Permission to Rest: Redefining Productivity

There’s a very particular kind of guilt that comes with resting in a world that constantly tells us we should be doing more.

Even when we’re exhausted.
Even when we’re grieving.
Even when our body is clearly begging for a break.

There’s this subtle (or not-so-subtle) message everywhere:
If you’re not being productive, you’re wasting time.
If you stop moving, you’ll fall behind.
If you rest too long, you’re lazy.

But here’s what I’ve had to unlearn—and what I’m still working on:
Rest is not a reward you earn for being busy.
Rest is a right. A need. A deeply human rhythm.

What If Productivity Isn’t the Point?

We throw that word around a lot—productive.
But what does it even mean, really? Getting a lot done? Getting the right things done? Getting things done fast?

What if productivity didn’t mean squeezing more out of ourselves until there’s nothing left? What if productivity looked like making space for what matters—even if that space is just… quiet?

I’ve had to start asking myself:
Am I doing this because it brings me closer to the life I want to live?
Or because I’m afraid of what it means to slow down?

I don’t have all the answers. But I do know this: I want a life where rest isn’t something I have to apologize for.

Rest Isn’t the Opposite of Progress

Rest is a part of the work.
It’s where integration happens.
It’s how we come home to ourselves.

But because it doesn’t always look productive—because there’s no to-do list with “lay on the couch and listen to your breath for 15 minutes”—we dismiss it. We skip it. We try to outpace our own needs.

And then we wonder why we feel disconnected from everything.

The thing is, I’ve never regretted a moment of real rest.
Not the nap. Not the slow morning. Not the canceled plans.
What I do regret is the version of me who pushed through when I clearly needed to stop.

This Is Your Permission Slip

If you’re exhausted—emotionally, physically, spiritually—this is me telling you:
You are allowed to stop.
You are allowed to take your hand off the wheel for a moment and breathe.
You are allowed to not be productive today. Or tomorrow.

Rest isn’t failure.
It isn’t laziness.
It’s you honoring your limits. Listening to your body. Trusting that the world won’t fall apart if you give yourself an hour, a day, a weekend to recalibrate.

(And if something does fall apart? It probably wasn’t built with your well-being in mind anyway.)

A Final Thought, From One Worn-Out Soul to Another

You don’t need to wait until you’re completely burned out to give yourself permission to pause. You don’t need to earn your right to rest.

You just need to remember that you’re allowed to be a full, complex human—not a machine. That your value isn’t in what you produce, but in who you are. And who you are deserves care.

Reflect & Share

💬 If you’re comfortable sharing, I’d love to hear: what helps you rest? What stories around rest are you working to unlearn?

Or if you’re too tired to reflect right now? That’s okay too.
Close your laptop or put down your phone. Stretch your legs. Make some tea. That counts. I promise.