How I Stopped Hustling and Started Healing

If I had to describe how I felt for most of the past five years in one word, it would be overwhelmed. Maybe you can relate. That deep, soul-depleting exhaustion—the kind that drains your body, hijacks your emotions, and clouds your mind—was my constant companion. It wasn’t just busyness; it was the burden of feeling responsible for too many things for too long.

I didn’t recognize it right away, but when I finally did, I learned something important—something I want to share with you now. I learned how to recover. And I learned that true recovery starts with saying yes to rest.

We Live in a “Do More” Culture

We live in a world obsessed with more—more productivity, more achievement, more hustle. And we want it all now. We’re distracted by our phones, overloaded by commitments, and burdened by constant stress. Whether it’s work, health issues, family dynamics, or global uncertainty, our nervous systems are on high alert. Most of us are stuck in a chronic “fight or flight” mode.

Our bodies weren’t designed to live like this. When we don’t rest, we suffer physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I’ve experienced the fallout firsthand: nerve pain, hormone imbalance, fatigue, anxiety, gut issues—the list goes on. And yet, even as the symptoms piled up, I kept going. Kept doing. Kept pushing.

Why? Because I believed rest was a luxury I couldn’t afford.

Rest Is Not a Luxury—It’s a Choice

It took me a long time to realize that rest isn’t something that just happens. It’s not something we stumble upon when we finally have a free afternoon. Rest is a choice.

For too long, I chose to say yes to everything but rest. I blamed circumstances—my job, my responsibilities, other people’s needs—but the truth is, I had a choice all along. And so do you.

If we want to say yes to rest, we have to say no to something else. That could mean declining another commitment, stepping back from social media, or even just letting go of the pressure to be constantly productive. As John Maxwell once said, “You can’t manage time, but you can manage your priorities.” He’s right. Rest has to be a priority.

Why We Struggle With Rest

Let’s be honest—many of us don’t even know how to rest anymore. We confuse “rest” with collapsing into bed at the end of an exhausting day. We go on vacations only to come back more tired. We can’t sit still without reaching for our phones or filling the silence with noise. We’ve forgotten how to be still.

Why? Because we’ve tied our value to our productivity. We believe our worth is in what we do. Rest feels unproductive—and that feels unacceptable.

But here’s the truth: Rest is productive. Not only does it heal your body, but it also restores your mind, clarifies your emotions, and reconnects you with your purpose. Rest recalibrates your soul.

The Day I Finally Rested

I’ll never forget the day I lay down after lunch to close my eyes—for the first time in what felt like forever. I cried. Not because I was sad, but because I realized just how much stress I had stored in my body. I was overwhelmed by both the peace of that moment and the weight of everything I had been carrying for so long.

It felt strange and unfamiliar to rest in the middle of the day—but that’s exactly why it was necessary.

After that, I started taking small, intentional steps toward building rest into my life. A quiet pause. A slower morning. A moment of stillness and gratitude. These habits are helped me recover—and to let go of control.

Trusting God in the Rest

Ah yes, control. That’s the real root of so much of our struggle, isn’t it?

Rest requires surrender. It means trusting that the world will keep spinning even if we’re not the ones spinning it. It means believing that God is still working even when we are not.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” That verse has become a lifeline for me. It’s a reminder that resting isn’t weakness—it’s worship. It’s faith in action.

What Rest Has Taught Me

Today, I don’t feel overwhelmed like I once did. Rest has healed me in ways I didn’t know were possible. I’ve learned to reframe how I think about productivity, to separate my worth from my work, and to see rest as essential to the life I’m called to live.

And now, I want to ask you something:

What do you need to say no to, so you can say yes to rest? 

Whatever it is—know this: Rest isn’t the enemy of success. It’s the foundation of it. Rest is where healing begins, where clarity comes, and where we reconnect with God and our truest selves.

So take a breath. Take a pause. Say yes to rest.

Your soul will thank you.