The Summer I Said Yes to Rest
and Why That Changed Everything
For the first time in my working life, I took two whole weeks off. No Zoom calls. No client deadlines. No squeezing in emails while my daughter wasn’t looking.
Just space. Just us. And it felt a little… rebellious.
I’ve been working since I was 16. For years, “time off” meant bringing my laptop along “just in case,” checking inboxes between museum visits or replying to DMs in the supermarket car park. Even holidays were kind of holidays, always half-on, half-off.
But this summer, at 41, I finally did something different. I gave myself full permission to pause.
And in doing so, I learned that rest isn’t the opposite of productivity but actually it’s part of it.
Why This Break Mattered So Much
This wasn’t just a break. It was a choice to do things differently.
I live in a three-generation household with my mum, and for the first two weeks of summer, my daughter was with me before heading off to her dad’s. It’s the first time I’ve been able to choose how I spend that time.
In the past, I’d have tried to juggle it all — business deadlines, school holiday activities, cooking dinner, managing the household — all while feeling like I wasn’t quite doing any of it well enough.
This year, I decided to give that version of myself a break, too. Instead, I created our very own DIY summer camp. Nothing expensive. Nothing Instagram-perfect. But completely intentional.
We crafted. We cooked themed dinners. We went on extreme day trips to Venice and Cologne. We paddleboarded, stargazed, pitched a tent in the garden, and got covered in paint and glitter.
It was slow, joyful and sometimes messy. And more restorative than anything I’ve experienced before.
Rest Isn’t a Luxury but a Strategy
It’s a bit of a taboo topic that entrepreneurs don’t talk about enough: Burnout doesn’t always look like collapse.
Sometimes, it’s just a quiet disconnection from the things you used to love.
When I stopped, really stopped, I realised just how tightly I’d been gripping the wheel.
And I’m not alone.
According to the World Health Organization, chronic stress and burnout cost the global economy $322 billion every year.
A 2019 study by DeskTime showed that the most productive people work for 52 minutes, then take a 17-minute break.
Entrepreneurs who regularly rest report better decision-making, creativity, and long-term growth (Forbes, 2021).
This isn’t just about bubble baths and beach days.
Rest fuels clarity, it recalibrates direction, and allows your best ideas to find you again.
What Rest Actually Looked Like
Here’s what those two weeks gave me:
Time to reconnect with my daughter, not distracted, not rushed. Present.
Space to remember what I want my business to feel like, not just what it needs to earn.
A creative reboot. The ideas started flowing again when I wasn’t forcing them.
The reminder that I get to choose how I build this business and this life.
Rest doesn’t always mean a long holiday. It can look like:
Saying no to “just one more” email at 8pm
Giving yourself a quiet morning to sit in the sun
Protecting your calendar like you protect your revenue
Turning off notifications and tuning into yourself
Reclaiming joy, whatever that looks like for you
Rest Is Part of the Business Plan
We often treat rest like a reward but what if we treated it like an integral part of a business?
When you’re running a business — especially one that’s heart-led, people-focused, and purpose-driven — your energy is one of your most valuable assets. And it needs replenishing, consistently.
Taking two weeks off wasn’t a sign that I’m “finally successful enough.” Instead It was a sign I’d stopped waiting for permission.
And let’s be honest, no one gives it to you. You have to decide to give it to yourself.
Your Invitation to Pause
So, this is your nudge to host a little summer rebellion of your own.
Whether it’s an unplugged afternoon, a solo coffee in silence, a three-day reset, or a proper holiday, it all counts. The magic isn’t in the length of the break, it’s in the intention behind it.
You’re allowed to rest, slow down and enjoy your life — not just build a business around it.
Because rest doesn’t pull you away from your vision. It pulls you closer to it.
One last thought to leave you with:
“You must work to live, not live to work.”
I got that backwards for a long time. But I’m finally getting it right.
Onwards and Upwards
- Becky
