This Week at The After Party: Rest is a Power Move

 🥂 Opening Toast

To the ones who paused and came back stronger — this toast is for you.

To those who chose silence over burnout.
To the ones who shut the laptop, silenced the noise, and refused to be another casualty of hustle culture.
To the brave few who realized: rest isn’t weakness, it’s strategy.

You didn’t quit.
You opted out of depletion and chose restoration.
That’s not a breakdown, that’s a power move.

Let’s get real: we live in a culture that treats exhaustion like currency and burnout like a rite of passage. We’re told that if we’re not constantly producing, posting, pushing… we’re falling behind.

But here’s the data they don’t glamorize:

• A 2021 Gallup report found that 76% of employees experience burnout on the job at least sometimes, with *28% feeling burned out “very often” or “always.”

• According to the American Psychological Association, burnout is strongly linked to increased risk of heart disease, anxiety, depression, and even early mortality.

• And in a study by Deloitte, 1 in 3 workers said they don’t feel comfortable taking time off because they feel guilty for doing so, even though 94% say they would be more productive if they did.

We are drowning in fatigue, but calling it ambition.

Let’s call time on that lie.

Here’s what’s actually true:
Rest is productive.
Rest makes your brain work better. It improves memory, enhances decision-making, and increases creative insight.
Want proof? The National Sleep Foundation reports that proper rest enhances problem-solving skills by up to 50%. That “aha!” moment? It usually shows up after a nap, not during the grind.

Even elite athletes know this. LeBron James reportedly sleeps 12 hours a night during training. Simone Biles took public rest breaks to protect her mental health, and became a global symbol of strength.

So why are you still feeling guilty for taking a 15-minute break?

This isn’t just about naps and Netflix.
This is about agency. Boundaries. Power.
Because when you rest deliberately, you're not just recovering, you're reclaiming your energy, your creativity, and your life.

So here’s to the rebels who rest:
The ones who know that doing less isn’t a sign of weakness — it’s a sign of wisdom.
Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is log off, lie down, and listen to your body.

Because rest is not a retreat.
It’s how we come back stronger, sharper, and unfckwithable.*

Raise your glass.
To leaving burnout behind — and rewriting what strength really looks like.

💣 Truth Bomb

In a culture that celebrates exhaustion, rest can feel like rebellion. But here’s the truth: you’re not weak for stepping back, you’re strategic. You’re conserving energy. Honoring your limits. Plotting your comeback.

Rest doesn’t mean stopping. It means staging. Every pause is a setup for a sharper, clearer next move. The best ideas, the best decisions, the best energy — they come not from burnout, but from balance.

Think of it this way:
If Beyoncé can schedule stillness before a tour... why are you still glorifying chaos?

🔍 Ask Yourself

• What belief am I holding that makes rest feel like failure?

• Have I ever made a bad decision because I was too tired to think clearly?

• Who benefits from me staying exhausted?

✍️ Challenge of The Week

Do one thing this week that feels “unproductive” — on purpose.

Here are a few options to play with:

• Schedule a “nothing” block on your calendar — and fiercely protect it.

• Say no to one invitation, meeting, or obligation — and don’t explain yourself.

• Take a 20-minute nap and refuse to call it lazy.

Then reflect: How did it feel? What came up? What shifted?

📚 Want To Go Deeper?

A few excellent reads if you want to nerd out on the power of pause:

• “How Rest Days Help You Build Muscle and Avoid Burnout,” — Explores physiological reasons that rest days matter, from hormone balance to muscle repair, and why scheduled downtime prevents both physical and emotional burnout.

• “The Power of Doing Nothing: How to Rest Your Way to Recovery from Burnout” — by Dr. Sharon Grossman, Focuses on the necessity of rest and creativity to promote recovery from burnout, including mental clarity, engagement, and satisfaction.

 🪞 Mirror Talk

You don’t have to earn rest. You already deserve it.

If your rest has to be justified with exhaustion, it’s not rest — it’s recovery from abuse. Let that sink in.

👑 The Guest List

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith — Physician, Author, Advocate for Rest

This week, we’re honoring a woman who has turned rest into a medical necessity, spiritual mandate, and leadership principle — Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith.

She’s not just talking about taking naps — she’s shifting the global conversation around burnout, boundary-setting, and recovery.

As a board-certified internal medicine physician, Dr. Dalton-Smith spent years treating exhausted patients who thought something was “wrong” with them — when in truth, they were simply drowning in depletion. The solution? Not more ambition. Not more caffeine.

More rest — of the right kind.

In her bestselling book, Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity (link below), she introduces a revolutionary framework:
There are seven types of rest, and most of us are only paying attention to one (sleep), while running on empty in the others:

1. Physical Rest — passive (sleep) and active (stretching, massage)

2. Mental Rest — calming the constant inner dialogue

3. Emotional Rest — the relief of being authentic and unfiltered

4. Sensory Rest — disconnecting from noise, screens, and overstimulation

5. Creative Rest — refilling your imagination by experiencing beauty

6. Social Rest — setting boundaries with draining relationships

7. Spiritual Rest — connection to purpose, faith, or something bigger than you

This framework is a game-changer, especially for creators, leaders, and overachievers — aka, you.
Because if you’re constantly “on,” constantly “available,” constantly “pushing through,” you’re not strong — you’re headed toward collapse.

“Sleep alone can’t restore us to the life we’re meant to live.”
— Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith

This isn’t about laziness. It’s about longevity. It’s about reclaiming your rhythm before your body forces you to.

So this week, we look to Dr. Dalton-Smith as both a guide and a mirror — reminding us that rest isn’t something you squeeze in after the work is done.

Rest is the work.

🎧 Listen: 7 Types of Rest to Fight Fatigue: A Webinar with Saundra Dalton-Smith, M.D.

📖 Read: Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity – where the full 7 types of rest are unpacked in detail, with real-life stories and practices.

🎥 Watch: The real reason why we are tired and what to do about it | Saundra Dalton-Smith | TEDxAtlanta

 🎁 Party Favors

📚Use it! Overcoming Burnout Journal — By Best Self, this is a four-week program with reflective prompts and practical steps to regain life balance, clarify values, and prevent burnout recurrence.

 👚 Buy it! Casaluna Clarity Oil Diffuser — Bergamot, grapefruit, and ginger blend create a relaxing, uplifting room atmosphere. Supports transitions into relaxation or mindful evening routines.

🧘‍♀️ Enjoy It! Reversible Weighted Anti-Anxiety by Ella Jayne Home — Velvety-soft and microfiber sides, available in 12-20 lbs weights. Promotes restful sleep by applying gentle pressure, which aids in calming the nervous system.

📣 Last Call…

Before we turn the lights up...

What if this next chapter isn’t your second act, but your real debut? Hit reply and share what your messy middle has taught you.

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Until next week,