Radical Rest: Why Doing Less Is Your Most Powerful Next Step

There’s a quiet kind of bravery in slowing down.
In choosing to stop when the world insists you keep going.
In letting yourself rest—not because you’ve “earned it,” but because you exist.

We’ve been taught that rest is a reward. That doing nothing is lazy. That slowing down is dangerous because someone else might outpace us.
But here’s the truth: rest isn’t the opposite of productivity—it’s what makes real progress possible.

Today, I want to invite you into an idea I call Radical Rest—and show you why doing less might be your most powerful next step.

What Radical Rest Really Means

Radical Rest isn’t about taking a week-long holiday (though that’s lovely).
It’s not about giving up on your goals or hiding from your life.

It’s about:

• Letting rest be an active part of your growth.

• Creating space for your nervous system to exhale.

• Trusting that you can pause without losing yourself.

Radical Rest is a choice to believe that your worth isn’t measured by your output.
It’s a refusal to only give yourself permission to rest when you’re exhausted.

Why Rest Feels So Hard

If you’ve ever tried to slow down and felt instantly uncomfortable, you’re not alone.
Rest can bring up:

• Guilt: “I should be doing something useful.”

• Fear: “What if I fall behind?”

• Restlessness: “I don’t know how to just… stop.”

These reactions aren’t personal flaws—they’re learned responses.
Our culture rewards overwork, praises “hustle,” and quietly shames stillness.

That’s why Radical Rest is radical—it goes against the grain.

The Science Behind Rest as Productivity

Rest doesn’t just make you feel better—it changes how your brain works.

When you rest:

• Your brain processes and integrates new information.

• Creativity increases as your mind wanders.

• Stress hormones lower, helping you think more clearly.

• Your body repairs itself at a cellular level.

Think of rest as charging your phone. You wouldn’t expect it to run forever at 1% battery—but many of us expect that from ourselves.

Step 1 — Redefine What Rest Looks Like for You

Rest doesn’t have to mean lying in bed for hours (unless that’s what you need). It can be:

• A slow walk without your phone.

• Sitting in the sun with tea.

• A quiet moment in the car before going inside.

• Listening to music with your eyes closed.

The goal is to choose rest that feels nourishing, not numbing. Scrolling endlessly might feel like “rest,” but if you finish more depleted than before, it’s not giving you what you truly need.

Step 2 — Try the ‘Micro-Rest’ Approach

If slowing down feels impossible, start small.

Micro-Rest Ideas:

• Take 30 seconds to close your eyes and breathe deeply.

• Pause between tasks and stretch.

• Step outside for two minutes to notice the sky.

• Drink your coffee without multitasking.

These moments matter. They tell your nervous system: It’s safe to pause.

Step 3 — Create a Rest Ritual

When you ritualise rest, you train your mind and body to recognise it as necessary, not optional.

Your rest ritual could be:

• Lighting a candle in the evening and reading a few pages of a book.

• Journaling for five minutes before bed.

• Putting your phone in another room after 8pm.

The ritual itself isn’t about the activity—it’s about signalling to yourself: This is my time to replenish.

Step 4 — Release the Guilt

The hardest part of Radical Rest isn’t stopping—it’s stopping without beating yourself up.

Here’s the truth:
You’re not lazy for resting. You’re not behind for pausing.
You’re a human being with a body, a mind, and a spirit that need space to breathe.

The more you practice resting without guilt, the more you’ll notice that your energy, focus, and clarity improve—not despite the rest, but because of it.

Step 5 — Notice What Changes

When you start weaving rest into your days, watch for the subtle shifts:

• You have more patience.

• Your ideas feel fresher.

• You recover from setbacks more quickly.

• You start to want to take care of yourself.

Radical Rest works quietly, but it works deeply.

A Gentle Invitation

If you’ve been running on empty, always waiting for “the right time” to slow down, maybe that time is now.

Radical Rest isn’t about stepping away from your life—it’s about stepping into it with the energy, clarity, and compassion you deserve.

Book a FREE coaching session with me here.
Let’s explore how rest can become your most powerful next step.