The Cost of Postponing Rest: The Impact on Mind & Body
How many of us have worked tirelessly through the busy season to get to the other side, pushed closer to burnout knowing time off is coming, or prepared for a vacation by putting in double the time and energy beforehand? The idea that we can push through now to enjoy our downtime entirely is more common than you think.
That’s what raises the question: when did taking a break become something that requires near-burnout behavior to soak in fully? Why is it so hard to take moments of rest without a designated day off from work or obligations?
It’s helpful to notice what it feels like in the days and weeks leading up to the holidays, vacations, or simply taking a personal day. Are you typically working more hours and trying to fit everything you need to do at home in so that you can get those few days of unplugging? Do you ever feel like you don’t deserve the time to indulge in relaxation if you don’t hustle before?
The anticipation of rest has this way of feeling like a luxury, and for high achievers and successful professionals, the idea of taking a break can almost feel like a threat. There’s always that one more email to send, one more meeting to prepare for, or the one last thing you can do to prove yourself. Sometimes that comes at the cost of physical exhaustion, mood shifts, and other signs that burnout is lingering around the corner.
So, let’s talk about it! In this blog post, we’ll break down why it’s so hard to rest in smaller ways in between those big breaks, the different types of rest our bodies and minds need, and how to take care of yourself while managing the guilt that can come with needing a moment instead of feeling like it’s easier just to keep grinding.
When rest stopped feeling like a basic human need
Somewhere along the way, rest went from being an essential part of staying alive (just like eating, drinking water, and sleeping) to something that many people feel they don’t need as much of, despite doing more and having more stimulation than ever before. When you think about it, our biology didn’t suddenly shift to not needing rest anymore, but slowly over time society has reshaped how we see it.
The workplace evolution playing a role
Let’s remember a time (or stories from relatives and movies) when employees stepped into a designated break room for a moment away from work and patiently waited for a cup of coffee to brew in an old-school drip coffee maker while catching up on life. Today, that might look like a kitchenette with a craft latte ready in just a few seconds, and employees head to their phones or laptops so they don’t lose a second of productive time.
Decades ago, those tiny pauses were built into the day not only at work, but in the hours before and after. You certainly weren’t expected to be reachable outside of work hours. If someone needed you after 5 p.m., they’d have to call your home landline, which was mostly seen as crossing the boundary of personal family time.
But as workplaces evolved, those natural pockets of rest became increasingly challenging to maintain with email on phones, laptops that can go home with you, and social media or instant messaging that keeps you accessible 24/7. Of course, people feel pressure to do more at work than their designated work hours indicate, and the blend of work and home can intensify that pressure, as employees still need to balance relationships, family, friendships, and household chores.
Without those enforced pauses (the walk to a break room, a required lunch hour, the chat with a coworker while waiting for the copier, the slow coffee drip), rest stopped being part of the rhythm of work and became something we have to choose deliberately and create space for.
Why rest can feel like a threat to success
So we’re starting to see how asking for some downtime or taking smaller moments of rest isn’t so easy today. Rest can feel surprisingly unsafe when so much of your identity as a partner, friend, or parent, financial stability, and professional belonging is shaped around showing up at a higher level.
Here are a few examples of why slowing down can feel like it’s putting success at risk:
1. You may have been shown how more effort = more worth
If you worked somewhere and got praised for coming in early and leaving late, heard from your friends that they love how available you always are for them, or felt praise within your family for being the planner who’s always keeping everyone together, it’s no wonder rest can feel counterintuitive. In any case where doing more physically, mentally, and energetically is celebrated, it can naturally raise the question: “Would doing less lead to letting people down from what they expect from me?”
Gentle reframe: What if you believed your worth is not about how much you’re doing, but rather who you are and your intentions, even when you take a moment for yourself to recharge?
2. You may feel like rest interrupts momentum
When days are full, and no break is in sight, it can feel easier just to keep going, moving from meeting to meeting, errand to errand, or task to task around the house without stopping. That’s usually because if you were to pause, you might feel the weight of everything you’re carrying, and that can feel like it stops you in your tracks. Even downtime might be filled with productivity, like folding laundry while watching TV, listening to a podcast while cooking, or using the one chance you’ve had to sit down with your partner for dinner as a time to plan logistics of an upcoming trip. Constant motion can often feel like it’s protecting you from the overwhelm that’s underneath the muscling through or you may not trust yourself to pause and be able to get back into things the same way if rest has been foreign for some time.
