Personal Growth 101: Rest as Your Superpower

If you’re anything like me, chances are you’ve been taught to see rest as something you have to earn — a luxury you can only afford yourself after grinding through work, checking off every box, and proving you’re worthy of some down time.

In many cultures today, busyness is viewed as a badge of honor and exhaustion is often touted for dedication. But the reality is that it’s not dedication.

The only thing you’re modeling is depletion.

About a year ago, I attended an online training session taught by an executive coach, who outlined a few key practices in support of innovative thinking. One of the main points: you need space to rest. Not multi-tasking, not doing busy-work. Not even doomscrolling. Time for proper disconnection.

I almost literally LOL’ed and couldn’t help but think, “That sounds nice! But with my schedule…?!”

The truth is, I hear this a lot from my clients, many of us learning through decades of consistent messaging that rest is for children, the sick and the weak, vacation time, or the lazy.

To prove our worth and our value, we must never rest — we must only produce.

We then associate our productivity with our value. If we're not doing, what are we good for? And so, the simple act of resting feels like an identity crisis. It challenges the deeply rooted belief that we must do to be enough.

But this is one of the destructive lies many of us accept.

Research in science and performance, as well as the world’s most successful athletes point to one undeniable fact: the better we rest, the better we perform, progress, recover, and succeed.

Because rest isn’t something we “do when we die,” and it’s not a reward for burning ourselves out.

It’s the fuel that makes sustainable success possible.

My Rest Revolution

Last fall, I had a lot on my plate. At the time, I was working in a demanding consulting role, enrolled in a certified professional and executive coaching program, juggling an executive training opportunity with Korn Ferry, and trying to launch my own coaching business. Oh, and my marriage? Quickly devolving into a situationship. Unsurprisingly, I found myself experiencing the effects of burnout, complete with anxiety attacks, lapses in memory, and recurring health issues.

My response? Exactly what I’d been taught: keep pushing harder.

Thankfully my executive coach at the time, Pam Rachal, began to challenge this approach and – in doing so – helped me to uncover a simple yet profound realization: if I wanted to break the cycle of burnout in my life, I had to begin viewing rest as a goal worthy of prioritizing.

So that’s exactly what I did.

For the next few weeks, I treated rest as a high-priority, strategic goal. I researched it and how to maximize its effects in my life, and I added rest breaks throughout my schedule to ensure I was respecting it.

Week one was a complete failure. I skipped almost every single scheduled rest break, panicked that if I stepped away, I’d fall further behind. So, I decided to begin a weekly, Saturday morning reflection to identify what was working, what got in the way, and how I could rest more effectively in the week ahead.

Within a month, the impact was remarkable. My anxiety almost entirely vanished, my physical health noticeably improved, and – much to my surprise – my productivity and creativity soared. It was so effective that I even created a Rest Regimen Journal to help others implement their own version of this approach.

Prioritizing rest became my personal "cheat code" for success—improving my work, health, and marriage. I discovered that rest wasn’t taking away from my productivity or making me lazy, as I had been taught.

Rest was the fuel that enhanced and improved upon every aspect of my life.

What the Research Says

So what does research around rest say about its effects on our health, performance, and overall well-being? Let’s get into it:

• Cognitive performance improves significantly with rest. Regular breaks and quality sleep enhance memory, creativity, and problem-solving by supporting neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to rewire and adapt to new challenges. Every time you pause and allow your brain to reset, you’re creating space for new ideas, insights, and solutions to emerge more effortlessly.

• Neuroplasticity supports change by reinforcing the brain’s capacity to form and strengthen neural pathways. Think of it as trailblazing through a dense forest: each repetition clears the path a little more. Rest allows those new neural pathways to further develop (literally move closer together), which is why even brief downtime after learning something new improves retention and long-term understanding. It's like hitting "save" on what your brain has been working on.

