Winter is for hibernation, not hustle
*But scrolling is not hibernation
My feed is currently full of people reminding me that winter is a season of hibernation. It’s not the time for resolutions or new starts or rolling up your sleeves while you proclaim “this year I’m going to…” statements.
It might be surprising (considering that I’m doing a workshop on planning for 2026 next week), but the truth is: I’m loving all these reminders that winter is not the time to try to execute new goals.
I couldn’t agree more.
But - there’s one thing missing from the discourse that is really, really important. (and explains why I’m doing the workshop next week).
It IS a season for hibernation.
But hibernation IS NOT scrolling. Hibernation is not passive. It isn’t a form of disconnection or dissociation, or lack of activity each day.
In fact, some of the versions of ‘hibernation’ I’m seeing proposed for this season is actually the opposite of hibernation.
Lying in bed and scrolling TikTok is the equivalent of a Bear pacing outside their cave for hours and hours hunting for berries and not stopping, even when it finds some. It’s the equivalent of a rat running on a wheel. It’s exhausting, not restorative. It’s not a ‘winter’ activity.
I’m a reflection/dreaming person, not because I don’t value rest, but because I do. I actually wish MORE of us were hibernating right now. And that’s what this season is for; that’s what the workshop is designed to be: an invitation to true hibernation.
Hibernation is a state shift, designed to conserve energy. Winter is hard. And cold. So bears enter a specific state that enables them to survive. They shift their behavior, reallocate their energy to ensure their internal systems are prioritizing behavior that will enable their survival, vs wasting precious resources running after berries that they can’t find in winter.
New Year’s resolutions (as they tend to be understood) are counter to this. And, they are not my jam. As others have been highlighting - I don’t think winter is a good time for them - but more importantly, the research is clear - no time is good for them. The way most people do resolutions and goal-setting doesn’t actually work at any time of year. We aren’t good at muscling through and making change through willpower.
What I do this time of year, and what I’m inviting others to join me in, isn’t about optimization or new effort or finding energy you don’t have to do something that you don’t truly value.
What I do this time of year is a form of hibernation. It’s a retreat internally to notice how I’m spending my energy and recognizing that, because conditions out there are harsh, I need to reallocate my resources and prioritize what keeps me healthy. I seek to let go of behaviors and patterns that spend energy that I do not have on things I don’t need and don’t value. I hibernate.
I’m a fan of reflecting and dreaming - not as a means to start something, but as a way to return to something - to restore something - to realign your behavior with what really matters to you. It’s not about spending your energy to control yourself better; it’s about conserving your energy to stop wasting energy on things that don’t matter.
And I happen to think that is exactly what this season is for.
If you’re up for hibernating with me - come join me for the workshop live, or watch it in your own time. Check it out at the link below.
Please note: shifted the time for some UK folks
🗓 Tuesday, January 13
⏰ 12:15–1:30 PM CT
📍 Virtual (live)
🎥 Recording included (available if you can’t attend live)
We’ll use accessible neuroscience and guided reflection to clarify values and turn them into a few realistic, meaningful priorities for the next few months.