When Rest Feels Wrong

I’ll never forget the first time I tried to take a true day of rest.

I turned off my phone. Closed my laptop. Sat down with a book.

And within minutes, the anxiety kicked in.

It wasn’t that I didn’t need the rest. My body was begging for it.
It was that rest felt wrong.

Like I was being lazy.
Like I was falling behind.
Like the world was moving on without me.

If you’re a high achiever, you know that feeling.

In fact, it gets better... When I would attempt a vacation I would get a massive headache to the point of nausea. This went on for 15 years...

Most of us were taught, directly or indirectly, that movement equals value.

•         Busy = important.

•         Productive = worthy.

•         Resting = irresponsible.

It’s a script we didn’t choose, but one we absorbed.

So when we stop, our nervous system doesn’t relax—it panics.
Rest feels unsafe, not because it is, but because it threatens the identity we’ve built on motion.

The Hidden Cost of Rest Guilt

A 2023 study on executive burnout found that over 60% of leaders feel guilty when taking time off.

That guilt shows up in subtle ways:

·        Vacations where you’re glued to email.

·        “Rest days” filled with errands to feel “useful.”

·        Even sitting still feels like failure.

Here’s the irony: the people who need rest the most are often the ones who resist it hardest.

Rest Is Leadership

Think about athletes for a moment.
They don’t just train endlessly—they recover intentionally.

Because they know performance depends on rest.
Without recovery, there is no strength.

The same is true in leadership.
But we’ve forgotten.

We mistake exhaustion for dedication.
We confuse burnout with bravery.
We wear busyness like a medal of honor.

But rest?
👉 Rest is leadership.

Reclaiming Rest

The question isn’t whether you need rest. (You do.)
The question is: What would it take for you to rest without guilt?

Because rest isn’t the opposite of achievement—it’s what makes achievement sustainable.
Rest doesn’t make you less.
It makes you more present, more creative, more human.

And that’s the kind of leadership the world is starving for.

A Reflection for You

This week, I invite you to pause and ask yourself:
👉 When rest feels wrong, what does that reveal about what you believe gives you worth?