February is basically the year’s emotional basement: dark, cold, and you are trying really hard to have “New Year, New You” energy, when in truth, the act of dragging your butt out of bed in the pitch black every single morning makes you feel like Sisyphus pushing the boulder up the hill for all eternity (not to be dramatic or anything…).
The Darkness is Real
You know we love a little science, so here is some scientific framing that will hopefully help you feel less crazy and a little more hopeful. The thaw is coming!
Depending on where you live, the “darkest weeks of the year” fall somewhere between early December and the middle to end of January. This is the time of year that feels dark, literally and figuratively. The sun is setting absurdly early and the rising depressingly late. It is entirely feasible that you are leaving work in dusky darkness, and that your alarm is going off in the pitch-black night.
So, let’s name it: less light, more indoors, and more friction. This is true even if you live in an area with a more southerly latitude. You might not be dealing with snow, but you are still dealing with reduced sunlight. The point: It makes sense that things feel a little hard right now. You are not lazy; you are in a high-friction environment. The end of winter is not a personal failing; it is seasonal context.
Surviving the Final Winter Sprint: The 3 P’s
By the way, who decided that New Year’s resolutions belong in January — particularly lifestyle resolutions? It makes sense from a calendar perspective, but from a “biological rhythms” perspective, it is literally doing the hardest thing at the hardest time.
To be clear, we are not trying to discourage you from making wellness resolutions! A healthy mind, body, and spirit will improve all the things, but let’s set some reasonable baseline frameworks.
1. Protect: Protect your energy. Accept that you might have a little less gas in the tank and act accordingly. Inventory your boundaries. Prioritize your commitments, and be real with yourself about how many high-functioning hours you have in a day.
Your calendar is not a moral document; it is a capacity document. Treat it as such. This is the perfect time to practice some boundary and prioritization skills.
- “I can do X by Friday or Y by Wednesday. Which one matters most?”
- “I’m at capacity. If this is urgent, what should I deprioritize?”
If you are a people leader, this is a time when your team needs clarity and prioritization.
2. Preserve: Preserve and prioritize the basic pillars of wellness: sleep, movement, food, water, outside light when possible, bucket-filling (over obligation-filling) connection.
What are the ingredients for your Minimum Viable Day (MVD)? Your MVD list is the smallest set of actions that keeps you steady, nourished, and physically/emotionally/spiritually functional.
Examples:
- Consume 100 grams of protein
- Drink 2-3 liters of water
- Move your body for 15 minutes
- One meaningful touchpoint with a human I care about
- Complete one “future-me” action (pay bills, meal prep, check something off your monthly TODO list)
Think about this time as Maintenance Plus, and you get to decide what the “Plus” is, but be realistic with your long-term goals in mind. If all you can do is maintain, then maintenance is the strategy.
3. Prepare: Prepare for the thaw. All those grand plans you have for the New Year? Take action, plant seeds, ease in. The goal is to set the stage and build momentum for long-term success. This means working with your natural cycles of resourcing and energy.
Raise your hand if you have charged into January with big lifestyle and productivity overhaul plans, and completely burned yourself out by the end of February?
When we are feeling a little <meh>, we are at risk for overcorrection. All of my overachievers… this is particularly true for YOU. Yes, I am speaking from personal experience. Yes, I am staring at you through this blog with loving intensity. Yes, I may have injured my left knee when I decided to commit to RUNNING up ALL the stairs in 2026.
How about a 20% rule? 20% more effort at a time, maintain that for a week or two, and then add a little more.
A Little Dose of Hi-EQ: The Winter Audit
A 5-minute mini-practice for those of you who need to DO something.
- Let’s be real, how is my “energy tank” doing right now? Not just today….let’s take an average of the last 10-12 days.
- What is costing me the most energy right now?
- What is one thing that I can pause, postpone, or make “good enough” for three to four weeks?
- What is one small recovery habit that I can make stupid easy?
- Who do I need to tell the truth about my capacity?
- What would “gentle progress” look like until the thaw?
Final Thoughts to Get You to Spring
- Sunshine (and lack of sunshine) really does affect your brain. It’s science.
- You don’t need more discipline. You need smarter pacing.
- You are not behind. You are in winter. Act accordingly.
- If you are feeling persistently dark, numb, or scary, this is not a “push through” moment. It is a “get support” moment.
To all my ambitious darlings, it is okay to walk up the stairs and occasionally take the elevator.
XO,
Anna
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