The nights are getting long. The sunlight is fading.

If you are trying to show the world a version of you that is stronger than you feel right now, please know you’re not alone. I think you’d be surprised by how many of us are right there with you.

If you’re struggling to keep up, feeling numb and frozen and jittery and impossibly tired, you are not the only one. This time of year our bodies want to curl into a ball in the shelter of soft earth. This is the time for rest, for preparing to muddle through the winter.

The seasons of academia, for example, do not align with the rhythms of the weather. No wonder it’s harder than usual right now. Be patient with yourself. There will be lovely moments again soon.

If you’re pretending to be okay when you aren’t, not really – I’ve got you. I may not be able to give you the time and energy and space I would need in order to comfort you properly, but I can give you one thing –

Rest here for a minute. Stop scrolling through this hellscape, even just for long enough go take a deep breath – in through your nose, out through your mouth. Relax your shoulders.

All my love.