When Rest Is the Bravest Thing You Can Do

When Rest Is the Bravest Thing You Can Do

They told us to be strong. To hustle. To rise above.

They didn’t teach us how to rest.

And when they did, rest was framed as a reward—not a right. Something you earned only after you broke your back for it. Only after your energy was wrung dry and your nervous system had nothing left to give.

But what happens when your body whispers enough long before the world agrees?

This year taught me how brave rest really is.

It’s brave to pause when everyone else keeps going.

It’s brave to say no without explanation.

It’s brave to soften, especially when you’ve been taught that softness is weakness.

I used to feel guilty for slowing down. I’d internalized the belief that burnout was a badge of honor. That pushing through made me powerful. But all it ever did was make me resentful, tired, disconnected—from myself, from others, from my purpose.

And if I’m honest, that guilt didn’t come from nowhere. It came from generations before me who didn’t have the luxury to slow down. Women who carried the weight of entire families, entire systems, without ever being asked how they were doing.

So when I rest now, I don’t just rest for me. I rest for them, too.

Because rest is resistance.

Rest is reclamation.

Rest is remembering that I am not a machine, I am a woman.

And this isn’t about choosing between purpose or peace. It’s about realizing that you need peace to walk in your purpose. That clarity doesn’t come from overdrive—it comes from stillness.

So if you’re in a season where your body is asking you to slow down… listen.

That is the work.

You are still worthy even when you’re not producing.

You are still powerful even when you pause.

You are still you, even when you rest.

And sometimes, rest is the bravest thing you can do.

📌 Let this be your permission slip.

If this resonated, explore more reflections and resources throughout The Soft Power Journal. This space was created for women like you—women who are learning to reclaim softness, regulate their nervous systems, and rewrite their stories without shame.

You don’t have to do it alone.

You just have to start where you are.