The Radical Power of Rest - The Kind of Rest You Actually Need

By Johanna LeRoux | Transformative Journeys

Let me ask you a personal question…

How much time do you spend truly resting?
Like… real, quality rest.

Not sleep. Rest.

The kind of rest where you’re not thinking about how much time you have before you need to be somewhere or do something…
The kind where you aren’t mentally rehearsing your to-do list…
You’re not sitting on the sofa folding laundry with Game of Thrones playing in the background…
(Side note: I see you, Game of Thrones people. I don’t understand you… but I see you.)

I love truth-bombs – so here’s one for you:
Rest is not a luxury.

Not something you earn “when everything is done”.

It’s a necessity.
And if you’re like me (hi, welcome), you’ve probably been taught the exact opposite.

Wait… You mean collapsing on the couch after work to zone out in front of the TV isn’t rest?

You might feel like it is because you think you’ve flipped the switch off on your brain. That might feel relaxing… but it’s not true rest.

And doom-scrolling through social media on your phone while your unfinished to-do list is nagging in the background?
Not rest.

Binge-watching Netflix while guilt whispers in your ear?
Nope. You’ve got it.

Not rest.

Real rest is how your body and brain both get to actively recharge.

Not simply through physical inactivity. Not just by “zoning out”.
Real, true rest is intentional, mindful, and meaningful.

And most of us have forgotten how to do it.

Let’s get nerdy for a minute and talk about the brain on rest 🧠

We often think of rest as physical - like sleep or lying down – but the truth is, that’s not the whole picture.

Our brain has its own version of rest, and more importantly, restoration. And believe it or not, it’s more than just catching up on sleep.

During what’s called wakeful rest (when you’re either not focused on anything in particular, you’re doing something that is so routine that you are running on auto-pilot, or you’re doing something that requires little brain-power - like doodling), the Default Mode Network in your brain becomes active. This is when your mind:

Wanders through past and future thoughts
Makes meaning out of experiences
Integrates memories
Processes emotions
And wonders about obscure things like, “Why there are fewer red Smarties in the box…?”

It’s also when your brain stores the things you’ve learned, sorts out what matters, and restores energy for higher-level thinking.

In other words?
You’re not wasting time. You’re actually giving your brain the opportunity to do some its most important behind-the-scenes work.

So why do we feel so damn guilty about resting?

Well… because we’ve been trained to feel guilty.

From the time we were kids, many of us were given messages like:

“You can rest when the work is done.”
“They value hard work.”
“Don’t be lazy.”
“You’ll have plenty of time to rest when you’re dead.”

Sound familiar?

These messages (from families, workplaces, culture) taught us that productivity equals worth, and that rest has to be earned. Being seen as productive feels like safety – whereas rest can feel selfish, indulgent, or even unsafe.

But the truth is:
You don’t earn your rest.
You earn burnout when you don’t rest.

And I say that as someone who has set up a tent and camped out there a few times myself.

So what is rest, then?

Rest isn’t just sleep. It’s intentional, rejuvenating, and energizing – and according to Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith (author of Sacred Rest), it involves meeting needs across a number of areas of our life.

She says that there are actually seven different types of rest, and that not all exhaustion is physical.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

1. Physical Rest

Sleep, naps, gentle movement like yoga, walking, or stretching. Even massage counts.

2. Mental Rest

Quieting your mind - journaling, mindfulness, saying no to tasks you don’t have bandwidth for, or giving your brain a low-stimulation break (hello doodling).

🎧 Want more mindfulness tools? Check out podcast episode 7.

3. Emotional Rest

Giving yourself permission to not hold it together. Setting boundaries. Saying no to emotionally intense people or tasks. Putting your phone on Do Not Disturb.

4. Social Rest

Spending less time with draining people - and more time either alone, or with those who truly fill your cup.

5. Sensory Rest

Turning off screens. Closing your eyes. Getting outside. Reducing the constant input we’re bombarded with daily.

6. Creative Rest

Baking, cooking, painting, music, knitting, writing, nature walks – or just sitting under a tree doing absolutely nothing. Not because you have to, but because it’s your jam and lights something up in you.

7. Spiritual Rest

This doesn’t have to mean religion (unless that’s your thing). It’s about reconnecting to your values, beliefs, or sense of meaning - whatever gives you a deeper sense of purpose.

There’s a cost to never resting – and it’s bigger than you might think.

Studies have shown that too much screen time and digital stimulation can literally change how we store and retrieve memories, regulate emotions, and evaluate ourselves socially.

Your brain and body require downtime to process, recover, and rejuvenate.

And boredom - something we often try to avoid – has some pretty powerful benefits.

Such as:

Improving focus and problem-solving
Boosting creativity and innovation
Improving our emotional resilience
Providing time for our body to physically repair

So, knowing all of that now… how do we start resting - without guilt?

Here are a few small steps to begin rewiring your relationship with rest:

💡 1. Schedule it in
Seriously. Add rest to your planner - just like you do for a meeting or exercise.

💡 2. Match the type of rest you choose to your need
Feeling emotionally drained? Social rest won’t help as much as emotional rest might. Be intentional.

💡 3. Protect your breaks
Use them for activities that actually restore you, not just doom-scrolling or catching up on your inbox.

💡 4. Experiment
Try different types of rest and notice how your body and mind respond. We’re all very different, so your rest style might not look like anyone else’s - and that’s okay.

If you journal, walk, or just need some quiet questions to sit with, here are a few to explore:

What beliefs did I grow up with about rest, productivity, or laziness?
When I imagine resting - without guilt - what emotions come up?
What types of rest feel most restorative to me right now?
What’s one small, guilt-free way I can rest this week?

Rest is not selfish. It’s not self-indulgent. And it’s not weakness.

It’s one of the most radical forms of self-care you can offer yourself in a world that has somehow begun to glorify burnout.

So the next time guilt creeps in when you find yourself mindlessly doodling on the financial report in front of you… remind yourself of this:

Productivity is not tied to your worth.
You don’t need to justify rest.
You’re allowed – no encouraged - to pause.

Because when you do?

You come back clearer. Stronger.
More resilient.

✨ Free Resource

Feeling overwhelmed or burned out?
Grab my Bounce Back Blueprint - a short, free guide to help you navigate the “too much” moments, without needing a complete life overhaul.

No spam. No pressure. Just real tools from someone who’s working on all of this with you.

Want to listen to the full audio podcast? Find it here: https://transformativejourneys.buzzsprout.com
▶️ Enhanced YouTube Version of the Episode available here: https://www.youtube.com/@TransformativeJourneys-Johanna

📸 Find me on Instagram @transformativejourneys.johanna