When Rest Isn’t a Reward

\I used to think I had to deserve rest.
That if I hadn't worked hard enough,
moved enough, achieved enough — I didn't qualify.

But that belief isn't mine. It was taught.
Trauma trains us to prove we're worthy.
To work harder. Push through. Make pain invisible.

It tells us rest is a luxury, not a birthright.
But rest isn't a reward.
It's a necessity.

Nature doesn't ask permission to rest.
The ground doesn't earn its stillness after a season of growth.
It just is. It rests so it can rise again.

Healing doesn't come from doing more.
It comes from being.
From resting without guilt,
without justification.

We don't have to prove our worth,
by exhausting our bodies, our minds, our hearts.

Rest is not something to earn.
It's something we require.
Like the land - we reset.
We breathe.
We simply exist.

* * *

→ Related: When Rest Isn't a Reward
→ Also: Notes from the Edge of Pushing Too Far

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Start with Layer One when building from ground zero
Try a micro-ritual for a 2-5 minute reset
Explore Field Notes for trail reflections

*Peer reflection, not therapy or medical advice. Your healing journey is uniquely yours.*