Somatics: When Rest Feels Unproductive

It’s Monday morning. I’ve had a full weekend; one that included rest, loving time with my fiancé, joyful connection with my chorus, and plenty of moments that truly filled my cup and refueled me.

So why does my body still feel like it wants to slow down? Why is my brain foggy, my wedding to-do list blurry, and my nervous system saying, “Not yet” when everything around me is shouting, “Go!”?

It doesn’t feel like laziness. It feels like a request. A whisper. My body asking to shift gears before revving back up again.

And still, there it is: that subtle shame. The cultural voice that says: “You’ve already rested. You should be ready. Let’s go.”

We don’t talk enough about nervous system lag. That space between exertion and regeneration. The truth that joy still takes energy. That social time still taxes the system. That rest isn’t just for exhaustion...it’s also for integration.

Sometimes, your body needs to catch up with your life.

In somatics, we pay attention to what the body is saying before we override it with a productivity story.

And what I’m learning slowly & gently is that rest isn’t the opposite of work. It’s what allows the work to be sustainable.

What I Practice When I Feel This Way:

Reframe the story:

Instead of “I’m behind,” I try: “I’m allowing my body to be the guide.”

Hand to body check-ins:

I place one hand on my chest or belly. Inhale gently. Exhale slower than I think I need to and I ask my soul: "What do you need right now"?

Micro-movements:

Noticing my body’s natural rhythm helps. Gentle swaying., rolling my shoulders, a slow walk around the backyard with the dogs. Anything to remind myself that stillness isn’t stagnation. It’s simply part of the cycle.

Today, I’m not pushing. I’m not performing. I’m not numbing or avoiding. I’m listening.

And if you’ve ever felt this way: the tension between I should be doing more and I still need to honor what my body is asking for, I hope you know:

There’s wisdom in your pause. There’s intelligence in your nervous system. There’s no shame in needing a little longer to rest and to return to yourself.

Maybe the most productive thing we can do today is to trust the timing of our body.

With love and breath,

Cathy

Inner Nature - Begin Within