~ Guest Post by Alexandra Howson
As the Snoqualmie Valley leans into winter, something in the world shifts. Our mornings arrive wrapped in gray, evenings settle in earlier, and even the trees seem to whisper that it’s time to slow down.
Nature transitions effortlessly into rest. We people, on the other hand, often find slowing down strangely difficult.
Rest sounds simple—curl up with a blanket, take a breath, take a break. But the moment we try to pause, our minds fill with unfinished tasks, our bodies feel unsettled, and resting becomes yet another thing we feel like we should be good at.
If you struggle with slowing down, you’re not alone. Most of us live in a rhythm of constant forward motion. Daily life pulls us from task to task, often without much space in between. The result is a subtle but persistent urgency: thinking ahead, multitasking, planning, pushing. Over time, it becomes so familiar that we don’t even notice how much tension we’re carrying until something inside asks for our attention.
Stress and fatigue show up through body cues long before our minds register what’s happening: tight shoulders, shallow breathing, irritability, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, or simply feeling like everything takes a little more effort than it should.
These aren’t personal failings. They’re messages. Your body is telling you it needs a moment. In fact, rest isn’t a luxury. It’s a physiological need. When you pause, even briefly, your nervous system shifts gears. Muscles soften, breathing deepens, and cortisol begins to settle. A small rest can reset your entire internal pace.
So why does something so essential feel so hard?
Because rest asks us to disrupt the momentum we’ve been taught to maintain. It asks us to put down productivity, even for a minute, and listen inward. That kind of pause can feel unfamiliar, or even uncomfortable, if we’re not used to it.
The good news is that rest doesn’t need to be long, dramatic, or perfect. It just needs to be practiced. Start small. Start where you are.
Here’s a simple way to begin with a one-minute landing:
- Sit or stand comfortably.
- Slowly drop your shoulders away from your ears.
- Breathe in through your nose then exhale slowly.
- Feel the ground beneath your feet.
- Soften your jaw.
- Take three unhurried breaths, in and out through your nose.
That’s it. One minute. No pressure, no performance. Just a quiet return to yourself.
Use this practice as a tiny pause between emails, before you walk into the house, or right before bed. Over time, you’ll build more calm, more clarity, and a steadier sense of being in your own body.
As you ease into winter, you don’t need to overhaul your life to feel more grounded. You just need to begin noticing when your body whispers, “Slow down.” And when it does, offer it a moment.
Your body already knows how to rest. This season simply gives you permission to practice.
Living Snoqualmie is welcoming a new recurring column, Weathering Well, written by Snoqualmie based medical writer and yoga teacher Alex Howson, PhD. Drawing on decades of experience in health education, medical writing, and yoga, Alex explores practical, evidence-based ways to support physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing through the many seasons of life. Each column blends accessible science, grounded storytelling, and simple tools for building steadiness, resilience, and long-term health in a changing world. You can find Alex on Facebook, Instagram, Linked In and on her website https://www.alexhowson.com/.