Pausing, however briefly, gives everything you’ve been carrying a chance to catch up to you — and that can be uncomfortable.
Gentle reframe: What if you take the night to yourself after a nonstop day, or choosing to pause and feel the weight on your shoulders is a way to honor what you need? Could you allow yourself to take time to recharge, trusting that you’ll pick back up when you’re ready and have more energy to do so?
3. You may be trying to stay ahead of expectations
Sometimes the bar keeps moving, and it never feels like you can keep up before a new expectation is set. That can absolutely impact how you view rest, especially if your team prides itself on fast turnaround times or if you’re rewarded for going above and beyond. That can create an internal narrative that rest would mean sacrificing those expectations and thinking about what that could mean in the bigger picture (job security, financial stability, position at work, future opportunities, etc.). You might have internalized the idea that you have to stay one step ahead by checking emails after dinner, squeezing in prep on Sunday nights, or taking on more than your share, which could expose you to reputational risk.
Gentle reframe: Meeting expectations to be successful long-term means that it needs to be sustainable for you to keep up with. You’re only human, so taking the rest where you can may actually be a way to continue operating in the way that works for you without sacrificing your basic needs or risking burnout that stops you in your tracks.
4. Guilt may sneak in before you even sit down
Sometimes the guilt shows up the moment you imagine resting. Maybe you feel it while you’re sitting on the couch knowing there are dishes in the sink, or when you think about taking a night off from plans because you’re just too tired. You could also feel the guilt when you’re doing something you enjoy, like reading, enjoying a long dinner chat, or taking time to play with the kids. All those “shoulds” can creep in to tell you your time is better served catching up, and that you’ll pay for it when you have to work more or take more of your downtime later to feel ahead again.
Gentle reframe: A guilty feeling may be super uncomfy, but what if it doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong? Instead, it may just mean you’re doing something new and different that you need, and slowly that guilty voice can get quieter when you’re empowered to do what you need.
-> Releasing the Pressure: How to Recognize When You’re Being Too Hard on Yourself
5. You might have seen rest be punished in the past
For many adults, the hesitation around rest didn’t come out of nowhere. It may have been a learned mindset picked up over time, from childhood to young adulthood. Maybe you watched coworkers be poorly talked about for leaving work on time while everyone else stayed late. Or maybe growing up, you weren’t allowed to take breaks from homework, and if any of your siblings did, you watched them lose out on dessert privileges. Some of us experienced real consequences from slowing down in ourselves or others, and it starts to engrain the message that rest is bad. Even outside of direct experiences, you can compare yourself to other people who seem to run at full speed and get all the rewards as evidence that it’s the only way.
Gentle reframe: It’s important to bring awareness to where beliefs began and invite curiosity about whether those beliefs still feel true to you. It’s okay to learn to protect yourself from past situations you watched play out, while knowing you can redefine what rest means at any point you feel called to now.
What rest really means
Rest is so much more than getting enough sleep. Sure, lack of sleep and sleep deprivation add up but there's more to the story.
That’s because it’s not a one-size-fits-all idea and it tends to bring up something different for each of us. For some, it can look like a slow morning or a full day off. For others, rest is a quiet moment between meetings, a pause to breathe, or logging out of work a bit early to do something non-productive at the end of the day. If you experience any resistance to rest, it may be because our minds can go to sleeping in, disappearing for hours, or taking a full-on vacation. That’s usually why these smaller opportunities to recharge are missed and skipped over entirely in anticipation of a trip or other time off.
Let’s take a closer look at the types of rest that exist, so you can start to envision what you may need right now if you allowed yourself the space, and what might be more accessible than you initially thought while keeping up with everything on your plate.
The 5 types of rest
Physical rest: Everyone has the basic need to recover from movement, tension, and the constant output of energy. Some people need more physical rest because work or hobbies are demanding, stress is showing up in their body, or they tend to push through fatigue until they crash. Weakened immune system, daytime sleepiness, and insomnia can happen when we're not taking care of ourselves. Think sleep, naps, gentle stretching, or simply lying down without multitasking.
-> Overcommitment: How to Slow Things Down When You’re Doing Too Much
Mental rest: Your mind often needs a break from problem-solving, planning, decision-making, and being “on.” Anyone who’s constantly having to think may need mental rest most because their brains rarely stop spinning around work, home, relationships, plans, and stressors. While Netflix, or distractions like smartphone use feel like a break, we still need that true moment to be present. Think quiet reflection, meditation, journaling, or stepping away from screens and constant stimulation.
