Grateful I finally stopped treating rest like a reward via /r/gratitude

For so long I felt like I had to “earn” my rest. Like I wasn’t allowed to chill unless I had done something “productive” first. I’d be exhausted and still guilt myself into doing more, or just doomscroll to avoid the shame of not doing enough.

Recently I’ve been unlearning that. I started giving myself permission to rest because… I’m a human being, not a machine. And the weird part? I’m actually getting more done. When I stop overworking, I show up better for everything else.

Still a work in progress, but I’m grateful for the shift. For anyone else who grew up tying their worth to output: you’re not lazy. You’re tired. Rest isn’t a reward. It’s fuel.