When Rest Beats Productivity

Tomorrow marks four weeks since Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina.

It’s hard to put into words how much has changed—not just in my life, but in the lives of thousands across the region.

For three weeks, I was out of my home, out of routine, and completely out of sorts. The first two weeks, it made sense that I wasn’t as productive as usual.

Other than seeing my regular clients, I wasn’t focused on much else related to work. It was all about what needed to be done in the present moment, not sticking to a rigid schedule.

But by week three, my Inner Critic had had enough.

That’s when I traveled to Cleveland, Ohio to stay with my best friend and her husband. They’re both doctors, so during the day I had their lovely home to myself and plenty of time on my hands.

And that’s when my Inner Critic started in on me.

“You should be getting up earlier.”

“You should get back to your meditation routine.”

“You should be working on your upcoming projects.”

The list went on.

But after bouncing from place to place and recovering from the aftermath of a natural disaster, I was exhausted. I needed rest, and those first few days in Cleveland, I slept—a lot! My body needed it.

It wasn’t time to be productive or creative; it was time to recover.

A few weeks ago, in my workshop Parts Work and the Nervous System, we talked about the two nervous system states: the sympathetic (survival mode) and the parasympathetic (thriver mode).

During the hurricane and its aftermath, my body was in full-on survival mode.

But according to my Inner Critic, I should’ve finished decompressing by now.

So, I used my tools.

I did some journaling about what the Inner Critic was saying, talked to a few friends, and even posted a video about what I was going through. 

Turns out, I wasn’t alone in feeling this way. It was validating to know that others saw themselves in my experience too.

The key realization? Just because the Inner Critic says something doesn’t mean you have to listen. You just have to know what's best in the moment.

Learning how to tame your Inner Critic gives you more choice in your life. 

Before I understood this voice inside my head, I would push myself far beyond what was healthy for me. But now, I can choose to rest.

And guess what happened? 

By giving myself permission to take it easy during the week, I found myself naturally drawn to work on my book over the weekend. 

I got lost in the creative process for two days and loved every minute of it.

By not forcing myself to be productive before I was ready, I created space for creativity to flow when inspiration hit.

If you want to learn more about befriending your Inner Critic, I’d love for you to join us tomorrow for another free workshop at 12pm PST. 

There’s still time and space to register so bring a friend! And if you can’t join live, no worries, I’ll send you the recording.

Looking forward to seeing you there!