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I don’t ever remember rest being something that was considered important where I’m from. Pushing yourself, never resting, and working harder is often praised. Rest, however, has a bad reputation — like it’s something we should feel guilty about.

Somewhere along the line, I think people got confused and started believing that rest equals laziness. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. When we allow ourselves to rest and truly restore, we produce better quality work. With a full cup, we can show up as better versions of ourselves.

I was pregnant with my third when I worked with my lovely midwife, who helped deliver my baby boy at home. It was such a beautiful experience, but one of the greatest lessons I learned came after my baby was born. She was adamant that I needed to rest for four whole weeks.

At first, I couldn’t imagine actually following through with that. With my previous births, I had the mindset that snapping back to normal as soon as possible was a sign of health — something to be proud of. I believed that pushing my body, getting into a routine, and getting out and about with my baby showed the world how well I was doing.

And that’s just it — it was about showing everyone else that I was doing well.

We all know how much a woman’s body goes through to bring a baby into the world, yet rest can still feel uncomfortable. But this time, I listened to my midwife. I told close friends and family that I would be resting and not leaving the house for four weeks.

Some were concerned and, just as I had feared, saw this as a sign that I wasn’t recovering well. I had to fight the urge to stop resting just to make others feel more comfortable — and I say that without blame, because I once felt the same way.

This decision was life-changing for me. It didn’t just change how I viewed rest after birth, but how I viewed rest in general — as something necessary to restore both mind and body on a regular basis.

This was my first postpartum experience where I didn’t have postpartum depression. I didn’t have mysterious aches and pains from pushing myself too hard, too soon. I was glowing. My milk supply was abundant. I felt a huge difference.

Since then, I’ve had two more children and have applied this practice as best I could each time. I won’t lie — resting is still challenging for me, especially when I’m worried about how others might feel or what they might think. But I’ve noticed that rest allows me to recover more quickly from sickness, improves my mental clarity, and keeps me from getting hurt because I’m rushing around exhausted.

Rest actually takes self-control. In many ways, it’s easier to rush than it is to intentionally slow down.

So what are some practical ways we can invite rest into our regular lives?

I’ve been trying to put my phone down more often, which is why we eventually got a home phone. Our phones keep our minds in a constant state of unrest. Scrolling through endless images is almost the equivalent of having a racing mind. Phones don’t just make our thoughts speed up — they make time speed up too.

Another way we can intentionally rest is by using our hands. Cooking, drawing, writing, gardening, sewing. It might sound like busy work, but working with our hands is deeply calming to the nervous system.

Spending time outside is another simple but powerful form of rest. Even 15 minutes a day can help. The sounds of nature — birds, wind, water — have been shown to lower stress hormones and support nervous system regulation.

Midday rest matters too. A nap, if possible, or at least 20–30 minutes of lying down and letting your body fully rest. Studies show that short periods of rest can improve mood, focus, and physical recovery.

One practice I started this summer that surprised me was simply sitting down and slowly eating my meals. For years, I scarfed down food just to get it in. Eating this way created a mental shift — it signaled to my body that it was safe to slow down.

I believe everyone can benefit from rest, but it’s also important to note that as women, we live in 30-day cycles. Our bodies communicate with us constantly, and learning to listen — especially when we’re being told to slow down — is a form of wisdom we’re often taught to ignore.