What Real Rest Looks Like

Shift Ahead: Rest isn’t just sleep—it’s anything that helps your nervous system feel safe. This chapter shows you how to find the kind of rest that works best for you.

In Practice: When I first started giving myself permission to rest, I thought I was doing it wrong. I didn’t want to nap..

What I did want was to lay under a heavy blanket and watch the same ambient background video on repeat with the volume low. Or to stim by squeezing my stress ball. Or to pace dance while listening to music.

At first, I judged those things as weird or unproductive. But then I noticed something—I felt more grounded afterward. More like myself. That’s when I realized real rest doesn’t follow someone else’s rules. It follows your nervous system’s truth.

Real rest isn’t just sleep.

It’s feeling safe enough to exhale. It’s being somewhere (or with someone) who doesn’t require you to perform or mask. It’s silence without pressure. It’s doing something repetitive, gentle, or sensory-soothing. It’s not having to explain why you need space.

Rest is also saying “no” without guilt.

Some types of rest:

• Sensory rest (dim lights, silence, softness)

• Emotional rest (being alone, journaling)

• Social rest (avoiding draining interactions)

• Creative rest (putting a project down, even if unfinished)

Your rest might look different from others’. That’s okay. Rest honors your reality.

Shift Question: What kind of rest does your body truly need today?

Shift Notes:

• Rest can be movement, stillness, quiet, or even expression.

• Rest is anything that helps you return to yourself.

• You don’t need permission. You already deserve it.

Try This: List five things that help you feel grounded or soothed. Pick one to give yourself today—even for five minutes.