The Art of Rest
Let’s talking about why slowing down is productive for your health
If you’ve been running on autopilot since summer, you’re not alone. This time of year tends to pull us in every direction with work deadlines, family gatherings, holiday travel and before we know it, we’re burned out and running on caffeine and willpower.
Rest is not something you “earn.” It’s actually a necessity and not taking time to rest can negatively impact your health.
The Physiology of Slowing Down
The fall-to-winter transition naturally shifts your biology. Shorter days, less sunlight, and cooler weather all impact your hormones, nervous system, and energy.
When you keep pushing through without adjusting, you may notice:
Fatigue that doesn’t lift even with sleep
Sugar or caffeine cravings
Brain fog or irritability
Constipation or bloating
Feeling “wired and tired”
These are signs your body is in energy debt, it’s trying to do too much with too little.
Rest can actually make you more productive. When we talk about “rest,” most people think of sleep. But functional rest includes physical, mental, and emotional recovery. It’s what helps your nervous system shift out of fight-or-flight and into the parasympathetic state where digestion, repair, and healing can happen.
Rest isn’t checking out, it’s charging up.
When your body is resourced, you think more clearly, digest better, and actually get more done in less time (without feeling like you’re dragging yourself through every day).
How to Practice the Art of Rest This Season
Here’s what this can look like in real life:
1. Honor your circadian rhythm.
Aim for 7–9 hours of sleep, with a consistent bedtime and wake time. Get morning sunlight within an hour of waking to anchor your circadian rhythm.
2. Swap intensity for consistency.
Gentle movement like walking, yoga, and strength training supports your metabolism and nervous system without overtaxing your adrenals.
3. Eat grounding, nourishing meals.
Roots and stews, roasted veggies, and warming foods like squash, sweet potatoes, and broths replenish minerals (like magnesium, sodium, and potassium) and help reinforce diverse gut bacteria.
4. Build “buffer zones” into your day.
Give yourself space between work and home life. Ten minutes of deep breathing or stretching before dinner can reset your nervous system.
5. Reconnect with joy and creativity.
Pleasure and play are forms of rest too. Music, reading, journaling, or simply doing something unproductive can be deeply restorative.
Rest Builds Resilience
When your body feels safe, nourished, and rested your hormones regulate more easily, your digestion improves, and your immune system strengthens. That’s the foundation of health and it’s why slowing down now sets you up to thrive in the new year.
So this season, instead of pushing harder, ask yourself: What would it look like to make rest your most productive habit?
✨ If your body is asking for deeper support this winter, join the waitlist for our new Manifest Your Health membership. Our once live program has been reimagined into a self-paced practice you can return to again and again. Why? Because our brain and body thrive with consistency and repetition.
