Get Radical With Rest

Let me start with a confession: I used to push rest into the margins. Sometimes I’d tell myself “You can rest when things calm down, after the projects are done, once the to-do list gets ticked off”. Sound familiar?? It’s the same trap many people fall into: rest framed as reward, not a necessity.

In a world addicted to hustle, prioritising rest isn't just for when you have time - it’s a radical, countercultural act of wellness.

What Radical Rest Really Means (Not just the Instagram Version)

When people hear “radical rest,” they often imagine bubble baths, nap spells, or aesthetic retreats. Those are lovely, but they’re surface-level performances. The type of rest I propose to you is deeper:

• It’s reclaiming rest as nonnegotiable, not something you “fit in.”

• It’s resisting the belief that productivity = worth.

• It’s resting so deeply you give your nervous system permission to shift, not just pause.

• It means recognising rest as healing for trauma, chronic stress, burnout, not just “taking a break.”

  
  

In other words: it’s not cute, Instagrammable rest.

It’s rest with intention, depth, and boundary.

You, reading this, probably already know what burnout feels like. You’re probably someone who:

• Says “yes” too often

• Has self-doubt you’re still trying to outrun

• Forces productivity on yourself even when your body protests

• Feels guilty when you aren’t “doing”

  
  

Radical rest isn’t a luxury for “when you have time.” It’s medicine for when you’re cracked, fraying, stuck under the weight of your own expectations.

Think about it: if you constantly ignore your internal fatigue signals, eventually your system will force you to stop (illness, breakdown, emotional collapse). Radical rest becomes a preemptive surrender - a refusal to wait until you’re forced to rest.

What Radical Rest Looks (and Doesn’t Look) Like

Doesn’t Look Like:

• Doing more “wellness tasks” (journals, affirmations) while still overloading

• Guilt trips ("I should be resting more")

• Doing "relaxing" things that still demand effort or performance
  

Does Look Like:

• Boring, deep rest like lying down, low stimulation, no expectations

• Saying no to demands (even ones you think you "should" do)

• Boundary-setting that protects rest (digital boundaries, saying no to last-minute work)

• Creating 'rest appointments' that are immovable

• Accepting rest as part of your work of being human, not “cheating”
  

How Trauma & Stress Make Radical Rest Hard (But Also Vital)

Trauma teaches parts of us to stay alert, hypervigilant, unrelenting. Those parts keep us running even when the conscious mind is screaming for a break. So resting feels unsafe. It triggers: “What if I’m lazy? What if I fail? What if I’m missing something?”

Radical rest means gently telling those parts: I see you. You’re safe now. You don’t have to prove anything here. It’s a healing conversation with your nervous system. In many healing modalities (hypnotherapy, somatics, polyvagal work), rest is where integration happens. Without it, our brains never have space to rewire or shift.

How to Begin Practicing Radical Rest (without falling into overwhelm)

Here are a few therapist-approved suggestions (not a to-do list, but a possible scaffold):

1. Start tiny but sacred Even 5 minutes of true rest (no phone, no stimulus) counts.

2. Create a rest sanctuary Soft light, minimal noise, cosy layers. Let your body know: “This space is for rest.”

3. Offer deep “passive” rest Not just active rest (gentle yoga, walks) - passive rest is the kind where your nervous system can unwind, such as guided relaxation (I have a sleep hypnotherapy download perfect for this), days off of work & exercise, long-warm baths, sensory naps (cocooning/hammocks/weighted blanket).

4. Boundary your rest Block it in your schedule. Declare to self and all: this time is off.

5. Watch your inner judge “I’m lazy” / “I should be doing more” - these voices will show up. Extend curiosity to them, not shame.

6. Ritualise transitions A brief ritual (lighting a candle, dimming lights) to signal: “Rest begins now.”

7. Normalise re-entry After rest, ease back with gentle pacing. Don’t sprint out of rest like it’s a race.

   
   

The Radical Rest Hot Take

If your identity is tied to doing, productivity, or achievement, radical rest will feel like betrayal. It may trigger guilt, resistance, disbelief. That’s a clue - that resistance is exactly what this rest wants to heal.

So here’s my challenge: Try radical rest for a week. Observe how your system responds. Observe the stories your mind spins to sabotage it. Then come back here, tell me what you saw, and we’ll walk the paradox together. Rest is essential work.

Because when we rest deeply (not as a reward but as a foundation) we become more available, more alive, more integrated.

If this resonates and you know you’ve been running on empty, I’d love to support you. I work 1:1 with founders, freelancers, and professionals who are ready to step out of burnout cycles and reconnect with themselves. Together we’ll use therapy and hypnotherapy tools to help you find clarity, calm, and real rest.

✨ Book a consultation or join my weekly newsletter to start your own radical rest journey.