Making Space for Rest (Yes, Even You Deserve It)
Let’s talk about something that often gets overlooked in conversations about health and self-care: rest.
Rest is more than just sleep. It’s permission to pause. It’s the quiet in your day, the exhale between tasks, the space where healing happens—physically, emotionally, and mentally.
But if you’ve grown up in diet culture, hustle culture, or any system that ties your worth to how much you do, rest might feel… uncomfortable. Lazy. Indulgent. Maybe even shameful.
Here’s the truth: Rest is productive.
It's how your body and mind recover, regulate, and restore. Without rest, no amount of “healthy eating” or movement will feel truly supportive.
And yes—rest can feel really hard when you’re used to being in go-mode all the time. Especially if you're caring for others, navigating a career, or managing big feelings around food and your body.
Why Rest Matters:
Cognitive rest supports focus, memory, and emotional regulation
Physical rest gives your body space to recover, repair tissue, and support overall functioning
Social rest helps you show up more fully in your relationships
Emotional rest creates space to feel and process (without fixing or doing)
How to Build Rest Into Your Day (Without Guilt):
Take micro-rests: Just 2–5 minutes to stretch, breathe, or step outside can make a difference—especially during stressful transitions.
Set a “done for today” time: Try giving yourself a consistent stopping point, even if the to-do list isn’t finished.
Name your rest: Saying “I’m choosing to rest because I need and deserve it” can reframe it as self-care—not failure.
Shift from “earned” to deserved rest: You don’t need to prove your worth or productivity to take a break.
Let go of perfect rest: Rest doesn’t have to be quiet, pretty, or uninterrupted. Ten minutes hiding in the car still counts.
Gentle Reminder:
If rest feels uncomfortable or even unsafe, you’re not doing anything wrong. That discomfort is often a sign of how deeply we’ve been taught to tie our value to productivity. You’re allowed to unlearn that. You’re allowed to rest.
In Case You Need to Hear This Today:
You don’t have to finish the list to take a break
Needing rest isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom
Rest is not quitting, it’s recalibrating
