I used to dread winter. The early darkness! The time change! The "Oh wow. It's technically 6pm...but it feels like 'dying alone'..." But then I discovered hygge—that cozy Danish concept of embracing warmth, slowness, and candlelit everything—and I started to rethink things.
What if winter wasn’t something to survive but something to sink into? What if February wasn’t a just get through it month but a resting one?
(Honestly, I’m not entirely convinced we’re supposed to be awake at all. Can we talk about bears? Have we absolutely ruled out humans going "full cave nap" for February? Have we even tried it once? I volunteer to be studied.)
Anyone instead of fighting winter, I started surrendering to it. I leaned into slower mornings, earlier bedtimes, and—creating space.
Because if there’s ever a perfect time to hibernate, reset, and declutter, it’s February.
This isn’t the frantic energy of January, where everything feels like a race to reinvent your life overnight. February is different. It’s quieter. It’s the month where you can clear out, make room, and set yourself up for spring before spring even gets here.
Three Simple Ways to Create Space This Month:
1. Declutter something tiny, daily. Not your whole house. Not your whole closet. Just one thing. A drawer. A shelf. The expired sauces in your fridge. It’s not about perfection—it’s about lightening the load little by little. Do it with slow joy. Do it with... sloy*. 🤔
2. Audit your schedule like you’d audit your closet. What’s in there that doesn’t fit anymore? What are you saying yes to that drains you? What can you toss, donate, or swap for something that actually feels good?
3. Embrace winter rest instead of resisting it. More blankets. More candles. More books. Less guilt for wanting to slow down. The world will start speeding up again soon—give yourself permission to be still while you can. Let’s normalize lazy hibernating bear energy. LHBE! Are you in? Hit reply, let me know, (then pull on some cozy socks and go lay down.)
xoxo- Katie Day (write back soon!) *i regret "sloy"
Up Next: Today, Feb 17: I just released the finale of my habits course Module 5: "Unleash Your Wildly Creative Life" inside The Habit Lab. What do systems have to do with creativity....EVERYTHING.
NOT Wed, Feb 19: UPDATE: I'm NOT giving akeynote at Springfield Soundstage, Springfield, MO at 5:30pm CST. 😆 Apparently, there is a snowpocalypse coming to Springfield, MO and this will be rescheduled. (If you were planning to come, hit reply and I'll let you know personally when the makeup event will be!) Friday, February 21:Improv Comedy Show, Mother's Brewery Barrel Room, Springfield, MO ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Work with me! 1:1 Coaching: February is full! But I will have one opening for a new one-on-one client in March! Grab the spot while it's hot! It is a 3-month program with a Zoom meeting every other week and custom homework in between! I'd love to be your transformation ally! (You also get access to the habits course!) Hit reply and we'll get started. Group Coaching Community: I offer group coaching at an affordable rate through The Habit Lab. Included are my signature Habits Masterclass, daily posts and check-in's, and I lead live zoom calls twice a month. Join us. You're right on time.
I tried green smoothies "sarcastically" as part of my "radical one-year experiment of me trying crazy self-improvement cliches so you don't have to" and here I am craving them every morning. I drink like six cups of liquid lettuce for breakfast every morning. Is that so weird? Tastebuds crave what you feed them. Wild.
After hitting rock bottom, I've embarked on a radical journey. For one year, I'm taking a break from all cynicsm and trying out some crazy self-improvement experiments (so you don't have to.)