Rest Before You Need To

The rhythms of rest that I've trained myself to stay dedicated to…

Over the 16 years I’ve been a full-time soulpreneur, I’be accomplished a lot mainly because I’ve practiced creating, even when I don’t feel like it…

I work on a regular rhythm. And… I don’t “feel like it” most of the time at the start of each work session.

But I show up anyway and practice infusing joyful productivity into the process. And therefore, get things done that might otherwise be delayed indefinitely.

Over time, I realized something important about this:

If the practice of loving-discipline is why I can work even when I don’t feel like it… then loving-discipline must also be the reason I rest even when I don’t feel like it…

Because I’ve noticed that if I only rest when I feel tired, I’ve waited too long.

The Trap:

As coaches, healers, and creators, we feel the weight of our calling. There’s always another piece of content to create. Another soul who might need what we offer.

So too often, we push.

Work until tired. Then rest.
Work until exhausted. Then collapse.

By doing this in the early years, I nearly burned out several times.

Emotional lows… no more motivation… physical exhaustion… lack of creativity for days, sometimes weeks.

The strange part is that burnout isn’t only “feeling tired.” It’s more like something inside shuts down: the part that cares, that wants to create. The part that trusts there’s enough time, enough clients, enough opportunity to make a positive difference.

Sometimes it came with physical consequences too. Repetitive strain. Neck, shoulders, wrists. The body keeping track of what I ignored.

I wish no one had to go through that.

And I’ve learned over time that the prevention is not complicated! It requires treating rest as a discipline, not a reward.

Our Tools Make It Harder:

The more addictive our technologies become, the harder it is to remember to stop.

The computer is a trance machine. For many of us, there’s almost no end to email. And social media is designed to keep us always curious, always slightly tense.

Because so much of our work is heart-centered, the fatigue isn’t always obvious…

A background tightness we don’t notice until we finally stand up and realize we’ve been bracing for hours.

Emotional fatigue from holding space.
Mental tension from creating.

That’s why I don’t treat breaks as a luxury anymore.

Rest is part of the work.

Rhythm Over Whim:

People say, “I just want to go with the flow.”

Unfortunately, some people use that to mean: no structure, no schedule, no discipline. Just whatever feels right in the moment…

But look at where that phrase comes from — Taoism–the idea of effortless action. Admiring the natural world as a mentor.

Yet, look again:

Nature is not chaotic.

Nature is patterned. Disciplined.

The sun rises and sets with perfect reliability. Seasons always come in order. Birds flock in patterns. The body runs on delicate rhythms.

The sun doesn’t go, “I don’t feel like rising today.”

If we want to be in harmony with nature, we don’t do it by removing structure. We do it by aligning with rhythm.

Real “effortless action” isn’t laziness. It’s what happens after we begin…

I don’t feel like writing, but then I start anyway. After a while, it becomes effortless.

I don’t feel like resting, but then I stay put anyway. After a while, it becomes real rest.

Staying healthy means alternating: Work, then release. Focus, then soften. And doing it consistently, on a rhythm.

The issue isn’t whether I can work hard. We all can.

The issue is whether we can pause on purpose.

Four Types of Breaks:

I use multiple layers of rest. Not one big vacation that’s supposed to “fix everything.” Layers.

Microbreaks

During working hours, I always have a stopwatch next to me. And every 10–15 minutes, I purposely pause for 30 seconds. Hands off the keyboard. Arms dropped to my sides. A few deep breaths. Eyes gently closed.

I do a quick energy reboot — breathing in Love, breathing out Security. Breathing in Wisdom, breathing out Thanks.

Then I open my eyes, look into the distance, stretch, and consider when the next microbreak will be.

That last step matters more than it seems.

Most people don’t have a time problem. They have a time-awareness problem. They sit down, start working, and disappear into it, especially those who are prone to ADHD. 45 minutes later, they suddenly become aware that their body is tight and their mind is scattered.

If I miss a microbreak, I don’t judge myself. I treat it like meditation. “Ah. I’m glad I caught my trance.” Then I take the break right then and there.

This practice has helped me maintain joyful productivity for years. It also helped me recover from repetitive stress injury.

Mid-Day Breaks

I never work more than two hours without stopping.

I work 2 hours in the morning, then take a 2 hour break for: nap, lunch, exercise.

Then I work another 2 hours, then another 1 hour break for nap, exercise, light chores.

Then another 90 minutes of work to finish the day before dinner.

These longer breaks reset something my brain can’t access while sitting at a computer.

Weekly Breaks

For me, Sundays are for no work at all.

I work a regular schedule Monday through Saturdays, but my Thursdays purposely have a longer than usual afternoon break.

Monthly Break

As a solopreneur, I’m privileged to decide how many weeks to take off of regular work.

For the first decade of my business, I only took 1–2 weeks off, about 2–3 times a year. Too few breaks, like most Americans!

More recently I’ve begun taking 1 week off (sometimes two), every 2–3 months.

This year I began a new schedule of breaks: 3 weeks of regular work, then 1 week of what I call a content sabbatical which is when I don’t create content, nor have meetings, but have a lot more spaciousness for rest, personal activities, and some long-term work.

Four times a year, that content sabbatical is scheduled for 2 weeks instead of 1, to allow for trips to see parents and other personal travel.

This has felt much healthier and of course, enjoyable. Yet I still get a lot done, in fact, maybe more important work done than previously when there was less spaciousness.

Evening Matters:

I need at least 7.5 hours in bed to feel fine the next day.

I’ve dealt with insomnia for much of my life. My rule is simple: I stay in bed anyway. Eyes closed. Breathing gently. Purposely slowing my thoughts…

If I wake up middle of the night and try to “be productive,” I pay for it the next day. A draining fog that nothing can fix.

So I treat being in bed as rest, even when sleep isn’t happening yet.

If I catch myself wandering into problem-solving or future-planning, I return: Relax. Breathe. Slow the thoughts. Think good thoughts of love and thanks.

Sometimes a creative idea comes at night. The instinct is to get up and work.

Over years, I’ve learned that’s it’s almost always a bad idea to get up.

If it feels urgent, I jot a few notes by the bedside. Then right back to rest.

Over time, you train your mind. You teach it which hours are for rest, which hours are for work.

Some people have unknowingly trained their mind the opposite way: “Give me ideas at 2 a.m. and I’ll jump up and act!”

This of course creates a chaotic schedule… resulting in erratic enegy, health, and often, erratic income.

I used to be like that, and gratefully, trained myself to stay with a more sustainable rhythm.

Why This Matters for Soulpreneurs:

We talk about serving others. About being a channel for healing, wisdom, transformation.

But we cannot serve well from scattered exhaustion.

Burnout (or the verge of it) steals our productivity, and our presence. It steals our creativity, and our connection to Spirit.

These are what I hope we aim for:

• Stable energy. A healthy body. A steady mind.

• Sustainable creativity.

• A connection to Spirit that doesn’t get sacrificed for “success.”

These matter more than output… and burnout steals all of them.

So I plan to rest like I plan to work. I don’t wait for permission from my mood. I don’t wait for tiredness before I allow rest.

Because when I’m exhausted, I’ve rested far too late.

Your Turn:

Which of these might change your life the fastest:

• Microbreaks every 10–20 minutes?

• A longer break every 1.5–2.5 hours?

• Multi-day breaks that are actually scheduled?

• Some other rhythm of rest that you need to plan in?

It’s time to stop treating rest as something you have to earn.

Rest before you need to.

…and then stay resting as planned.

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Originally written July 2020, Updated in Feb 2026.