reset: Whole-Body Recovery for the Season Ahead, in that I’ve noticed my natural inclination in recent years to slow down as the weather cools and the days get shorter. I’d chalked this up to aging, so it is nice to learn another take: “Winter is an invitation to slow down,” according to Kari Liebowitz. 

But more than just slowing down during the cooler months, I have craved slowing down, period (and maybe this is natural with age). Many of us have spent much of our lives getting an impossible number of tasks crossed off to-do lists at work and at home. Living a life of constant doing, and beating ourselves up for not getting everything done, takes a toll—and now it strikes me as madness. Looking back, I suspect this state of mind made me more reactionary to global and local events and feeling more frightened than empowered. So now I gravitate to the idea of balancing my demands with my resources, knowing that I’ll feel guilty, as it requires saying no sometimes. In fact, I just said no to a request, and I’ve been revisiting it for the last three days in a “How is this going to bite me in the end?” sort of way. While I don’t like thinking this way, I am happy to choose to say “no” and “yes” rather than feeling “no” isn’t an option. 

I think it comes down to living life more mindfully, staying in the present moment, and being thankful for our many blessings. When we’re going for a walk, for example, we can be noticing birds chirping, the wind rustling in the trees, or deer crossing the road, instead of all the things we need to get done that day. 

Wishing you a mindful and thankful month, 

Shannon