Political and regulatory whiplash is forcing companies to rethink how they weather hostile environments. Beyond the familiar strategy of speaking out against policy or exiting business lines, strategic hibernation offers a way to preserve core capabilities while minimizing exposure, enabling rapid reentry when political winds change. Historical examples-from Prohibition-era brewers, to biotech firms navigating U.S. stem cell restrictions, to Indian banks under financial repression, to Chinese tech companies under state crackdowns-show how maintaining essential assets, investing in political risk intelligence, and calibrating public visibility can safeguard long-term objectives. Done well, this approach allows organizations to sustain critical capacities, avoid mission drift, and reemerge stronger when sentiment and regulations change.