Why We Feel Guilty for Resting: The Truth About Mental Health Days

Episode Summary:
In this episode ofUnwritten Chapters, we dive into the guilt many of us feel when taking a mental health day. Why do we reward overworking but feel bad about resting? I share a personal story about a recent family mental health day and explore why we associate productivity with worth, why we struggle to justify rest, and how we can start reframing rest as a necessity rather than a luxury.

00:00 – Intro & Personal Story

• The day my family and I took a collective mental health day
• My wife’s feelings of guilt afterward
• The question:Why do we feel guilty for taking care of ourselves?

05:30 – Why Do We Feel Guilty?

• The cultural glorification of overwork (“grind culture”)
• The pressure of responsibility and the feeling of “falling behind”
• The belief that productivity = self-worth

12:45 – The Double Standard of Overworking vs. Resting

• Why long hours are praised, but rest is seen as indulgent
• The real cost of never taking breaks (burnout, resentment, health issues)
• The irony:Working without rest actually makes us less productive

20:10 – Reframing Rest as Necessary, Not Indulgent

• Why rest isrecovery, not laziness
• The importance of mental health days for long-term well-being
• Science-backed benefits: How rest improves creativity, focus, and emotional resilience

28:30 – Personal Takeaway & Encouragement

• You do not have to earn rest. You deserve to take care of yourself.
• A reminder:You are not a machine. You are a human being who needs rest to thrive.
• Final thoughts and listener encouragement

✅ Hustle culture has conditioned us to equate rest with laziness—but that’s a lie.
✅ We feel guilty about taking breaks but don’t hesitate to overwork ourselves.
✅ Rest is necessary for mental and physical health, productivity, and well-being.
✅ You donot have to earn rest. You deserve it.

📖Related Blog Post:The Guilt of Rest – Why We Struggle to Take Mental Health Days
🎧Listen to More Episodes:Unwritten Chapters Podcast

💬 Have you ever felt guilty for taking a break? Let’s talk about it! Share your thoughts in the comments or DM me on social media.

🔁 If this episode resonated with you, consider sharing it with someone who might need to hear it today.

🎙️Until next time—take care of yourself. You deserve it.

For more stories about personal growth, mental health,and living with PTSD as well as learning how you can publish your turn and turnyour trauma into a vehicle to help others, be sure to follow the podcast, andplease, like, share and subscribe to the Unwritten Chapters Podcast.

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