Emotional rest: Your heart, especially if you tend to hold a lot for others, manage heavy feelings, or suppress your own needs to keep things moving, needs rest too. It can look like setting boundaries, processing emotions, crying when you need to, or having a heart-to-heart conversation with someone safe.
Social rest: Sometimes we need to recalibrate our connection with others. Social rest can be spending time alone to recharge from constant interaction, or making sure there’s time set aside for them in addition to the time they give to others. It can be a quiet moment or an entire week, depending on what you need to feel refreshed.
Creative rest: Anyone whose mind is constantly generating ideas, solving problems, or carrying the weight of innovation may need creative rest. It looks like giving your imagination space to breathe without pressure. Think about enjoying beauty, noticing inspiration, daydreaming, or engaging in a hobby purely for pleasure.
Effects of not resting or delaying self-care
We rarely think about the impact of “I’ll rest later” in the moment. This is especially true when deadlines are approaching, the holidays are coming, or a long-awaited vacation is just around the corner. When rest is always something we’ll get to or a leisure we can't afofrd, the cost quietly builds.
Understanding these impacts isn’t about fear or blaming, but noticing the places where your mind, body, and work are asking for a different pace and some small shifts can support. Let’s look at the various ways your wellbeing can be impacted by putting off rest.
Emotional well-being impacts
When emotional rest is postponed, you may notice subtle signs at first, like small moments when you feel “off,” overwhelmed, or less like yourself. This is your intuition signaling that your capacity is getting low, and rest is more important to keep going.
You may notice:
Feeling more easily irritated or snapping at small things.
Becoming overwhelmed by decisions that usually feel simple.
Feeling emotionally flat or disconnected from things you usually enjoy.
Having less patience for conversations, responsibilities, or unexpected changes.
Feeling tearful for reasons that surprise you, or like emotions are sitting closer to the surface.
Trouble winding down at night because your mind is racing with unfinished thoughts.
Bedtime procrastination and sleep habits that reflect emotional overload.
Becoming more sensitive to criticism or perceived rejection.
Feeling like you’re “doing everything right” but still not feeling grounded.
Physical well-being impacts
Postponing rest can also affect the body’s ability to regulate, repair, and sustain the pace you’re keeping. Your body will always try to keep up with you, but eventually it sends clearer signals that it needs a break.
You may notice:
Muscle tension that sticks around, especially in your shoulders, jaw, or back.
Disrupted circadian rhythm and decreased sleep hygiene.
Additional health challenges (heart health, gut health, blood pressure, etc.)
Headaches or pressure behind your eyes from sustained focus.
Restless sleep or waking up still feeling tired.
Feeling “tired but wired” which basically means exhausted yet unable to relax.
More frequent colds or feeling run-down because your immune system is stretched.
Changes in appetite (eating more for comfort or forgetting to eat at all).
Digestive shifts like bloating, nausea, or sensitivity.
Feeling physically heavy in the morning or relying on caffeine to function.
Workouts feel harder to recover from, or the motivation to move is dropping off.
3. Productivity impact
Ironically, continuing to hustle without rest can make work feel harder, not easier. Sometimes we want to do more with our time but end up seeing productivity dip because our brains are simply overloaded and running on empty.
You may notice:
Rereading tasks, emails, or documents because the information won’t stick.
Forgetting things you would normally remember without thinking.
Decision fatigue, even choosing what to eat feels like work.
Feeling scattered, unfocused, or jumping between tasks without completing them.
Resentment of leisure activities or social activities that would take away time.
Perceived lack of control over negative emotions impacting work.
Needing to postpone important tasks when a busy day takes over.
Losing creativity or struggling to problem-solve in ways that usually come naturally.
Overthinking small details and second-guessing yourself more than usual.
Taking longer than expected to complete routine tasks.
Feeling busy all day but not sure what you actually accomplished.
Procrastinating because your brain is simply tired.
Not waiting to recharge: Your invitation to rest differently
While a week off, a quiet cabin, or a dramatic lifestyle change feel like the best way to access uninterrupted rest, there are so many small moments in between that our bodies and minds need tending to. It’s the permission to take a break, notice when exhaustion is hitting, or redefine the idea of doing less from a threat to something that helps you continue on.
The truth is, rest is an investment in your emotional steadiness, your physical energy, and the quality of your work. You deserve a version of success that includes feeling well, not just performing well, and you’re allowed to create that version starting now, one intentional rest at a time.