Let me tell you something nobody wants to hear — something we feel in our bones but rarely say out loud. You are tired in December because you are supposed to be tired. Not because you’re doing something wrong. Not because you’re not organized enough, strong enough, social enough, or grateful enough. You are tired because everything in nature is tired right now.
Nature Is Slowing Down — Radically
December is not a month of expansion. It’s a month of contraction. While we decorate, bake, host, shop, wrap, smile, and perform joy… nature is shutting down. Look around — or better yet, look inward.
- The sun is at its lowest point, giving us minimal light.
- Darkness dominates the day.
- Trees have pulled their sap deep into their roots to survive.
- Animals are hibernating or conserving energy.
- Seeds lie dormant in frozen soil, doing nothing, waiting.
This is what winter survival looks like: stillness, slowness, and energetic minimalism. Nature is not producing. Nature is not blooming. Nature is not hustling. Nature is resting — because rest is what ensures survival.
And Then There Is Us…
Humans, meanwhile, have designed December to be the complete opposite of what we biologically need. While the Earth whispers, slow down, society demands:
- “Be social.”
- “Be festive.”
- “Be generous.”
- “Finish everything.”
- “Show up.”
- “Smile.”
We celebrate at the exact moment the natural world is retreating. We push hardest when the Earth tells every living being to pause. No wonder you’re exhausted. It’s not you. It’s the mismatch between what your body is made for and what your calendar demands.
What December Actually Means
December is not a failure. It’s a signal. It’s about:
- Early bedtimes.
- Saying no.
- Staying home.
- Moving slower.
If you are exhausted in December, you are not broken. You are a human animal living through the dark time of the year. The question isn’t how to have more energy. The question is: what becomes possible when you stop fighting the season you are actually in?
The Astrological Truth
Even astrology mirrors this tension. We begin the month in Sagittarius, a fire sign — the last spark of enthusiasm, optimism, and movement before the dark of winter settles in. It’s the final push of energy before reality arrives. Around the winter solstice, Capricorn season begins. Capricorn is Cardinal Earth — the sign that understands endurance, responsibility… and exhaustion. The goat climbs the mountain, yes, but the goat also knows when to shelter, when to conserve energy, when to wait out the storm. December 21st marks the longest night of the year — the peak of darkness. Ancient cultures honored this moment by turning inward. They rested. They accepted that the world had gone quiet. We? We turned it into a month of performance.
Shift Exhaustion Into Groundedness
Your fatigue is not failure. It’s wisdom. December invites you to:
- Understand what’s taking too much energy.
- Recognize what needs to be set down.
- Notice what is ready to change.
When you stop fighting December and start working with it, everything changes. Exhaustion transforms into groundedness. Overwhelm transforms into clarity. Pressure transforms into strategy. You are not broken. You are not lazy. You are not falling behind. You are learning to listen. December isn’t asking you to sparkle more. It’s asking you to stop pretending you’re not tired in the darkest month of the year.
Honor the slowness.
Honor the dark.
Honor yourself.
Everything blooms again — just not now.
Dear reader, you may like also this:
Stop. Nothing Is Truly Urgent.
