Some of your beliefs about rest aren’t even yours

Published 3 months ago • 1 min read

Hey Reader,

Last week, I shared the story of the bird making its way down to the river, one branch at a time. Pausing on each branch, looking around, making sure it was safe before going further.

For the bird, that’s survival. Is there a predator nearby? Something that could hurt it if it moves too fast?

And I don’t think that’s too far off from our own resistance to rest.

Sometimes slowing down feels unsafe or uncomfortable. Even dangerous sometimes. And that’s because our minds carry beliefs that show up like predators. Not real threats, but they sure do feel like them.

Last week, I shared this bit below on Instagram. Even if you saw it there, I think it’s worth revisiting…because it gets at the heart of why rest doesn’t always feel safe.

Some of your beliefs about rest probably don’t belong to you.

You may have picked them up from family, work, school, hustle culture, and years of being praised for pushing through.

Do any of these sound familiar?

Rest has to be long…hours, or a whole day off.
Small moments don’t count.
It’s something you do after everything is finished.
It’s for after work, the weekend, or vacation.
It means doing nothing.
It’s frivolous or unproductive.

None of those are true. And yet those beliefs are hard to shake. And they can make rest feel unsafe.

That’s why the bird stayed with me. We can move one branch at a time, just like the bird…gently teaching ourselves that the predator was never real. It was just an old belief, dressed up as danger.

And the good news? You get to decide which beliefs you want to keep.

If you need help unsticking some of those old beliefs, hit reply and let’s chat. I know from personal experience how sticky they can be...

Sending love and restful vibes,

Chris

PS: If you missed last week’s story about the bird by the river, you can read it here.

Sundays Unplugged is your weekly reminder to slow down and create space for you. Remember, while your work, your people, and your life matters… so do you.

If this resonated, feel free to forward it to someone who might need this reminder too.

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