rest is where we begin again

Jul 31

Dear Reader,

Lately, in session after session, I have noticed the same opening scene.

Clients sink into the couch, cheeks warm from the sun, and exhale as if they have just crossed a finish line. Some fan themselves with their hands. Others take a long sip of water before speaking.

The words vary, but the feeling is the same: I am tired. I am stretched thin. I cannot seem to catch my breath.

We talk about what is on their plates: the invisible weight of caring for a struggling teenager, the quiet but constant worry over aging parents, the strain of a relationship that feels more like managing a household than sharing a life, the unrelenting need to appear capable and in control at work.

When I suggest rest, almost every person hesitates.

“I cannot. Not right now.”
“I will rest when things slow down.”
“If I stop, I will lose momentum.”

I understand. I have told myself the same things.

Even as therapists, we sometimes push beyond our own limits, convinced that pausing would cause everything to unravel. But I have also learned that the people who most resist rest are often the ones who need it the most. The ones who feel they cannot afford to pause are the very ones whose lives would be transformed by doing so.

Rest is not a luxury. It is a necessity. It can be as simple as a deep breath between words in a hard conversation. It can be going to bed early without needing to earn it. It can be sitting in your car for a moment before walking inside, allowing your nervous system to settle.

Rest is where we begin again. It restores our bodies, clears our minds, and returns us to ourselves. It is what makes it possible to show up for life in a way that is whole, present, and deeply human.

Yours in the journey,