Before You Push Through the Winter Months, Read This

A reminder your body needs more light, softness, and care than you think.

Winter is not asking you to push. It is inviting you to sit. To let the body exhale. To be where you are. Winter is the perfect season to slow your pace and come home to your body. Take this moment to pause here. To check in. To care for yourself without judgment.

Annie Lee - Blue Monday, 1985

Hello beautiful sisters,

These last two weeks have been rough. My body has been listening to the call of the Earth to slow all the way down, and then my vitamin D levels dropped… which took me even deeper into rest. This newsletter isn’t filled with poems or heavy teaching today — just a little community care from where I am.

I want to thank all of you who have been supporting my writing by engaging with the Notes this week while I rested. I have to name this clearly: I’ve been in the bed, moving slow, letting my body lead. I normally post Notes three to four times a week — personal love notes, rest reminders, little sparks of inspiration — and I haven’t been able to do that these past several days.

But because you kept engaging with the Notes, over 50 new sisters subscribed to this newsletter… and two of you became paid subscribers — yes, including one brother in the mix!

I’m so grateful. And I have to name this out loud:

REST IS PRODUCTIVE.

Engagement went up while I rested and trusted God.
Subscriptions stayed steady.
The community kept growing.

I’m a little emotional watching my dreams unfold right in front of my eyes — because it confirms everything I teach. Rest is not a setback. Rest creates room for blessing, alignment, and expansion.

If you have ever thought about joining The Soft Return, my paid subscriber community, now is a beautiful time. There’s no separate link or page — all you have to do is become a paid subscriber here on Substack. That’s it.

In 2026, we will open our subscriber-only chat, where we’ll walk through the questions you all keep asking:

How do I rest when there is so much to do?
How do I soften while holding so much?
How do I stay connected to myself in a world that demands my exhaustion?

My more intimate weekly notes will move into that space, and we’ll begin January’s conversations exploring the concept I created — Rest Economy. Rest Economy rarely makes sense in a world trained by urgency, but it teaches us to build faith in rest — to trust that you can slow down, do less, and receive more.

Monthly rest and connection circles return in 2026. I’ll share the details soon. Subscription prices increase in January, so if you’re interested in being part of the community, now is a gentle moment to join.

And Sis… here’s something funny about the Notes.

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a Note that said something like, Do what God called you to do so you can stop having an attitude all day.” Many of you have been loving that Note. I’ve gotten so many comments and messages on it.

But let me tell you the real truth: every Note I post is always talking to me first. Every meme, every reminder, every soft nudge — it speaks to me before it ever reaches you.

Some of you have been in the comments like,
“Sis… why are you calling me out?”
or
“Now ma’am… why are you talking to me?”

And here’s the funniest part:

Every time one of you comments, shares, or restacks that Note… it pops back up in my feed. So several times a day, I get the same message circling back to me like: God:“Hey girl… remember what you said.” Me: “Okay, Okay, Okay God!”

So listen — let us all be obedient in this next season. Let’s lean into what God has called us to do. We need each other to rise with softness, clarity, and courage.

Beautiful sisters, here’s a quick community care message.

I’m writing to you from my favorite comfy green chair with my Light therapy lap on beside me. I’m writing this part of the note because something has been unfolding in my body these last two weeks — my vitamin D levels dropped.

My bones have been aching in the strangest places, like my shoulders and my toes — spots that never usually hurt. My energy has been low. I mean low. Heavy, foggy, unmotivated in ways that don’t feel like me. It has taken me three days to complete this newsletter because the exhaustion is real. And honestly, it’s just been really hard to focus.

At first, all of this took me off guard.
But then I remembered — it felt familiar to me.
It took me a few days to see it clearly, but once I did, I knew exactly what was going on. My body was speaking to me… I just wasn’t ready to listen. I wasn’t just tired — I felt worn down.Before I move on, I want to pause here and name a few things that are really common with vitamin D deficiency — things many of us experience without realizing what’s going on.

