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April 22, 2025 15 mins
Feeling guilty when you take a break? Like if you rest, you’re falling behind or being “lazy”?
Let’s talk about it.

In this episode of Self Elevated, we’re unpacking the toxic conditioning that makes us feel like slowing down = weakness. And I’m here to remind you: rest is not the enemy of progress—it’s the foundation of it.

You’ll learn:
✅ Why you feel guilt around rest in the first place
✅ What really happens when you don’t pause
✅ How to rewire your mind so rest feels like power—not failure
✅ Plus: Reflective journal prompts + affirmations to shift your energy

It’s time to stop earning your rest and start owning it.

📧 Email questions or guest requests to iradio@jmpempires.com
👑 Connect: @msjessofficial & @jmpempires

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/self-elevated-the-podcast--4506254/support.
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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
A self elevated podcast, Your host and Jessica just Cash
Parker starts with ourselves and by learning to vibrasions, we
can change our lives.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Your only limit is you.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
Hey, hey, hey, Welcome back to Self Elevated, the podcast
where we elevate mind, body, spirit, business, and them bank accounts.
I'm your host, miss jess and today's episode is all
about releasing the guilt around slowing down. Because let's be real,
so many of us were raised on hustle culture, the

(00:46):
straight up grind, the no days off mentality, all right,
and even when we want to rest or need to rest,
we like feel guilty about it. We feel lazier, like
we've gotten behind, like we're somehow losing the race just because.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
We stop to take a freaking breath. All right.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
But the truth is is that rest is not a weakness,
all right. Slowing down does not mean that we're falling off, okay.
It means that we're checking in, all right. It means
that we're refueling. And today we're gonna unpack how to
stop feeling bad about it, all right, and why your
body and mind require it, and how to actually make rest.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
Part of your elevation routine. All right.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
So what's the root of guilt around rest. Let's start
with why we even feel this way, all right? That
voice inside you that be saying, oh, you're being lazy,
or you're falling behind, all right, or you don't deserve
to chill. Yet, where does that even come from?

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Right?

Speaker 1 (01:55):
So some of the root causes of stuff like this
is the fact that hustle culture conditioning, it is a
real thing.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
We've been taught that being productive equals your worth, like
how much you're able to output, being productive is equal
to your value as a person, all right. Or like
survival mode cycles when you've had to fight for stability,

(02:25):
slowing down feels straight up unsafe, all right. Or like
guilt from comparison seeing people quote unquote doing more on
social media and it, you know, makes people feel like
they're not doing enough, all right, Or fear of becoming
irrelevant or replaceable.

Speaker 2 (02:46):
All right.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
This is especially true for creatives, entrepreneurs and other high achievers.
All right. But let me be clear here, Okay, rest
is productive. Say that is productive because reflection is productive,
all right. Resetting your energy is a power move, a right,

(03:09):
not a passive one. So I mean what happened when
you don't slow down, right, Like, let's talk about the
cost of never giving yourself a break, all right, because
here's what's gonna happen when you ignore your body and
the need for rest. You're gonna have burnout right mentally, physically, emotionally,

(03:32):
all right, You're just gonna be done, okay, Like turn
the light switch off, somebody clock me out, I'm done,
all right, Or creative blocks you lose flow right when
you're overwhelmed, Like the creativity is just going to like.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
Is gonna have that creative block there.

Speaker 1 (03:55):
You know, Or like irribility and decision fatigue, right, because
your nervous system is always on and so even decisions
feel tiring, Like basic simple decisions feel tiring, like what
we're gonna eat for dinner tonight? Right, or you know,

(04:16):
just thinking of simple daily task it has you frustrated
because you're just always on go and everything is starting
to overlap, right, Or like you start resenting the work
that you once love doing, okay, and that is just
the worst place to be in when something that you're
passionate about and really enjoy doing now becomes something that

(04:40):
you feel like as a chore. And that you have
to just you know, like force yourself to do it.

Speaker 2 (04:46):
Right.

