I Don’t Have to Earn Rest

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I used to treat rest like it was something I had to earn.

Finish the to-do list. Push through. Stay productive.
Then, maybe, I could take a break—if there was time.

But that mindset was never sustainable.
It left me exhausted, resentful, and disconnected from my own body.

Now I know better:

Rest isn’t something I earn. It’s something I deserve.

Even when I’ve done “nothing.”
Even when the dishes aren’t done.
Even when my inner critic whispers, “you don’t deserve to slow down yet.”

I rest because I’m human.
Because I’m allowed to have limits.
Because my nervous system matters more than the appearance of productivity.

And I don’t have to wait until I’ve run myself into the ground to give myself what I need.

Rest isn’t laziness.

It’s wisdom.

It’s respect.

And it’s how I show up better—for me and for everyone around me.