Rest is an interesting thing.

I don't mean the kind where you collapse into bed at the end of a really hard day or you book a weekend away.

Just… ordinary, everyday, rhythmic rest.

The kind that you quietly navigate during an average Tuesday.

Because I think we’ve been lied to about resting.

We are told that it's good and 'right' to always be busy.

And that we have to 'earn' rest.

We even say "she's having some hard-earned rest".

We are admired for being always available. Having a short response-time. Always productive. Always achieving. Always pushing.

Then we wear exhaustion like a badge of honour. Have you noticed?

Someone asks how you are and then almost competes with you over who’s more overwhelmed.

“It's been really busy lately. I’ve been flat out, non-stop.”

“Oh me too! I’ve had to work all weekend. And the kids are so busy too.”

It's like being exhausted somehow proves you have worth.

You were productive and therefore have value.

But how productive is exhaustion?

It's not.

Clients often tell me things like, “I'll rest when my life calms down,”

But life never calms down and then they become burned out, depressed, anxious, unhappy... And they don't know why.

I do.

They are simply not giving themselves permission to rest.

So many of us are quietly living like that.

Waiting until the inbox is empty.

Waiting until the children are older.

Waiting until work settles down.

Waiting until we’ve earned it.

But what if rest isn’t the reward at the end of the race?

What if it’s one of the things that helps us run it well?

The bottom line is this: just like breathing in and breathing out, the tides coming in and going out, and the seasons changing, we are designed for both activity and rest.

That’s how we become healthier, happier and, ironically, more productive.

And you DON'T need to 'earn' your rest!

That is a lie.

You are worthy of rest simply because your system needs it.

Regularly.

This month, inside my membership, The Portal of Permission, we’re gently exploring how to rest in healthy ways - and without guilt. Not as an escape from life, but as a healthy, balanced way to feel calmer, stronger, and more available for the people and things we love.

Click HERE to join us and learn what healthy rest feels like.

If I loved myself, how would I choose to rest today?