Winter Strips Away Excess
- Alexander Kwapis
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
A Series about What Cold Weather Teaches Us About the Body and Mind
“Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.” — Paul Theroux
Cold has a way of simplifying things.
In summer, it is easy to confuse activity with engagement. You move faster. You do more. You pile plans on top of one another. Winter compresses the margins. Daylight shrinks. Conditions narrow your options. Suddenly every decision matters more.
What you wear matters.
Where you walk matters.
How long you stay out matters.
There is no room for autopilot.
This is why winter feels uncomfortable to people who rely on momentum. Cold interrupts that rhythm. It forces pauses. It introduces friction. You cannot bluff your way through it. You either prepare or you suffer. Winter strips away excess.
Preparation, though, is not about domination. It is about respect.
The body learns quickly when it is given clear signals. Cold skin triggers circulation. Breathing changes. Muscles stiffen until they warm. Attention sharpens. These are not flaws in the system. They are instructions.
Winter strips away excess because excess costs energy. The body becomes economical. So does the mind.
