Why Rest Is the Strategy: Lessons in Self-Care from My Mom

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"I'VE TRAVELED 'ROUND THE WORLD TO RECEIVE YOGA, MINDFULNESS, REIKI CERTIFICATIONS AND MORE. AND WHILE I'VE EMBODIED & TEACH A LOT OF WHAT I LEARNED, THERE WAS SOMETHING DEEPLY WRONG ABOUT ALL OF THESE TRAININGS..."

☺*This newsletter comes to you a day early as a celebration of National Self-Care Day (in the US) which is on April 5, 2025.*☺

Now, let’s go over some facts, well…one fact: deep self-care is literally swirled into my DNA.

Just check out this text from my mom…

I was feeling particularly low at the end of last week as I was facing multiple hardships.

The icing on the cake that had me in tears calling my mom was when:

my son and I happily, no giddily going to the post office to pick up a care package she sent. And when we got there, no package.

I got there a day too late.

it had been sent back.

the sadness we both felt was indescribable.

A day later, after the sadness and feeling like an utter failure because of that and other things not working out, my mom sent that text.

I took a deep sigh and followed her instructions. I rested. I slowed down. I took a little more care of myself.

And it reminded me of how she’s always taught me how to move through life—with self-care at the forefront of my actions.

When everybody’s parents were teaching them how to work hard and pushing them to do better…

...my mom was teaching me how to rest and nurture my well-being.

She knew the “work hard” part would come naturally in whatever form it needed to. And it totally did. (~real talk: these days I have to double-down and remind myself to practice self-care and not always push through–that gets me to nowhere but burnout and sickness fast.~)

She also knew I wouldn't get self-care wisdom like this from anywhere else. Society is filled with subtle and overt messages to keep pushing and work hard and to be proud of never taking a day off.

So she passed on to me and my sisters the exact same messages she received from her mother and her mother’s mother:

Slow down.

Take care of yourself.

Rest first.

My mom endured some crazy sh*t and worked hard to take care of her family. Her mother (and father) worked hard to take care of their 6 kids. And so on. And I can’t even imagine what my mother ancestors who experienced enslavement endured on top of that.

And what they learned from it all, and passed down to me through that mitochondria, was that self-care and rest were powerful and necessary practices to find a way to thrive through it all….

As that life lesson meandered through our lineage…

…."go get some rest!" is a phrase you'll often hear in my family if you’re in conversation with one of us long enough.

I've traveled 'round the world to receive yoga, mindfulness, Reiki certifications and more. And while I’ve embodied and teach a lot of what I learned, there was something deeply wrong about all of these trainings:

There was no respect for and allowance of deep self-care and rest.

In fact, these trainings challenged my little subculture of self-care and rest with:

before-sunrise mornings,

sitting on the hard floor for hours,

forced vegan diets,

rushing from one thing to the next,

and sleep deprivation.

I had my first and only panic attack brought on by my first yoga teacher training.

Where these trainings often go wrong is that we already have that hustle and push and do more attitude deeply imbedded in our culture based on the productivity needs of capitalism.

There’s this undertone of guilt around “doing nothing” which is often misplaced.

And we need these “wellness” practices to give us some respite from that. To heal from that. Not to encourage it.

I’ve had come to grips with this friction within these supposed healing practices to carve out my own path in the wellness industry based on what I know to be true in my DNA.

Because my immersion into the realm of deep self-care and real wellness started in the womb.

Like my mom reminded me in that text, deeply caring for yourself is one of the most effective ways to navigate the difficulties that come along with managing your creative pursuits.

Strategic rest and self-care is a whole a*s thing—and it boosts creativity.

And as busy creatives who might also be introverted, ADHD, highly sensitive and/or people-pleasing it's important to have a habit of deep self care and rest to spark your creativity so it can do it’s job to show you the best way forward.

Because creativity needs space—not just more effort.

Happy National Self Care Day!

the SELF CARE REFLECTION QUESTION

Here's some helpful journal prompts that come from today's share:

When was the last time you pushed yourself so hard that you got sick or so burned out you had to just stop? What were you trying to achieve? Why was it so important to you to push through? How could you have achieved without sacrificing your wellbeing?

Take a quiet moment and write the answers as they intuitively come up. Share in the comments if this was a helpful practice ♡

the NURTURING POWER MOVE

Here's this week simple self-care action. A tiny nurturing step that'll take you and your creativity far...

Release & Reset: A Gentle Stretch for Tight Hips & Low Back Relief

Been glued to your screen all day? Your lower back and hips are feeling stiff and it's time for a reset. This gentle but effective 8-minute yoga flow will release tension, improve circulation, and leave you feeling lighter without breaking a sweat. Press play and feel the difference.

Try it out and let me know what you think in the comments!

the CREATIVE ENERGY FORECAST

Here's this week's insight for creative flow this week.

Let's see what's good ↓:

Week of March 30:

Woohoo! Mercury will stop it's retrograde madness on April 7th. This is a moment of integrating what we've learned in the last several weeks and applying it in a grounded way into our work and the way we communicate. Venus's retrograde completes on the 12th when both planets will be doing their thing Pisces. What that means for us creatives? Stay clear on the vision you're trying to bring to life. Even if the resources aren't there, stay the course to make big things happen.
We have a powerful full moon in Libra coming April 12th. We'll get a spotlight put onto our relationship dynamic and some major insight as to how the traumatic experiences of our past play out in our present relationships. This is where self-care comes in. Nurture yourself through these experiences so you can transmute them into energy for your art.

INSIDE the STUDIO

Creative Biz & Life updates to keep you in the know.

planning based on your energy

Imagine planning out your next quarter without worrying about if you'll have the energy to make it all happen. Not because you magically have the energy of a baby bull but because you better understand your capacity and can now infuse that understanding with your planning - seamlessly. No more setting yourself up for sabotage.

Well, you'll learn that and so much more when you show up live (there'll be a replay too) for my Aprill 22nd workshop, The Missing Piece: Make Self-Care Part of Your Business Plan. It's a no-fluff workshop for creatives who are done winging it and ready to nurture themselves and protect their energy. Tap below to:

SAVE YOUR SPOT!

the S.U.N.D.A.E. CREATIVE podcast

Have you checked out the recent podcast episode: The Power of Prioritizing Yourself in Your Business? This one's gooooood. In this episode, I’m sharing my personal journey of realizing that self-care wasn’t just “nice to have,” but non-negotiable for my well-being and my business success. I’ll also share real stories from creatives who had to hit rock bottom before realizing that sacrificing themselves for their business wasn’t sustainable.. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify and Buzzsprout.

That’s it. That’s the news. See ya next Sunday Sundae.

LOVE THIS? KNOW A FELLOW CREATIVE WHO NEEDS THIS KIND OF ENERGY IN THEIR INBOX? FORWARD THIS LINK—BECAUSE REAL ONES DON'T GATEKEEP THE GOOD STUFF.

**FEELING THIS WEEK'S SUNDAE'S BEST? IF YOU'RE READY TO TAKE IT DEEPER, ME TIME, MADE SIMPLE IS WHERE WE WORK TOGETHER TO PUT ALL THIS INSIGHT INTO ACTION—WITHOUT THE BURNOUT. CHECK IT OUT!**