Wintering Prompts
1. Checking-in with my whole self
What does my body most need right now as we settle into this winter season?
(Rest, rhythm, reassurance, warmth, structure, quiet, something else entirely.) Write freely and see what lands on the page.
2. Wintering
When I imagine “wintering” ~ what images, memories, or feelings arise for me?
3. Setting Aside
What feels like it’s asking to be set down for a while so you can spend more time tending to something else this winter? (habits, expectations, relationships, or inner narratives.)
4. Wisdom of Wintering
If winter were a mentor to you ~ what lesson is it offering you right now?
(This could be about stillness, patience, nourishment, release, beauty, quiet, rest, comfort...or something else entirely.)
2. The Art of Holding & Letting Go
What is one thing you are holding onto that is serving you?
What is one thing you are holding onto that is weighing you down?
(A chance to notice what feels nourishing vs. depleting.)
3. The First Signs of Thaw
Imagine it’s the first warm day in early spring. That day everyone is out and about, everyone remembers about their favourite outdoor cafe/restaurant, everyone is in the park, everyone looks happy... we all know that day!
What shifts in you?
What awakens?
What do you find yourself ready for?
(this is about gentle anticipation without rushing away from the present moment, in fact remembering the importance of THIS time and the deep work that's happening.)
Katherine May’s Wintering as companion to journaling
If you have read, or are reading, or even thinking about reading Wintering by Katherine May, I am sure you will organically find some journal prompts. I think these line up very well with week 2, especially for the going inwards weekend. May invites us toward deep listening, acceptance of fallow periods and making peace with “dormancy”. Here are some prompts that go a layer deeper:
1. Honouring the fallow ground Where in my life am I being asked to rest rather than repair? What might change when I stop treating this pause as a problem to solve?
2. Listening for the weather inside If I described my inner landscape as a season or weather system right now, what would it be? What does this particular climate need in order to be lived in gently?
3. Making friends with the dark What has this quieter, darker season already taught me? What are my fears here, and how I can overcome them?
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More wintering prompts you might like:
While I was looking for an image of “writing in winter” I actually found more winter prompts:
https://atmospherepress.com/winter-writing-prompts/