Many of us treat rest as a reward we earn once everything is done. Since everything is never done, the reward never arrives.
But rest is not a prize. It is part of the work. A tired mind makes slower decisions, shorter replies and smaller plans.
The best time to rest is before you are exhausted. Stopping at the first sign of strain costs less than recovering from the last.
This does not require a holiday. It can be a proper lunch away from the screen. An early night. A Sunday afternoon with no list.
Rest also makes room for the thinking you cannot schedule. Solutions have a way of showing up when you stop pushing so hard.
Protecting your energy is not selfish. The people who depend on you are better served by a steady version of you than a depleted one.
Put rest on the calendar the way you would put in a meeting you cannot move.
Where in this week could you rest before you need it?
