Rest is a Superpower

I haven’t written a post on Becoming Superhuman in the past two weeks.

Today’s post is a big reason why.

Because Rest isn’t a break from the work. It’s part of the work.

The World Doesn’t Stop — But You Have To

Who decided that it was cool or tough to pretend that Rest is optional?

Rest gets treated like a reward you must earn or a weakness you should overcome. It’s the thing you’re allowed to get around to when everything else is done. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” as the saying goes.

So we push, and push, and push…until the wheels come off.

Because there’s always more to do. The work doesn’t stop, and the world doesn’t stop.

So, how could you?

And if that’s true, then no wonder Rest feels indulgent. Lazy. Irresponsible.

Too many of us have been led to believe that if we’re not producing, we have no value.

But if you’re so afraid to pause to recover or look around, what does that say about the life you’re rushing through?

The truth is ignoring rest doesn’t make us tougher, it makes us weaker.

Rest Matters More Than We Think

When we don’t Rest, everything degrades.

Focus slips.

Emotions spiral.

The quality of thought goes down.

The body breaks down.

And while the personal effects are devastating, the compounding effects are even worse.

If one person is exhausted, they’re likely short with others, less patient, and less productive. That affects teams. That affects families. That affects communities.

And then the whole system is running on fumes.

But if we solve for Rest — if we practice it, protect it, and normalize it — we get something better.

We get people who are more creative, resilient, and focused. People who are easier to be around. People who can solve bigger problems.

Those effects compound too.

Rest doesn’t just heal the body — it restores our humanity.

It’s not a pause from life. It’s what makes life sustainable.

The False Fixes That Don’t Work

Most of us don’t actually address our Rest deficits. We treat them.

• Take a nap.
• Book a massage.
• Go to bed an hour earlier once this week.

And then we’re shocked when nothing really changes.

All of those things are great and certainly helpful but, not as one-off fixes.

We’re using these quick fixes as band-aids to treat symptom rather than using Rest as part of the equation for living our best lives.

We’re skipping the hard part: asking why we burned ourselves out in the first place.

A Better Way to See It

To embrace Rest as a superpower is not merely to sleep more, pause more, or even recover more.

Rest as a mirror. It is a diagnostic tool. It reveals whether our life is aligned or if we’re just surviving it.

That means the real superpower of Rest is:

• It forces reflection.
• It reveals imbalance.
• It invites recalibration.

The real question isn’t how you Rest—it’s what you’re Resting from.

Are you Resting to recharge for something meaningful?

Or just recovering from something soul-sucking?

Rest is not a reward and it’s not an escape. Rest is an intentional rhythm; It’s part of your operating system.

It’s built into your day, your week, your month. And it gives you something back: energy, clarity, perspective.

How to Practice Rest as a Superpower

Rest, like breathing, isn’t inherently a superpower. Everyone does it.

But how you do it is the difference between restoring yourself and dragging your tired body back into a life you don’t love.

Here’s a framework to help shift your relationship with Rest from avoidance to alignment:

1. Audit Your Beliefs About Rest

Ask yourself…

• Do I feel guilty when I rest? If so, where does that come from?
• Do I think of Rest as something earned, indulgent, or inconvenient? Why do I think that? Whose voice is that in my head?

2. Examine the Life You’re Resting From

Ask yourself…

• What purpose is my Rest serving?
  • Am I trying to recover from something that drains me?
  • Am I resting to recharge so I can continue working on something that matters?

3. Reframe Rest as Fuel, Not Failure

• How can start seeing Rest as part of my productivity and purpose rather than something I need to wait to “deserve?”

4. Add Rest Into Your Routines

Look at the calendar running your life and make time for/to…

• Walk outside.
• Sit in silence.
• Play.
• Breathing.

Rest isn’t always sleep. It’s whatever restores your energy — emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually.

5. Design a Life You Don’t Want to Escape From

This is perhaps the most important part.

Let Rest show you what’s broken.

Then take steps to improve it.

Find something you care about so much it causes you to leap out of bed, and embrace Rest as a vital tool to fulfill your purpose.

The Mission Requires Rest

Rest is not separate from the mission, it’s part of it.

It’s what allows you to keep going.

Needing it and leaning into it is not a sign you’ve failed. It’s a reminder that you’re human.

You don’t need to earn it. You need to respect it.

Because when you learn to rest well — you don’t just change yourself.

You change the world around you.