• Emotional resilience is improved by consistent rest, and let’s be real: we could all use this in our current socio-political environment. Rest regulates the amygdala—the brain’s fear and threat detection center—and lowers cortisol levels. This reduces reactivity and helps us respond to stress with greater clarity, patience, and perspective. Not to mention it improves your sleep, which in turn helps you feel more rested and energized.

• Physical health hinges on quality rest. Chronic rest deprivation increases the risk of illness, weakens the immune system, and slows our recovery to sickness or injury. Prioritizing rest supports physical repair, hormonal balance, and long-term vitality. For anyone wondering why “I can’t afford to get sick!” is often immediately followed by you getting sick? Herein lies the answer: you need rest.

• Motivation and focus naturally increase with intentional rest. Especially when the rest we engage in is aligned with our actual needs — not doomscrolling, not forcing yourself to do whatever your partner or spouse wants you to do. But what restores you.

Seven Types of Rest (One Size Does Not Fit All)

Each time I bring up rest with a client, their mind almost instantly jumps to naps or going to bed at 8pm … or both.

But the fact is that there is more than just physical rest. There are several different types of rest that we can leverage based on our individual needs, and that we can personalize based on what we find most restorative.

Inspired by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith’s research—and expanded upon in my blog Resilient Leadership: Busyness Is Not a Badge of Honor—here are seven different types of rest and what they look like:

1. Physical Rest: Passive (sleep, naps) and active (gentle movement, stretching, massage). Not just the absence of activity, but the replenishment of physical energy.

2. Mental Rest: Space from the constant mental chatter. Think journaling, meditation, or even giving your brain a break from problem-solving mode.

3. Sensory Rest: Less screen time, fewer bright lights and background noise. We are constantly overstimulated, and we rarely allow ourselves to notice how much that drains us. (PS the initial break from screens can trigger panic as our brains look for the constant dopamine it is used to. Give yourself some time, and it will pass.)

4. Creative Rest: Time to be inspired—through nature, art, or play. Rather than producing something, absorbing and appreciating beauty and wonder.

5. Emotional Rest: Safe spaces to express your emotions freely and honestly without judgment or performance. Think journaling or therapy.

6. Social Rest: Time with people who don’t require you to perform, impress, or explain every detail; or space to yourself to simply be and reflect.

7. Spiritual Rest: Feeling connected to something larger than yourself. For some, that’s faith or spiritual practice. For others, it’s nature, purpose, or volunteerism.

As you read through these types of rest, what felt like it was calling you personally? Did one type of rest spark an energy within you?

In the days ahead, consider carving out even 10-15 minutes to explore it for yourself and notice how it affects you.

How to Make Rest Work for You

Here’s where I’d invite you, as your coach, to get curious:

1. Challenge your beliefs about rest. What have you been taught about rest? How is it serving you? What do you want to believe instead?

2. Identify what kind of rest would benefit you most. Are you physically worn out, mentally overstimulated, or emotionally overextended? Start where the depletion feels strongest OR where the type of rest feels most inviting.

3. Schedule it like a goal. Be as intentional as possible, blocking the time on your calendar. Start with just 10-15 minutes. Protect it, prioritize it, and respect it.

4. Make it your own. Reflect on how the rest impacted your day, your emotions, your ideas, or your energy levels. Then, adjust as often as you need. Perfection doesn’t exist, but progress does (remember I completely failed my first week I tried this!). The more personalized and consistent your approach, the more beneficial the effects.

Final Thoughts

I hope that today’s reflections invite you to revisit your own relationship to rest.

Not as a luxury awaiting your next vacation or a sign of laziness. But as a tool – a deeply important resource. As your own, personal, life-changing superpower.

Because the truth is that if we want to grow sustainably, contribute meaningfully, and feel grounded along the way, we must break free from burnout and cultivate a restful life.

So here’s to rest and its transformational impact.

You’ve got this.

Let’s grow more intentionally – together.

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If you'd like professional support in cultivating a restful, sustainably successful life, I'd love to chat with you more about my coaching. Schedule your first coaching session today!