🌱 Rest Without Guilt: Recharge Your Way
Discover rest strategies that actually work when you're busy in real life.
Hi!
December’s Edit Your Life theme is "Reflection & Renewal." We’ll look at finding small spaces to pause, recharge, and prepare for a meaningful 2025.
So, now that we’ve officially entered the weeks of festive chaos, let’s take five minutes together to think about rest. I’m not talking about wearing pyjamas and sitting on the sofa all day, every day (although that does sound like bliss right now). This is about creating small moments to recharge in ways that fit into your life.
For years, I thought rest had to be earned. I felt guilty for believing I needed more rest than others who seemed fine, for not being a ‘morning person’ – and I thought I didn’t deserve rest if I wasn't productive enough. When life got busy, I realised that waiting for the perfect moment to get the perfect rest kept me stuck. Rest isn’t a reward – we all know it’s a vital process for our bodies and minds. And it can also come in many forms.
Maybe you’ve felt the same – like rest is a luxury rather than a necessity. Let’s focus on identifying ways resting can fit into your life, even if just the thought of it feels impossible.
The Seven Types of Rest
In her book Sacred Rest, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith identifies seven types of rest. Which one do you need most? (Me? All please.)
Physical Rest: Sleep, stretching, or even just sitting down for a moment.
Mental Rest: Pausing the overthinking loop. Try writing down your thoughts with a pen and paper to clear your mind.
Emotional Rest: Letting go of people-pleasing, or saying “no” to one thing this week.
Sensory Rest: Reducing noise, screen time, or bright lights.
Creative Rest: Seeking inspiration – like looking at art or spending time in nature.
Social Rest: Taking time away from draining social interactions.
Spiritual Rest: Connecting with meaning, love, or purpose, whatever that might mean to you.
Real Rest for Real Lives
Rest doesn’t need to be elaborate to be meaningful. These ideas are designed to meet you where you are:
For the Overwhelmed Parent: Try two minutes of deep breathing in the bathroom while the kids are occupied, an eyes-open meditation while waiting in the car outside school, or soundtracking tidying up with that one song that makes you feel amazing.
For Those with Anxiety or a Busy Mind, Try sensory rest. Turn off notifications, dim the lights, shut your eyes, or wear noise-cancelling headphones for a few minutes. Create calm wherever you can.
For the Time-Starved Worker: Rest might mean taking your entire lunch break for once, or stepping outside for a quick walk around the block. A change of environment can be invigorating.
For Those Feeling Guilty About Rest: Remember: rest is fuel. A few intentional minutes now can help you tackle what’s ahead with more energy and focus.
This Week’s Edit: Find Your Rest in 5 Minutes
Here’s a simple exercise to help you identify and integrate rest this week:
What’s Draining You? Think about one area of life where you’re feeling depleted. Is the depletion physical, mental, or emotional? All three? Choose one, and book time in to repeat this exercise again this week.
Pick One Type of Rest: Look at the list of types of rest and choose one that could recharge you.
Take One Small Action: Set a five-minute timer and focus on that type of rest. Maybe it’s deep breathing, stepping outside, or simply closing your eyes.
Even the smallest moments of rest can have a ripple effect.
Quick Tip: Embrace Micro-Rests
As we’ve learned, rest doesn’t always have to be a week-long holiday. A regular set of micro-rests – small, intentional pauses that fit into the busiest of days – can keep you going.
The 60-Second Reset: Close your eyes, take five deep (deepest) breaths, and let yourself feel grounded. I do this before I go to sleep at night.
Step Into ‘Nature’: Spend one minute outside in a park or your garden if you can, or listen to nature sounds (Spotify has some good ones) with your eyes shut for a little calm.
Digital Detox: Look away from screens for a minute or two every 30 minutes to ease digital fatigue. Yes, screen breaks count.
Savour the Moment: Use your coffee break or snack time as a grounding exercise. Focus on the taste, smell, and texture of your food or drink – no multitasking allowed.
These moments aren’t just placeholders – I’ve found that they’re genuinely helpful tools.
Just like I’m always grateful when my Pilates teacher announces micro-rests between exercises (phew!), I’m grateful for these when I do them, and they add up.
Experiment with one or two today, and you’ll start to notice a difference.
Why This Matters
Rest isn’t about perfection. By redefining rest as something small and intentional, and realising it can come in a variety of forms, you’ll give yourself more space to reflect, recharge, and move into 2025 with more clarity.
🌟 What’s Coming Next?
For our Reflection & Renewal month, we’ll dive deeper into:
Building a Foundation of Self-Worth: Learn how rest reinforces your value beyond productivity.
Setting Intentions with Ease Practical tools to plan for 2025 without the pressure of resolutions.
Reflect and Renew: Start crafting your personal narrative to carry forward into the new year.
Thank you for being here. I’d love to hear any thoughts this issue brought up, feel free to DM me or leave a comment!
I truly hope you’ll join me next week, so we can explore how self-worth shapes our approach to rest – and how to prioritise ourselves without guilt.
Warmly,
Beth x