How to Rest When You Don’t Have Time (Even While Working)
Listen to the guided meditation.
The world tells us, to survive, we have to keep moving, keep grinding, keep pushing until there's nothing left to give. But that’s not how we’re meant to live. Rest isn’t something you have to wait for, and it’s not something you earn. Rest is your birthright. Even when your day is packed, even when everything feels urgent, you deserve moments of softness, of stillness, and of ease. What if rest could live within your work, in the spaces between tasks, in the breaths you take, in the way you show up for yourself?
You don’t need permission to rest while you work—you just need to trust that you’re worthy of it. Right here. Right now.
Resting in Motion
Even when your schedule is full, there are ways to infuse your day with moments of peace. You don’t need to wait until everything is done. You can choose rest in the middle of your day, in the midst of your responsibilities. Because you are worthy of rest.
Here’s how you can bring rest into your work:
How to Rest While You Work
1. Slow Down Your Breath
Let your breath be your anchor, a source of calm even in the busiest moments. Rest doesn’t require silence or stillness; sometimes, it’s as simple as breathing deeper. As you work, let your breath move slowly through you, reminding you that you’re here, and you’re allowed to soften into your tasks.
How: Inhale deeply. Exhale fully. Let your shoulders drop as you breathe. This is your moment to be before you do.
2. Shift Your Posture
Your body holds onto more than you think. Just by shifting your posture, by moving a little more gently, you allow your body to rest. Let your body soften into the work, find comfort in small stretches, and release what’s no longer needed.
How: Sit with your spine long, but soft. Roll your shoulders. Stretch your arms. Let your body move through the day with ease. You are worthy of feeling good, even while working.
3. Find Mindfulness in Each Task
Sometimes the most powerful rest comes from being fully present. Instead of rushing from one thing to the next, allow yourself to sink into what you’re doing. Give yourself permission to do one thing at a time, with love, with focus, with ease.
How: As you work, remind yourself that this task, right here, is enough. Pour your energy into it and let everything else wait. You don’t need to rush. You are exactly where you need to be.
4. Dance in the Middle of Your Day
Rest isn’t always about stillness. Sometimes, rest is about joy. Let your body move, shake off the heaviness, and make space for lightness. Turn on your favorite song and dance. Feel your body come alive. That’s rest, too.
How: Take a 3-minute dance break. Move however you want. There are no rules. Feel the joy rise in your body and let it carry you through the rest of your day.
5. Listen to the Sounds of Calm
Let sound be your medicine. Surround yourself with music or nature sounds that remind you of peace, that bring softness into your space. Even while you work, let the energy of calm surround you. You are worthy of a peaceful atmosphere, even in the busiest moments.
How: Play calming music or nature sounds while you work. Let the sounds of flowing water or soft rhythms wrap you in peace. This is your sanctuary, wherever you are.
6. Rest in Your Body’s Movement
Let movement be your rest. Stretch your arms, roll your neck, feel your body release what it’s holding. Your body is sacred, and it deserves moments of love throughout the day. Let yourself feel into it.
How: Take a minute to stretch between tasks. Reach your arms overhead, roll your neck, feel the tension melt away. Your body is asking for care. Give it what it needs.
7. Shift Your Perspective
Sometimes the greatest rest is a shift in perspective. What if, instead of pushing through your day, you allowed yourself to flow through it? What if you let ease be your guide? Rest is found in how you approach your work, in choosing to see it with softness, instead of resistance.
How: As you work, remind yourself that ease is possible. Let yourself flow through your tasks with grace, trusting that you don’t need to force anything. You are enough, just as you are.
Rest is Always Yours
Rest is not something you earn at the end of a long day. It’s something you can claim right now. Even in the midst of a packed schedule, you can choose rest. You can choose softness. You can choose ease. You deserve to feel good, not after everything is done, but while you’re moving through your day.
It doesn’t always look like lying down in stillness. It can be movement, play, creativity, and connection to the natural world or your spiritual practice. These small, joyful moments are just as nourishing as a full day off, especially when your schedule feels tight.
Find what works for you and make space for it—even just for 5 or 10 minutes. Rest, in all its playful and spiritual forms, is your birthright. Give yourself permission to enjoy it.
You are worthy of care. You are worthy of peace. You are worthy of rest—right now, and always.
Listen to the full guided meditation episode, "The Pleasure of Slowing Down" to sink deeper into this practice.