Some Common Causes and Symptoms of Low Vitamin D

Common Causes:
• Limited sunlight exposure (short days, cold weather, working indoors)
• Melanin-rich skin that naturally absorbs sunlight differently
• Seasonal Affective Disorder and long periods of low light
• Age-related changes in how the body processes vitamin D
• Low dietary intake or inconsistent supplementation
• Certain medications or medical conditions that affect absorption

Common Symptoms:
• Bone or joint aches in unusual places
• Heavy fatigue — not just tired, but tired-deep
• Low mood, sadness, irritability, or emotional fog
• Trouble focusing or staying motivated
• Muscle weakness or unusual soreness
• Feeling “off,” slow, or not yourself

So once again sisters — be proactive and get your levels checked. And if you’re feeling “off,” a little more achy, less motivated than usual, sad, or exhausted, do not — I repeat, do not — try to push through this. Take care of yourself.

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Why This Matters So Much for Black Women

1. Melanin changes how we absorb sunlight.
We need more intentional vitamin D support because melanin blocks UV rays needed for natural vitamin D production.

2. Chronic stress drains vitamin D faster.
Black women carry layered stress — racism, sexism, caregiving, survival mode — which affects hormones and nutrient absorption.

3. We’re more likely to experience depression that goes unaddressed.
Vitamin D deficiency affects emotional balance. Many of us were raised to push through instead of naming our needs.

4. We carry higher rates of chronic conditions.
Vitamin D supports immune function, bone density, inflammation, and heart health — all areas where Black women deserve more protection.

5. “Strong Black Woman conditioning” teaches us to dismiss our symptoms.
We push through pain we should be tending to. This deficiency doesn’t respond to pushing — it responds to care.

A Quick Story

Back in 2017, I went through this for the first time. I was supporting two kids in college, and I had a stressful job as an investigator inside of the juvenile prison system. That job required me to travel across the state, sit for hours conducting interviews, and carry stories that were heavy on my body. On top of that, my supervisor was hateful and unsupportive. I would come home in the evenings and fall asleep on the couch in my clothes — sometimes with my coat still on.

But the strangest thing was how my body felt. I wasn’t just tired. My actual bones hurt.

The first time, it was the bones in my toes. This time, it’s my shoulders — these strange aches that don’t feel like normal soreness.

I went to the doctor, convinced I had lupus or fibromyalgia. Before I could even finish listing my symptoms, she wrote me an order for blood work and a prescription for high-dose vitamin D.

My blood work came back below 30, which is pretty typical for Black folks living in the North without regular sun exposure.

And yes — I’ve started taking my Vitamin D again. The one I use includes K2 because it supports better absorption and helps the body actually use the Vitamin D instead of letting it sit unused. It’s been a helpful combination for me, especially in low-light seasons.

Danielle McKinney 2023

In the winter months, softness is allowed. So is rest. So is moving slowly. Even now, even like this, you are enough.

A Few Gentle Reminders from The Rested Black Woman™

1. You are worthy of rest — without earning it.

2. This is not the time for the superwoman cape.

3. Consider a light therapy lamp.

4. Get your levels checked.

5. Vitamin D3 (with K2) may help.

6. Get outside when the sun shows up.

7. Be gentle with yourself. This is a season, not a failure.

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Word of Wisdom

Rest is not a response to weakness. It is your body remembering what it needs to survive the winter.

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Reflection Questions

1. What is my body asking for that I’ve been ignoring?

2. Where have I been pushing through instead of pausing?

3. What small act of care can I offer myself today?

Somatic Cue

Sit still.
Take one slow, intentional breath.
Exhale gently.
Listen to your body.

Closing Blessing

May your body tell you the truth with softness.
May you honor what it asks for without apology.
May this season return you to warmth, light, and rest.

With deep love,
Tecca
The Rested Black Woman™

This work is sustained by the community. If this spoke to your spirit, I welcome your support.🫶🏾

Soft Disclaimer

This is my personal experience, shared for community care and awareness. I’m not a medical provider, and this is not medical advice. Always check with your doctor about supplements, vitamin levels, or changes to your wellness routine.