I want to say something that I know I need to hear too: you are not falling behind.

It’s so easy to look around — at friends, at family, at strangers online — and feel like everyone else is moving faster, doing more, living “better.” Meanwhile, we’re here struggling to keep up with the basics, or needing more rest than feels “acceptable.”

But here’s the truth: moving slower doesn’t mean you’re failing. Taking a different path doesn’t mean you’re lost. Healing, grieving, managing illness, learning to cope; these things all take time. Your time.

The moon doesn’t rush to fill herself. The seasons don’t apologise for shifting at their own pace. 🌙🍂

Why should we?

Every step you take, no matter how small, is still movement. Even sitting still can be part of your journey. Resting is not falling behind – it’s refuelling.

Making Rest Intentional

I know how easy it is to rest and still feel guilty, like you’ve wasted the day. But what if we reframed it? What if instead of seeing rest as something we “have to” do, we made it something we choose to do for ourselves?

Rest can be grounding. It can be soft, even magical, if we let it.

Some ideas:

• 🕯️Light a candle and let the room glow in gentle light.
• 🍵 Make yourself a cup of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate and savour it slowly.
• 📖 Read a few pages of a book, or listen to an audiobook if holding one feels too much.
• 🎶 Put on a playlist of sounds you love – rain, wind, ocean, or songs that soothe you.
• 🌸 Run a bath (or even just soak your hands/feet) with salts or herbs.
• 🎨 Colour in, doodle, or stitch something small – something playful with no pressure.
• 🐾 Spend time with pets, if you have them – they’re often the best teachers of rest.

These aren’t about productivity. They’re about creating a moment that feels like it’s for you — not just because your body or mind demands it, but because you deserve it.

So next time that creeping thought comes in — “I’m not doing enough, I should be further along” — try to pause. Try to notice everything you have done, everything you’ve survived, everything you’re carrying.

You’re not late to your own life. You’re right on time. And you deserve rest that feels like care, not punishment.