It’s tempting to hibernate straight through winter’s dreary darkness. Today’s political climate makes it especially tempting to just tune out and opt out. However, we have only one life to live. Here’s how to get off the couch and start living.
If you’re like most of us, you’ve abandoned your resolutions, the cold has crept into your bones, and you’d rather burrow in and nap than do, well…anything else. There’s nothing wrong with getting some much-needed rest, says Jill Palmquist—but don’t let physical and spiritual hibernation become your default for the rest of 2025.
“The days are dark and short now, but their brevity doesn’t compare to the finite nature of our existence,” says Palmquist, luxury lifestyle brand Life Time’s chief storyteller and author of In This Lifetime. “That Sunday afternoon nap is a nice indulgence, but don’t let it become a siren song. We aren’t really meant to hibernate—at least not for long. Our job is to wake up and do all the stuff we’ve been putting off. Because tomorrow doesn’t always come.”
This understanding is her mantra and guiding star. In her new book, In This Lifetime, she writes, “A mysterious clock started the moment you entered the world, and you really have no idea when it will stop.” When we accept that life is breathtakingly short, says Palmquist, it shifts our mindset in a way that inspires us to live more authentically and joyfully.
“It’s counterintuitive, but knowing that the clock is running out sets us free to finally start living,” says Palmquist. “It sparks an urgency to fuel our bodies with healthy, delicious foods; to go out for a walk even though it’s bitterly cold (that’s what heavy coats are for!); and to listen to the soft voice of our soul guiding us to make bold choices that help us live free of regrets.”
In This Lifetime is on the surface a coffee table book. But look deeper, and it’s a distilled master class in waking up to the magic of simply being alive, with amazing bodies and curious minds that can do so many incredible things. The book is filled with breathtaking photographs, thought-provoking essays, proverbs, parables, conversation starters, and distilled snippets of life wisdom to help you move through life fully awake and present every day.
“How will you move through life?” asks Palmquist. “What will you do? Whom will you be? These questions aren’t abstract. If you answer them with your entire being, you can transform into someone new. You can fall in love with life—your life—before the clock runs out. The best part is you’ve got almost 11 more months to make 2025 the year it happens.”
A few mind shifts to make and tidbits of truth to embrace as you awaken from your winter hibernation:
Become a super magnet for positivity. “You attract what you think about,” says Palmquist. “Depending on what you fill your brain with, that could be good news or bad. I’m not saying to opt out of painful or negative aspects of life. But—and this is a big ‘but’—you must find ways to dwell mostly on the positive. You can do this by keeping your center full of love and excitement for each new day dawning. By doing what you can to deal with your own darkness while still searching each day for the light. And by reaching out to find common ground with others instead of judging or isolating from them.”
Realize in one day there are 1,000 opportunities to be kind. Palmquist wrote these words in her book, and they’re so true: “Nothing gives you an energizing boost and that “feel-good” feeling quite like helping your fellow humans. This isn’t just something you do around the holidays or when you’re feeling generous. It’s a way of life. Start regularly volunteering your time at a shelter, a hospice center, or an organization that helps children. Commit to financially supporting a cause you believe in. Help care for an elderly neighbor or person in need in your community.”
Honor the genius of your body by taking care of it. In This Lifetime reminds you to look at your strong, beautiful legs, to appreciate the lungs (beauty in every breath), and simply to move (Movement is medicine. Movement is nature. Movement clears your head, inspires your heart, and creates health.) In other words, you’ll feel much better physically and fight off seasonal gloominess if you move your body all throughout the winter. Make at least a few fitness dates each week that you can look forward to and pencil them in on your weekly planner. If you write these appointments down and plan for them in advance, you are far more likely to stay on track.
Be present for every tiny, soul-filled moment. To tune in to the wonder of life, you’ve got to be present. Don’t allow yourself to get distracted by spending hours doomscrolling on social media, says Palmquist. This can backfire by making you feel you’re missing out, or that your life is not as exciting as someone else’s. Every time you’re tempted to fall down a stressful online rabbit hole, connect with a friend; listen to some uplifting music; or take yourself to a coffee shop, a park, or anywhere you can engage with other people in person. You’ll discover that the real world is much nicer than the virtual one.
Go outside. See how an unexpected encounter with a single patch of sunlight can change your life. Get outside every day (if only just for a few minutes) to enjoy the fresh air and interact with the natural world. Don’t just think, “I’m grateful for this sunny day and move on.” Take it further. Engage with the day. Walk in the sunshine and feel how it dances on your skin. See where the lighted pathway wants to lead you.
Allow yourself to experience awe. Moments of awe ground us in gratitude when life unfolds in ways we do not like. They remind us that maybe we are part of something far bigger than us that we don’t need to understand. Sit by a window and witness a storm roll in across the horizon. Attend a musical performance and immerse yourself in the sounds and vibrations. Sit outside at twilight and watch darkness descend over a lake of plate-glass water.
Find your people. Make your friends. Love your tribe. Connecting with those we love amps up gratitude and gives us the social outlet we crave as humans. You make the call; instigate a get-together to break bread (or clink some wine glasses). In the midst of the laugher, look around—all these people were once strangers. What a miracle!
“Here is your chance to figure out what you really want to do, to make time for what matters, to put new plans into action, and to feel alive like never before,” says Palmquist. “What are you waiting for? Time is ticking away, and the joy, wonder, and awe awaiting you is life-changing. ‘Carpe diem’ before that clock ticks off another day.”