Speaker 1 (04:46):
Nobody wants to get in that space, and when you
do get in that space, it can be really hard
to come out of that. Right. Which it's so important,
you know, because rest isn't the opposite of progress, right,
It's the foundation to your longevity, right, because you don't
want any of these things to happen, So you need
to rest. It's so important, and you have to change

(05:09):
the way that you think about what rest means in
equals all right, Like think of your body and your
mind like a phone. Write whatever kind of phone you
have right now in your hand, If you never go
put it on the charger, tell me what's gonna happen? Yeah, yeah,

(05:29):
it's gonna die.

Speaker 2 (05:31):
Period.

Speaker 1 (05:32):
There's no getting around that, right, And the same goes
for you.

Speaker 2 (05:38):
Okay, So.

Speaker 1 (05:41):
How do we release that guilt and you know, rest
with some confidence?

Speaker 2 (05:47):
Right, Like, how do we unlearn that guilt that has
embedded in us?

Speaker 1 (05:52):
How do we actually rest without that nagging inner voice
steady dragging us for it? Okay, I'm gonna get give
you some ways that can help you shift into a
mindset of having empowered rest, right, so if you have
a pen, or if you can just write this down,
or go ahead and download the episode so you can

(06:13):
play it back later, all right, But you need to
redefine what productive looks like. All Right, Sometimes pausing is
the most productive thing that you can do because it's
going to help you have that time that you need
to re clarify, re energize, right, reconsider, so when you

(06:40):
start moving forward again, you're at it with with a
fresh energy. Right, So redefine what your productive looks like.

Speaker 2 (06:50):
The next thing is to be.

Speaker 1 (06:54):
It is to really is to set intentional windows of rest,
all right, So instead of like burning out and then crashing,
plan some time to rest before you actually need it, right,
Because you're gonna know, say, if you're like me, right,
every afternoon, around three point thirty, I hit a crash
out mark in a day, right, and I get a

(07:16):
little tired. So usually I actually try to lay down
around three o'clock. I Mean, I know everybody can't do this,
depending on the type of job you have or where
you work, right, but I'm able to basically at around
three o'clock, I lay down on the couch, I curl

(07:36):
up with my cat because I usually work from home, right,
and I take a fifteenth to thirty minute nap. So
by the time that time hits where I'm usually like,
I'm just I'm drained, right, I actually rested first, So
now when that time comes, I'm I'm on my second wind, right,
as you'd say. Okay, So set intentional rest windows, all right.

(08:01):
So another way is to create a ritual around your rest, right,
like make it feel special and sacred a little bit, even,
all right, have candles or a certain playlist or if
you like to journal, right or this one's big tech
free time, right or even you know, time to go

(08:23):
take a walk in nature if that's going to refresh
you and re energize you. Right, Because everybody is a
little different, you might not need an app like I
need a three o'clock okay, So create rituals around your
rest and make it make it special for you right
where it's something you look forward to doing and you
prioritize it, okay, as a part of your everyday agenda,

(08:46):
all right, And start affirming your right to recharge, okay,
because the more you speak that, the more you're gonna
believe that you deserve to recharge. You deserve the rest
and it is a priority for your progress, Okay. And
the last one here is to just detach from toxic comparisons. Okay,
I've been guilty of it. I'm sure you've been guilty

(09:08):
of it too. We've all done it at one time
or another, some more than others. Right, is you know,
comparing yourself to the things or the people or the
stories you see online. Right, And you got to remember
that just because someone is grinding, right, it doesn't mean
that they're winning. Just because they're posting that they're having

(09:29):
all this success and all this money, it doesn't mean
that they actually are. Some might just be straight up
on bs. Some might be faking it till they make it.
Some might be in the beginning process of starting their
business or their brands, and you know they're trying to
build build that and get there, right, But never nothing

(09:49):
is ever what it seems, no matter what, right online,
So stop comparing comparing yourself or your business, or your progress,
or your body, or your family or your relationship. Stop
comparing it to other people and other things you see
on TV, in the media and social media, all right,

(10:11):
because when it comes to rest, like you don't have
to earn it all right. That's a big thing that
you need to take away from this. You don't need
to earn your rest, Okay.

