I’d been pushing it. For too long, and I knew it. Burning the candle at both ends, biting off more than I could chew—whatever the phrase, I was overdoing it with no rest…you get the picture. Despite hearing about Covid, RSV, the flu, and the lingering mystery virus with an unending cough, I kept pushing. I never get sick, right? Until I do. And then it’s so sick. Beat up, can’t sleep, hacking all night, everything hurts, cannot function, clear-your-calendar sick. Yeah, that. Nice work, Jill.
This morning, when I asked a dear friend what I could possibly write about—given that I barely had two brain cells to rub together—he said, “rest.” In retrospect, I think he probably meant rest as in don’t write. Stop pushing. The world will not end if there’s no newsletter. But here I am, and what is true is that I do have a thing to say and to learn about rest. And maybe you do, too.
Five years ago, my life was a whirlwind—running a studio, teaching classes, leading two teacher training programs, seeing private clients, developing workshops, mentoring young teachers, and preparing myself and a dozen humans for an extended trip to India. In my mind, that level of exhaustion was how you earned rest. (Not that I did it then either, to be clear).
In comparison—because that’s so helpful—what I’m doing now? While busy and full in different ways, I don’t think my schedule or my life currently warrants rest. It’s so much less outwardly productive. It’s so much less busy. And yet the truth of what I need is the same.
I need rest—no matter how much I do, how efficient I am, or how relevant my work seems to the outside world. I need rest because I am a human. I need rest because I am devoted to working on myself and becoming more conscious and better at all the humaning things, and that requires a great deal of energy. I need rest because I hold a lot of space for quite a number of people who are struggling and suffering. I need rest because we are all bearing witness to an incredible amount of uncertainty and injustice that is impossible to process. We all need rest.
I shake my head as I write this, because I actually even have a few ideas about what rest is and isn’t. And most of my “rest” this week was attempting to catch up on all the mundane tasks I’ve been ignoring for months. Filing. Accounting. Errands. Paperwork. Breaking News: Woman Declares Tax Prep a Form of Self-Care. Experts Disagree. Why do we keep doing things even when we know better? The old patterns are so ingrained, and the stories about our worth and what we must earn run even deeper.
So here it is—my guide, and maybe yours too: Five Ways to Stop Pushing. Five Ways to Actually Rest.
- Unplug Completely – Step away from screens, notifications, and constant input to allow your mind to truly reset. Re-read the “completely” part and try it out.
- Engage in Deep Rest – Prioritize quality sleep, naps, or non-sleep deep rest (like yoga nidra) to restore your energy.
- Move Slowly & Intentionally – Choose gentle activities like walking, stretching, or mindful breathing to calm your nervous system. We need this like never before.
- Give Yourself Permission – Release guilt around rest; recognize that pausing is essential for clarity and renewal. Not to mention a healthy and resilient immune system.
- Tune Into What You Need – Whether it’s solitude, nature, creativity, or stillness, pause, ask the question “What do I need?” and then follow the inner wisdom. Tune in daily.
And so, my friends, here’s to resting before we break, to pausing before we have no choice. Because the truth is, rest isn’t something we earn. It’s foundational to our wellbeing. And our wellness, our goodness, our clarity and power are essential, vital, and so very needed.
Blessings,
Jill
