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“You look tired. You should get some rest.” 

We’ve all been on the receiving end of this well-meaning (but incredibly irritating) advice. 

We know we need to rest, but if it were that easy, we would’ve done it already! This “helpful advice” feels like a thinly veiled insult, rubbing salt into the raw wound of our exhaustion.

As someone who works with burned-out business owners, I spend a lot of time thinking about rest. Specifically, I think about why we’re so bad at resting when we’re so good at helping other people take care of themselves. It’s a conundrum. 

Time and again, I land on two culprits → productivity culture and capitalist conditioning. 

We’ve been brainwashed to believe our value is based on our productivity. 

>> How much work can I get done in a day?
>> How many people can I serve in a week?
>> How much impact can I have in a year?
>> How many emails can I answer in a lifetime?

And then there’s our ever-present overlord, Mr. Monopoly Man. 

As business owners, we’re inundated with messages about making more money.

We’re taught that our businesses exist to generate revenue, and that revenue equals cash in the bank. Our job, according to Mr. Monopoly Man, is to generate as much revenue, or money, as possible.

I’m so tired of people telling me to make more money. 

5-figure months… 6-figure quarters… 7-figure years! When does it end???

This never-ending quest to be more productive while making more money is killing us. Chronic exhaustion and burnout are taking years off of our lives. We’ve moved beyond the need for more self-care. What we need now is a full-on revolution.

If we want to recover from burnout, we need to fundamentally change the way we think about revenue. 

We’re taught to define revenue as the money our business generates through sales. 

But here’s my question… 

What other things, besides money, can your business generate for you? 

Personally, I want my business to generate time for me to take care of myself—time to rest. I want my business to pay me in blank space on my calendar, flexibility to change my plans on a whim, and free hours during the week I can use to recharge my batteries. 

To be clear, I’m not saying money isn’t important. Money is vital, and I want your business to generate money with ease. You need to be able to cover your overhead, pay your team, and meet your needs for a secure and comfortable life. 

But after that… I want you to get paid in time to rest. 

Repeat after me: Rest is revenue!

Time to rest is just as important as money in the bank. It isn’t negotiable, and it’s not a luxury. 

The longevity of your business depends on you being well, and you can’t be well if you’re not well rested. 

I also want to say that “rest” looks different for everyone.

In my opinion, rest is anything you do that recharges your batteries and regulates your nervous system. For some people, that requires being still and getting more sleep. For others, rest requires action, movement, and socialization. 

We’re all different, and it’s crucial that you give yourself permission to practice the type of rest you need to recover from burnout. It doesn’t matter what anyone else is doing! 

Resting might look like… 

>> Taking a nap in the middle of the day
>> Logging out early to attend a dance class
>> Painting or drawing before answering emails
>> Leaving the office to have lunch with friends
>> Meditating or practicing qigong between clients
>> Watching TV or reading when “you should be working” 

Did you notice how all of these activities happen during the normal workday?

You can’t cram more activities into your already busy evenings and weekends. It won’t work. I want you to take care of yourself as part of your normal work routine. This is how you generate time to rest; this is how you honor rest as revenue in your business.

If you want to recover from burnout, your business must take care of YOU. 

Your business is for you, not your clients. Your clients will benefit from the services you provide, but the business itself exists to take care of you and your family. Protecting time for rest is the first step towards making this vision a reality. 

Here’s your invitation for today: Go to your calendar and block off a 2-hour window during the workday for rest. 

Don’t panic if you don’t have time right now. It’s okay if you need to push it out a few weeks, so long as you schedule it as soon as you can and then honor that commitment with your life. 

You’re not being lazy or privileged. You’re giving Mr. Monopoly Man the finger by redefining what it means to generate revenue in your business. By doing so, you’re honoring yourself and creating a ripple effect of positive change that will make life better for all of us. 

For bonus points, hit “reply” and tell me what type of rest most resonates with you. 

I love hearing the different ways we recharge our batteries! 🪫→ 🔋