You Don’t Need to Earn Your Rest - Snack Episode 15
(Otherwise Known As: Fix Yourself First)
Let me ask you something…
Do you ever feel like you need to “get your sh*t together” before you can take a break?
You know… check off the entire to-do list (including the part that someone else really should be doing – but you added it to yours because asking them again to do it, is more trouble than it’s worth), solve all your problems, help everyone around you, drink more water…
And then maybe you’ll have earned the right to rest?
Yeah. Me too.
But here’s the thing:
It’s a lie. A big, exhausting, deeply conditioned lie.
Rest isn’t a reward that’s only doled out to those who get their list done first.
It’s a Requirement.
We’ve been taught to treat rest like something we only get after we’ve earned it.
After we’ve done more. Pleased more people.
Checked all the boxes - including the ones we never signed up for.
And proved our worth.
But here’s the truth:
You don’t have to be broken to deserve rest.
And you sure as hell don’t need to fix yourself before you’re allowed to slow down.
Your nervous system doesn’t care how many things you still have on that list.
I’ll tell you what it does care about.
- That you’re taking care of yourself
- Resting.
- Doing things that give you joy.
- Treating yourself with the love and care that you give so readily to others.
And when you ignore it long enough?
It won’t give you a gold star.
It’ll give you burnout.
You Are Not Broken. You Are Human.
We all carry things no one else can see…
Grief. Shame. Anxiety. Trauma. Exhaustion.
Sometimes it shows up as perfectionism.
Sometimes as people-pleasing.
Sometimes as a to-do list so long it needs its own zip code.
But none of that makes you broken.
It makes you human.
And humans don’t need to be “enough” in order to rest.
You need rest that isn’t measured against how much you’ve accomplished first.
You don’t have to wait for someone else to tell you, or give you permission to, rest.
You don’t need to hit rock bottom.
You don’t need to justify your exhaustion.
You don’t need to be “productive” first.
You are allowed to take a breath.
A nap. A break.
Some time to savour some peace.
Because you’re a person.
And that alone makes you worthy.
So if you needed a sign today to slow the hell down?
This is it.
Shut the laptop. Put the phone down.
Do something wildly rebellious - like not doing a damn thing for 10 minutes.
Just be.
Because you’re not what you can do for others.
You’re not your productivity.
You’re not your to-do list.
You’re a living, breathing, feeling human being.
And rest isn’t something you have to earn.
It’s something you deserve.
I hope this blog post gave you a little exhale.
Or made you feel just a little more seen.
If it did - share it with someone else who needs a reminder.
And go listen to the full episode here.
🎙 Snack Episode 15 – You Don’t Need to Earn Your Rest
But really? Just keep showing up for yourself - gently.
That’s more than enough.
💜
Johanna
P.S. If this post gave you a little exhale, you can also support the podcast or share it with someone who needs this reminder.
