Self-Care Challenge – Day 19: Rest Is Not a Reward

Today we are going back to our rest challenge.

Rest is a basic need. Reclaiming rest helps counter the pressure to push through exhaustion and treat tiredness as a failure. Rest is a necessity, not something to earn.

If you’re anything like me, you probably need someone to remind you to slow down and rest, because you deserve it.

As I’m writing this, I’m realizing that I didn’t slow down today. Not at all. I was so focused on wrapping things up for the weekend, making sure everything was done, even the things that could have waited. I stayed busy enough to forget the “me” in the equation.

I skipped lunch. I barely got up all day, glued to my chair, and I was working from home. Somehow, being at home tricks my brain into thinking that rest is built in—that I can just power through. But I was wrong. Now I’m starving. My back is killing me. My muscles are tense. And when I finally stood up to go to the bathroom, my knees clicked (okay, that part might just be me being over 40 😅), but you get the point.

So today’s challenge centers 'rest' as dignity and care, especially in systems that reward pushing through exhaustion.

Because we need to rest!

Pause and notice:

• Where am I tired right now?

• What stories do I tell myself about rest?

Your challenge: Take one intentional rest moment today without earning it.

Poll: Rest today felt…

🟦 Easy

🟩 Necessary

🟨 Uncomfortable

🟪 Still hard to allow

1 vote