Last month, I found myself staring at the screen, hands on the keyboard, but nothing coming out. I wasn’t distracted. I wasn’t unmotivated. I was just... done.
Not because I hated the work. I actually loved it.
But I had pushed too hard for too long, and it finally caught up to me.
That’s when I realized something I’d ignored for years:
Rest isn’t what you do after the work. It’s part of it.
The Lie We All Bought
Somewhere along the way, we started treating rest like a luxury.
Like something you "earn" after doing enough.
Like silence, stillness, and sleep are optional.
But they’re not.
They’re the ground your energy grows from.
And without them, even the best intentions eventually run dry.
What I’ve Learned About Rest (the hard way)
When I’m well-rested:
- I write better.
- I speak kinder.
- I think clearer.
- And the work I do feels less like pushing and more like flowing.
But when I try to power through?
- I forget why I started.
- I feel disconnected from everything.
- And the joy disappears from even the parts I used to love.
You might’ve felt it too—that slow fading of energy you can’t explain. It’s not laziness. It’s your body whispering: “I need a break.”
Rest Isn’t Quitting
There’s a difference between giving up and stepping back.
One comes from fear.
The other comes from wisdom.
Taking a break doesn’t mean the goal disappears.
It just means you’re choosing to carry it with less weight for a while.
Tiny Ways I’ve Been Practicing Rest
- I leave the phone in another room after 9 PM.
- I walk slowly—on purpose—especially when I feel rushed.
- I stare out the window without needing it to “be productive.”
- I’ve learned to say, “That’s enough for today,” even when there’s more I could do.
None of these are perfect. But they help.
The Part We Forget
Sometimes, you grow not by doing more, but by allowing space.
Space to breathe. To reflect. To feel.
It’s in the quiet that your mind resets.
It’s in the pause that your clarity returns.
And it’s in the stillness that your next idea gently knocks.
So if you’re tired—really tired—don’t wait for the weekend or burnout or some imaginary “later” to rest.
You’re allowed to pause.
You’re allowed to breathe.
You’re allowed to take care of the person doing the work.
That’s you.
And you matter more than the checklist ever will.
Rest isn’t the opposite of work.
It’s the part that makes the work meaningful again.
