We live in a culture that celebrates being busy.

A full calendar can become a badge of honor. We praise the person who works late, wakes up early, manages the family, answers the emails, builds the business, volunteers, works out, maintains friendships—and somehow still finds time to post about it.

But where does rest fit?

I’ve become increasingly interested in the idea of rest as resistance.

But resistance to the belief that our value is determined by how much we can carry without stopping. That our value is based in what we do. We are human beings and I want to be in community with those that desire to BE.

Our Minds Need Recovery, Too

We often understand recovery when it comes to our bodies.

If we exercise intensely, we know our muscles need time to recover. Athletes schedule rest days. We sleep because our bodies require it.

Yet when it comes to our minds, we often expect ourselves to remain “on” indefinitely.

Even when we aren’t physically working, our minds may still be processing.

Rest gives our brains and bodies opportunities to recover from the demands of daily life. Adequate sleep supports attention, memory, mood and overall health, while relaxation practices can help counter the body’s stress response.

Rest is not simply the absence of work.

Rest is part of the system that allows us to continue doing the work.

Rest Doesn’t Always Require an Entire Day

One of the reasons people postpone rest is because we imagine we need hours to do it.

But wellness can happen in smaller moments.

Recently, I had an opportunity to put this idea into practice at a Tech Wellness Reset Walk, where I created a wellness activation that allowed participants to choose how much time they had available to reconnect with themselves.

The experience reminded me that wellness doesn’t always require a meditation cushion, a retreat, or an hour-long class.

Sometimes we simply need permission to interrupt the pace of our day.

Five Ways to Give Yourself Rest

There isn’t one correct way to rest. The important question is whether the activity actually leaves you feeling restored. Here are five places to begin.

Not Every Day Is Going to Feel Like a Win

Wellness also means acknowledging that some days are simply hard.

Those moments can knock us down mentally, emotionally, and sometimes spiritually.

We don’t always need to immediately turn those experiences into lessons.

Sometimes we need recovery. Take the walk. Close the laptop. Call someone you trust.

Stretch. Sleep. Pray. Sit quietly.

Then decide what comes next.

Taking time to recover doesn’t mean you’re giving up on the game.

Sometimes you simply need to change your position so you can keep moving forward.

Put Rest on the Calendar

We schedule what matters.

So perhaps rest belongs there, too.

The goal isn’t to become perfect at resting.

The goal is to stop treating yourself as though you’re a machine that never requires recovery.

The August Invitation

This National Wellness Month, I invite you to reconsider what counts as wellness.

You don’t have to completely stop your life to care for yourself.

Sometimes five minutes is what you have. Take the five.

And when you have fifteen, give yourself permission to use those fifteen minutes for something that restores you.

Small pauses matter.

It’s how we stay well enough to remain in the work.