Learning to Honor Rest
After the Rush
The after-holiday guilt kicks in as usual, but this year,
I’m learning to really notice how heavy American holidays can feel. We prepare, host, gather, cook, clean, and before we know it, intentional slowness becomes unintentional rushing. The pace shifts without our consent. Then, when everything finally settles down, guilt creeps in, “You should be getting back to discipline.” And I tried… but I came up short.
For months, I’ve been in one of the most consistent seasons of my life. Early morning runs, eating with intention, balancing my side work, nurturing my brand, and staying in a steady creative flow. So even though it’s only been three days off routine, it feels like I’ve fallen behind on everything I built. I’ve been carrying the guilt of rest, the fear of falling behind, and the anxiety of staying aligned.
Today, day four, I finally said, enough.
Coming back to my spiritual understanding, I know that sometimes alignment looks like rest. Clarity cannot grow in guilt, shame, pressure, or restlessness. It only reveals itself when the body and mind return to peace. When we rest, it doesn’t mean we’ve stopped progressing. If anything, we’ve given our body a chance to catch up to what lies in our spirit.
As someone who honors intention, creativity, and inner peace, I can’t stay in sync with those values while feeling depleted. And while part of me (ego) wants to cling to the guilt, my spirit is choosing to celebrate the awareness in the noticing, the honesty, the graceful course-correction toward what I actually need.
We don’t have to aim for perfection in everyday life, sometimes simply noticing, honoring, and being present is enough.
So, as we recover from this past holiday and head into the next, keep in mind that the world will ask us to keep up, but our bodies will ask for care. The world cannot keep you from purpose, but without rest, you may struggle to walk in it with clarity.
Sometimes honoring yourself is the answer.
With Peace and Intention,
Ash
💜🤍💜
