I got sick recently.
Nothing major — just one of those slow-down-or-your-body-will-make-you kind of sick.
And even though I knew I needed to rest, I still caught myself doing it...
Trying to power through.
Feeling guilty about what I wasn’t doing.
Wondering if I’d “earned” the right to lay down, cancel plans, and do nothing.
Feeling guilty about what I wasn’t doing.
Wondering if I’d “earned” the right to lay down, cancel plans, and do nothing.
Sound familiar?
It hit me like a second wave of symptoms:
Rest is not something we have to earn.
You don’t have to prove you’re worthy of slowing down.
Rest is not something we have to earn.
You don’t have to prove you’re worthy of slowing down.
🧠 Why Rest Feels So Hard
For so many of us — especially women — rest feels like a luxury.
We’ve been taught that productivity equals value.
That if we’re not doing, helping, or moving, we’re falling behind.
We’ve been taught that productivity equals value.
That if we’re not doing, helping, or moving, we’re falling behind.
But the truth is: you are not a machine.
You are a living, breathing human being with a body that heals only when it slows down.
Rest is not laziness. It’s biology.
You are a living, breathing human being with a body that heals only when it slows down.
Rest is not laziness. It’s biology.
When we deny ourselves rest, here’s what we’re also denying:
- Proper immune function
- Blood sugar regulation
- Hormonal balance
- Nervous system recovery
- Emotional processing
- And basic dignity
You don’t need to wait until your body breaks down to give it what it’s been asking for.
💬 Who Needs to Hear This?
If you’re in a season where your energy is low, your motivation is scattered, or your body is asking for a break — listen to it.
You don’t need to do one more thing to be “deserving” of rest.
You already are.
You already are.
Whether you're recovering from an illness, emotional stress, or just burnout from life, this is your permission slip:
✨ You can stop proving. You can just rest.
✨ You can stop proving. You can just rest.
💡 Try This for Your Own Reset
Take 5 minutes today and ask yourself:
What would rest look like for me right now?
What would rest look like for me right now?
Then actually do it — even if it’s 10 quiet minutes on the couch, a nap, or canceling something that’s too much.
Sometimes healing doesn’t look like green smoothies and supplements.
Sometimes it looks like lying down and not apologizing for it.
Sometimes it looks like lying down and not apologizing for it.
📩 Want to learn how I support my body gently — especially in seasons of stress or recovery?
Just message me. I’m happy to share the tools that have helped me restore energy, lower inflammation, and heal.
Rachel xoxo
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Let’s talk about stress — the kind that slowly builds until it’s running the show.
You feel it in your body, in your energy, in your relationships.
You snap more easily. You lose your patience. You feel disconnected — not just from others, but from yourself.
You snap more easily. You lose your patience. You feel disconnected — not just from others, but from yourself.
And yet, most of us just keep going.
Giving. Serving. Pushing through.
Convincing ourselves it’s “just a busy season” or that we’ll rest later.
Giving. Serving. Pushing through.
Convincing ourselves it’s “just a busy season” or that we’ll rest later.
But here’s the truth:
Stress isn’t just emotional — it’s biological.
Stress isn’t just emotional — it’s biological.
💥 What Stress Is Doing to Your Body
When you’re under stress, your body releases cortisol, your main stress hormone.
And when cortisol stays high for too long, it disrupts everything:
- Raises your blood sugar
- Increases insulin resistance
- Messes with your sleep and energy
- Triggers cravings (hello, comfort food)
- Causes mood swings and anxiety
- Makes it nearly impossible to lose weight — especially belly fat
- Weakens your immune system
But the effects go deeper than physical.
Chronic stress impacts how we show up in the world — how we parent, how we partner, how we treat ourselves.
Chronic stress impacts how we show up in the world — how we parent, how we partner, how we treat ourselves.
It makes our world feel heavier.
It dims our light.
It dims our light.
🧘🏼♀️ Why Self-Care Isn’t Optional
We say things like, “I don’t have time for myself.”
But what we really mean is: “I’ve gotten used to ignoring my own needs.”
But what we really mean is: “I’ve gotten used to ignoring my own needs.”
That’s not selfish — it’s survival mode.
And here’s what I want to lovingly remind you:
✨ You can’t pour from an empty cup.
✨ If you don’t take care of you, no one else can do it for you.
✨ If you don’t take care of you, no one else can do it for you.
Self-care isn’t bubble baths or spa days (though those are great too).
It’s nervous system regulation. It’s insulin support. It’s coming back home to yourself.
It’s nervous system regulation. It’s insulin support. It’s coming back home to yourself.
💡 What Helps Me Reset Stress (Simple, Not Overwhelming)
Here are a few gentle tools that help bring me back when stress takes the wheel:
✅ 5-minute walk outside (no phone, just breath)
✅ Grounding meals — protein + fiber + fat, nothing fancy
✅ Magnesium before bed — especially for sleep + muscle tension
✅ Journaling for 5 minutes: “What do I need right now?” or even a simple "brain dump."
✅ Saying no — without overexplaining
✅ Fasting windows — to give my body a break from the sugar rollercoaster, this helps stabilize my mood.
✅ A moment of stillness — eyes closed, hand on heart, deep breath in and out
✅ Grounding meals — protein + fiber + fat, nothing fancy
✅ Magnesium before bed — especially for sleep + muscle tension
✅ Journaling for 5 minutes: “What do I need right now?” or even a simple "brain dump."
✅ Saying no — without overexplaining
✅ Fasting windows — to give my body a break from the sugar rollercoaster, this helps stabilize my mood.
✅ A moment of stillness — eyes closed, hand on heart, deep breath in and out
You don’t have to fix everything in one day.
Just start by checking in with yourself.
Just start by checking in with yourself.
Stress will always exist — but it doesn’t have to own you.
You are allowed to slow down.
You are allowed to rest.
And you are worthy of care — not just after you’ve earned it, but because you exist.
You are allowed to slow down.
You are allowed to rest.
And you are worthy of care — not just after you’ve earned it, but because you exist.
📩 Want to learn how I used these simple practices (along with fasting + natural support) to balance blood sugar, lose 30 lbs, and feel better than I have in years?
Just message me — I’m happy to share.
You’re not alone in this.
Rachel xoxo
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