As we settle into the deep gray of the Pacific Northwest season, you may find your energy shifting — slower mornings, heavier moods, or that quiet pull to withdraw. It’s not just in your head. Our bodies and minds are deeply attuned to the rhythms of light and season, and this stretch of dim, rainy days can take a toll.
Awareness is key to healing, and that also applies to how we navigate the emotional impact of this time of year. Being aware of what it brings for you, personally — whether it’s fatigue, restlessness, or a need for more warmth and connection — is the beginning of moving in a way where the impact is lessened. When we meet this season with understanding rather than resistance, it becomes an opportunity to listen to our bodies and care for ourselves more intentionally.
If you’ve been feeling off, try to meet it with gentleness rather than frustration. The gray invites a slower pace — a time for reflection, warmth, and restoration. A few small shifts can help:
🌤 Seek light. Spend time near windows, step outside during daylight hours, or use a light-therapy lamp in the mornings.
🌿 Move gently. Even brief walks or stretches can lift mood and support balance.
🤍 Nourish connection. Reach out to others — especially when you don’t feel like it. Connection brings light back into the day.
🕯 Hold structure. Keeping a simple rhythm — wake time, meals, and movement — helps regulate your body and mind.
This season will pass, as they all do. In the meantime, may you find small moments of brightness — a cup of tea, the sound of rain, the glow of a lamp — reminding you that warmth and light are still here.