Peak Performance Starts with Pause: The Leadership Power of Rest

I thought I understood what it meant to rest. Cancel a couple meetings? (Check) Sneak in a nap? (Check) Log off early and light a candle and take a bubble bath? An hour at the float spa? (Check, Check) Lord, I want to be Annointed, not exhausted.

But guess what? After I checked all the things. I was still waking up tired. Still clenching my jaw. Still side-eyeing my loved ones for daring to ask me one more thing. (You too? Thought so.)

Here’s the truth: I wasn’t actually resting. I was playing dress-up with recovery. I stepped away from the work, sure… but not the pressure. Or (you’ll like this one) I rested from ‘work’ to be busy in the hobbies or habits I enjoyed, only to move my healing further down my to do list.

My body was still in fight mode. And I honestly thought that was just what it meant to be "that girl"—the go-to, the fixer, the strong one. But that version of "rest" was just me being quietly exhausted in cuter lighting.

Then I learned the truth that flipped everything: REAL REST doesn’t pause your calendar. It repairs your system.

We’re out here trying to solve deep depletion with bubble baths, eyelash extensions, smoothie breaks and 15-minute calendar blocks—and wondering why we’re still burnt out.

So let’s reframe:

• Does your mind slow down, or spiral?

• Do your shoulders drop, or just shift the weight?

• Do you feel restored—or just... less behind?

  
  

If this hits a little too close to home, I see you.  The Empowered Purpose workshop on Sept. 6th breaks it all the way down—and trust me, this isn’t just another motivational moment. It’s the manual we were never handed.

And if you’re the one people rely on—at work, at home, in your group chat—and you’ve been running in overdrive, it might be time to finally ask:

What would your life look like if you weren’t just “resting,” but actually recovering?

That’s what I help my clients do—ditch survival mode, rewire their rhythms, and lead from a place of clarity that doesn’t drain their peace.

Curious what that could look like for you (or your team)? Do you want to Empower Your Purpose? Send me a message.  Let’s talk systems, not just self-care.

Because burnout isn’t your birthright. And rest isn’t a reward. It’s the strategy.