For every female lawyer who’s running on low battery
“If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit”
Winter can be a tricky season for many of us.
Shorter days, freezing cold and endless rain. The pressure of buying all the Christmas presents on top of hitting financial targets. Money worries creeping in as school holidays loom. And if you’re already carrying mental or emotional exhaustion, the cold months can feel like they magnify everything.
As female lawyers, we’re often expected to power through; to stay switched on and performing at our best, even when we’re beginning to run on empty.
But in her excellent book Wintering, Katherine May offers us a different perspective: winter isn’t a sign of failure or stagnation. It’s part of a natural cycle. A time when growth goes underground, gathering strength.
Just like us.
What looks dormant is often renewing itself
May describes how trees in winter appear dead. Their branches are bare, their energy withdrawn. But underground, something powerful is happening: complex processes unfold to prepare them for their next surge of life.
I absolutely love this, and now think of it every winter, when things can otherwise start to look a bit bleak.
What if we could adopt a similar approach?
“Wintering” could be choosing consciously to slow down - to step back to heal, recalibrate, and prepare for the next phase of our lives and careers.
Maybe your “wintering” looks like:
Taking longer to get going in the mornings
Feeling less social or driven, and saying no to things accordingly
Reassessing what you really want from your life
Planning your goals for next year with this in mind
Allowing yourself to truly rest (ok, I know we can’t rest just yet! I realise many of us are now running on fumes as we limp to the finish line of the year)
None of that means you’re falling behind. It means you’re in your winter season, gathering energy for your spring.
Learning from winter traditions
May explores how different cultures embrace the colder months rather than resist them.
She writes about:
The healing power of cold and warmth together in Iceland
Stepping into a volcanic-heated lake, surrounded by icy air - a reminder that contrast can be comforting and restorative. “We feel warmer knowing that it’s freezing outside.”Watching whales in the North Atlantic
Standing on the deck of a boat in Iceland’s deep cold, witnessing a whale and her calf thrive in conditions we would find unbearable. “All this life, all this survival, in the deepest cold.”Saunas as spiritual spaces in Finnish culture
More than a luxury - they are seen as essential as a kitchen or bathroom.Sankta Lucia celebrations in Sweden
Children dressed in white, carrying candles through the darkness. A ritual that encourages communities to bring light into the world, even when the days are short.
Each of these traditions invites us to see winter differently: as a season of resilience, warmth, and shared humanity.
The small pleasures of winter
Ok, I’ll admit it - I’m one of those slightly strange people who genuinely enjoys this time of year.
I find there’s a joy in:
Chunky jumpers and thick tights (you know it’s properly winter when you crack out the 100 deniers)
Boots to keep my feet warm. Accidentally stepping in a deep puddle is not an issue at this time of year.
The warming joy of a steaming hot chocolate after a cold winter walk in the park
Lighting a candle at 4pm because why not?
We get to wrap ourselves up. We get to choose comfort and cosiness.
Winter in the legal profession: unexpected joy and gentle connection
In law, winter brings its own rhythms; both pressures and little pockets of joy:
Clients suddenly wanting everything done before Christmas (shout out to all my fellow employment lawyers on their 10,000th settlement agreement of the month)
Secret Santa (and the mad dash for last-minute gifts)
Twinkling office lights and unexpected boxes of chocolates
Conversations that feel more personal and less transactional
Christmas parties where colleagues feel suddenly more human
The inbox finally going blissfully quiet between Christmas and New Year
There is a different vibe in the legal industry at this time of year - a rare moment where the armour comes off and we see each other as real people.
What if winter is exactly the season we need?
May encourages us to trust the “down” seasons as much as the “up” ones. To let go of the belief that productivity is the only measure of worth. To accept that deep growth often happens in the quiet times.
So if this winter feels heavy - that’s ok.
If you’re craving slower days - that’s normal (so am I).
Because soon enough, spring will call you forward again, with new ideas and motivation.
For now, you can wrap up warm, choose your thickest jumper, pour that hot chocolate, and protect your peace.
Please therefore let this be your reminder:
You are not falling behind.
You are wintering.
And wintering is not a weakness – it’s preparation for coming back into bloom next year.
Enjoy the rest of your week.
Rachel
Ps if you’re stuck for a Christmas present for someone, buy them Wintering. It’s one of the few books I have repeatedly read because it’s so restorative and lovely.