It’s not me, it’s winter. How to have a gentle January

And a Winterstrone soup recipe to warm you right up

Hello Friends. How are you?

I’ve adored seeing photos of your Boxing Day & Beyond leftovers and your New Years Graze & Laze party boards. I’m thrilled that so many of you (especially those who were worried it might be all a bit eye roll-y) said you got a lot from my last newsletter with the visualisation meditation and journal prompts. If you missed it, it’s never too late to reflect on what’s been and move forward with more purpose. Have a look here

Today’s newsletter brings you a favourite soup recipe and ways to have a more gentle January (and Feb and March etc). I’ve already wasted far too much of life dreading winter then complaining about it when it gets here so I’m ready to flip my feelings about it, are you?

Quote by Suzy Reading

When I don’t know what to do or what to eat, I make a soup. Or defrost some soup.

(Some of you who have been following along with me for years know I’m a soup fanatic and I’m forever pitching a soup cookbook to my publishers but they always say NO. Maybe 2025 is finally the year I write a love letter to soup cookbook. Shall I!?

This particular soup encompasses 3 key factors

1. A winter veg = squash, I used butternut this time

2. Beans = because I know you either love beans or want to eat more beans

3. Leafy greens = because I know you either love greens or want to eat more greens

Squash, beans & Greens

It’s a veggie soup although I often us chicken broth and top with Parmesan. It’s sort of a winterstrone ( a winter minestrone) although there’s no little pasta in it but go ahead and add a handful of pasta or roughly snip some leftover spaghetti into the pot.

3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced + 1 leek, diced or another onion
½ butternut squash (or any squash you liked), peeled
2 fat cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Pinch of chilli flakes
1 tsp dried oregano or thyme
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 litre veg stock or chicken broth
1x 400g tin beans, drained and rinsed, I used white beans
4 large handfuls of greens, roughly torn or chopped
Sea salt and black pepper
Parmesan/ cheddar / any cheese (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and once hot add the onion, leek, a pinch of salt and black pepper. Fry for 15 minutes until soft, stirring every now and then.

Add the peeled squash, garlic, chilli and herbs and fry for about 3 minutes until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Add the tomato puree, fry for a few minutes until brick red.

Add the stock and beans, bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes until the squash is completely tender. Finally, add the greens and cook for a few minutes until wilted. Taste for seasoning and serve with parmesan and a good drizzle of olive oil.

It’s not me, it’s winter.

At the end of last year, because I was having a tough time ( I’m sorry if you were too), my friend who is the founder of The Shelf Help Club posted me the very helpful book ‘Self-care for Winter’ by Suzy Reading. In the winter of 2023, I had devoured the book Wintering by Katherine May and passed it around many friends then realised I had lost it along the way so I was thrilled to read this surprise book through the letterbox. I’m happy to say that Suzy Reading has generously shared some extracts of her book here so let’s explore how we can better embrace winter this year. Over to you, Suzy!

Mother Nature is calling us to slow down. There are still a few months to wait for the real resurgence of energy that comes with the rebirth of spring; in the meantime, we need a framework to help us honour the impulse to hibernate in life-giving ways.

1. Turn winter dread into gentle anticipation

January and February can feel like one tough slog, and the lack of warmth and daylight have a very tangible impact on how we feel. I would love for your new year mantra to be ‘it’s not me, it’s just winter’. Winter dread trains our eyes to see all the things we don’t enjoy, whereas anticipation taps us into that sense of curiosity about what’s possible. What are the joys unique to winter that you treasure? Are there natural delights that you can savour? Crisp mornings where the frost turns even humdrum objects into dazzling works of art? The opportunity to hunker down and get cosy with seasonal food and drink? Make a mindmap of things you relish about winter and join me where I’ll be sharing the finds from my winter awe hunting.

2. Pace yourself with compassion

Observe the ways the plant and animal kingdom respond to environmental cues of winter. Why do we humans expect ourselves to be unaffected? We know nothing blooms all year, so don’t expect yourself to have the same energy and performance all year round. It’s ok to need more sleep and rest. Where you can, and I know life is full, temper expectations and gently pace yourself.

3. Hibernate but don’t stagnate

The key is honour the impulse to hibernate without stagnating. We know that movement has a potent antidepressant effect but it’s not just that movement is good for your mood – being too sedentary has its own health consequences. The challenge here is to find ways of moving that appeal to you even when energy is low. Rug up and get your dose of daylight in the morning to help you feel more alert during the day and promote better sleep at night. On days where motivation is zero and you just can’t face the thought of getting out in it, remember that lying down stretches count! Keep moving in a way that feels do-able to you and this will bring you energy.

4. Retreat but don’t isolate yourself

Humans need social connection as much as we need food and water, so think about ways you can nurture a feeling of shared experience with those dear to you, regardless of proximity, and ways to feel connected with yourself too. Make it a priority to stay in touch and choose some friends that you can winter with – that kind companionship makes all the difference. If social mojo is low, think about different ways you can communicate care, like leaving a voice note or sending a photo reminiscing about a treasured memory.

5. Cosy rituals to provide comfort without self-sabotage

Are you feeling it too? The genuine urge to cocoon, a growing need for rest and a deep desire for comfort? In addition to warming, nourishing food and drinks, turn to practices involving nurturing touch or uplifting breath work. See my feed for guided face yoga and breathing practises.

suzyreading

A post shared by @suzyreading

6. Get reflective without overwhelm

As the weather closes in, we have no option but to retreat, providing us with the ideal opportunity to take stock, digest experiences, connect with our values and make some gentle plans for the year ahead. This is a skill that needs some gentle cultivation to avoid feeling overwhelmed. If you don’t know where to start, try these three simple prompts from Self-Care for Winter:

• My purpose this winter is to…

• I give myself permission to…

• My priorities are…

I am wishing you a nourishing winter of your choosing and for more seasonal inspiration to lift your energy and mood, come join me on my Instagram for love notes to self and cosy, comforting practices. Warm hugs, Suzy x

Summer and Peppa Pig enjoying a winter walk

Thank you so much Suzy. Check out Suzy’s book here or at your local bookshop.

Friends, I’ll see you next week with a bumper issue of cosy comforting recipes and news on the part time degree I’ve started. Slow and steady I go. I’m 1/8 of the way in and mostly loving it but with some hair tearing too and lots of dropping of balls too