There’s this unspoken pressure in the wellness world — the idea that if you’re not constantly journaling, meditating, meal-prepping, and working out six days a week, you must not really want to heal or grow.
Not going to lie, I used to believe that too. I thought every moment of stillness meant I was falling behind in my growth. That if I wasn’t “doing the work” daily, I was somehow failing at becoming my best self.
So, I did what so many of us do — I pushed. Hard.
Every day was a checklist of self-improvement. I was tracking my workouts, and trying to “optimize” my healing journey. But eventually, my body had enough. No amount of protein shakes, playlists, or pep talks could cover the fact that I was exhausted — not just physically, but emotionally.
It wasn’t until my trainer told me to take a full week off that it clicked. I didn’t realize how tense I had become until I finally let myself breathe. That one week changed everything. My body felt lighter, my mind quieter, and for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t chasing progress — I was simply being.
That’s when I learned something that most “hustle culture healing” advice won’t tell you:
Growth has seasons — and some of them are meant for maintenance.
Just like your muscles need recovery after a workout, your mind and spirit need downtime too. You can’t be in “go mode” forever. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is rest, reflect, and allow what you’ve already worked on to take root.
So if you’re in a season where you’re not journaling every night, not hitting every PR, or not feeling like your “best self” — that’s okay. You’re not falling behind. You’re honoring the part of healing that happens in stillness.
Because healing isn’t straightforward. It’s not a to-do list. It’s a cycle — and rest is part of it.
If this hits home for you, here’s a gentle reminder:
✨ You don’t have to earn rest.
✨ You don’t have to “deserve” a break.
✨ You don’t have to fix yourself before you can feel peace.
Sometimes, healing looks like skipping a workout. Sometimes, it’s sleeping in. Sometimes, it’s just existing — no progress reports, no timelines, no guilt.
So, I’ll leave you with this:
What’s one thing you’ve stopped forcing yourself to improve — and how has that small release changed your peace?
Drop it in the comments or share it with me. Let’s remind each other that maintenance is still movement.
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