Speaker 2 (10:20):
You deserve it, all right.

Speaker 1 (10:22):
You're human, all right, And not just when you get
the to do list done, right. You need to rest
before you burn out, Okay, not just when you burn out,
all right. So if that's right now, and this is
resonating with you, and you know you have a burnout
on the way, right, or you told yourself that, hey,

(10:44):
I'll take a break when I get X, Y or
Z done, but you know that you're like running on
your last last leg, then then right.

Speaker 2 (10:52):
Now, stop what you're doing.

Speaker 1 (10:54):
I don't care if it's for five minutes, and if
that's all you got, but stop what you're doing, put
everything down and just breathe, sit with yourself and have
a meditative moment where you can invite that rest and
that feeling of relaxation and just kind of let it

(11:14):
all blow off your chest. Right.

Speaker 2 (11:18):
So I want to pause and reflect after.

Speaker 1 (11:22):
This, okay, because this is the perfect moment to kind
of segue into some journal prompts that I'm gonna want
you to answer at some point during this week. Okay,
that way you can reflect on them and help you

(11:42):
reflect on where you are in your own personal journey.

Speaker 2 (11:48):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (11:48):
So the first question is where does my guilt around
slowing down really come from?

Speaker 2 (11:54):
Okay?

Speaker 1 (11:54):
Define it so that way you'll figure out how to
best not on acknowledge it when it happens, right, and
to combat it. But it'll help you learn how to
combat it when you know what the root cause really
is for you.

Speaker 2 (12:11):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (12:12):
The second question is when was the last time that
I rested intentionally without guilt?

Speaker 2 (12:19):
Okay, without guilt?

Speaker 1 (12:23):
That's that's the key words of that question, okay. And
the last question is what would life feel like if
I gave myself full permission to rest and reset as needed?

Speaker 2 (12:39):
All right? Now, you need to.

Speaker 1 (12:40):
Let these answers come up raw and real, just like
every other time that we've done this, okay, because that's
where your truth lives.

Speaker 2 (12:49):
All right now, I want you to breathe, okay.

Speaker 1 (12:52):
We're gonna take another deep breath, nice RESTful breath okay,
and we're gonna speak some reassurance into our spirit okay,
with some affirmations. You can also say these throughout the
week as well, Okay, write them down. Download the episode,

(13:13):
come back to them later, all right, but repeat after me.

Speaker 2 (13:18):
Rest is not a.

Speaker 1 (13:20):
Reward, it's a requirement. I deserve peace, not just productivity.
I don't chase rest, I prioritize it. My worth is

(13:47):
not tied to how much I produce. I am allowed
to pause, heal, and restore.

Speaker 2 (14:04):
And so it is.

Speaker 1 (14:06):
Now you say these to yourself when the guilt starts
to creep in. Okay, speak them until they become your truth. Okay,
until you know this subconsciously, three times a day, three
times each, three times each time. Okay, that's how I
like to do it, anyway, because repetition is the key.

Speaker 2 (14:29):
All right, guys, so listen.

Speaker 1 (14:30):
If this episode gave you a shift or a sigh
of relief, go ahead and tag me on Socials at
misjess Official, at jamp Empires, at Miss Ceo, all right,
any one of them, profiles or all three, it doesn't matter. Okay,
And just tell me what part hits you the hardest,
all right, and listen. If you needed that permission to

(14:52):
slow down, this is your sign. This is your permission
right now listening to this episode to take it. Okay,
take that rest and do it unapologetically, all right. Now,
you want to be a guest or ask a question
on my show, please email me at Iradio at jmpmpires

(15:13):
dot com because you know I'm always always down to
connect with my fam, all right.

Speaker 2 (15:20):
My elevated gang gang. All right.

Speaker 1 (15:23):
So next week, you guys, we're gonna be talking about
something really powerful, all right, emotional discipline, because how you
respond when triggered says more about your growth than how
you act when things are calm, all right. And it's
gonna be deep, so don't miss it, all right. So
now you go rest, reset, and you're gonna rise back

(15:45):
even stronger until next time. Remember your only limit is
you
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