I have lots of little stashes of blog posts and advice I love, squirreled away like acorns across the internet. Recently I dug my way through my Bloglovin collections, and stumbled back across a piece from Darling Magazine about the difference between hibernation and hiding. It was something that really resonated with me last year, and it’s still ringing true.
In the post they talk about how hibernation is different to hiding because, “hibernation is an adaptation that helps […] conserve energy by remaining inactive”. It’s not running away but slowing down to recoup.
What really struck me when I was rereading the post wasn’t how well they’ve articulated that difference, but that I think I could really do with a period of hibernation. I’ve been feeling more and more like the pace I’m currently moving isn’t sustainable unless I take a moment to restock properly. I’ve tried taking small breaks, but I need to hit reset. If for no other reason than I’m pretty sure everyone is bored of me saying I’m tired and busy, because that’s all that I am right now.
So, in order to preserve what’s left of my sanity and my stability. I’m thinking of taking a period of hibernation over this winter.
But what does that mean?
Here’s what I’m planning for my hibernation:
- I’m going to feed my body and my mind – when animals hibernate, they build up big stocks of food to keep them nourished throughout the winter. I’m not going to build a pile of seeds and nuts, but I am going to try to look after myself a little bit better. I also want to take some time to just consume arts, and media, and new experiences, without necessarily having to create off the back of it.
- I’m going to rest – this is the big one. I just want to sleep and relax. I don’t want to worry about scavenging for my next instagram post or my next blog idea.
- I’m going to slow my rhythm – animals who hibernate slow down their metabolic rate to survive not eating and being cold for so long. I want to take a bit of inspiration out of that and set myself up with a new, slower schedule.
- I’m going to nest – I always imagine well stocked burrows when I think of hibernators and I want to take this opportunity to clean up my space a little. As much as I try to keep on top of things both my physical and digital spaces need some TLC and that takes time, and it takes being prioritised.
This post is also something of a forewarning that I’m going to be taking a good chunk of January away from blogging. I don’t think I’m going to completely retreat into my cave nest away from social media, but expect a quiet period on here at least.
