It’s the middle of the year, and for many of us, burnout is no longer a warning sign – it’s our reality.

You might feel the pressure to keep grinding to meet expectation from your teachers, your boss, your family. And most of all, yourself.

What if I told you something that could radically reframe how you approach your daily grind?

Rest is not a reward. It’s a requirement.

A requirement for sustainable growth, creativity and over all well-being.

Doing less isn’t about being lazy – it’s about being intentional.

We’ve been conditioned to believe that slowing down is weak or indulgent. You might feel internal guilt or fear of falling behind. Or you might have bought into the myth that hustle is the only path to success. As Kim Kardashian famously said:

“Get your f–king ass up and work. It seems like nobody wants to work these days.”

And sure, sometimes we do need to work hard and stay disciplined.

But when the grind never stops, something inside of us does.

Your productivity is not your worth.

If you feel uncomfortable resting or recharging, ask yourself:

 “What part of me feels unsafe when I’m not achieving something?”

Chronic busyness activates our nervous system into fight or flight, even when we think we’re relaxing.

The signs?

You may be feeling anxious, irritable, losing sleep, feeling fatigued and even prone to illnesses.

You may be feeling like you’re living on autopilot – disconnected from yourself and others, even if you’re physically showing up.

You may even feel numb or unable to engage with your full range of emotions.

And in some cases, you may start to resent the very goals you’re working so hard for.

Because when we’re constantly overdoing things – it becomes harder to do anything well.

So, what if healing started by just doing less?

Let yourself slow down

Take a breathe.

Tune in.

Let your intuition speak.

You will know what feels right.

You are allowed to be someone outside of your performance.

Doing less gives you space for deeper connections, creativity and finding genuine joy.

“You don’t need to prove you’re worthy by staying exhausted.”

It’s time to reframe your idea of productivity: what if being productive meant sustainable, fulfilling, and aligned work – not just output?

True productivity includes rest, reflection, and recalibration.

Doing less can actually mean caring more and with more intention.

What ‘Doing Less’ Might Look Like in Real Life

Saying no to an extra event or task you don’t have capacity for.

Taking a nap without needing to justify it.

Scheduling rest into your calendar (like you would a meeting).

Leaving a project at 90% complete instead of obsessing over perfection.

Letting yourself enjoy unstructured time – reading, walking, cloud-gazing.

Watching a movie alone, just because.

Going offline for a day – and not explaining why.

What can you let go of today – not out of laziness, but out of love?