For a long time, I used to work 21 days straight.

Then take a few days off.

That was my version of monk mode.

And I thought it was smart. Push hard. Then recover.

But here’s what usually happened:

On day 22, I’d leave town.

Pack light. Promise myself rest.
But still — I’d take the laptop.

And once I had a quiet moment…
I’d open it.
Check in.
Start a new idea.
Tweak a page.
Write a caption.
Build something.

Not because I had to.
But because my mind had never left work.

So technically, I was away.

But not really resting.

It wasn’t 100% work — but it was never 100% rest either.

Then I’d come back and wonder why I still felt drained.

Why I wasn’t ready to start again.

Why I didn’t feel “refreshed.”

The answer was simple:

Because I never stopped.

Most people don’t stop either

We think of rest as a break from work.

But for a lot of us, it becomes a different version of work:

• Scrolling without thinking

• Bingeing shows we don’t even like

• Sitting with guilt

• Rushing to “enjoy” our time off before it’s over

That’s not rest.

That’s collapse.

Productive rest vs unproductive rest

What helped me was learning this idea:

• Productive rest restores you. It’s intentional. It’s nourishing.

• Unproductive rest numbs you. It avoids the problem. It makes you feel worse.

Examples of productive rest:

• Taking a walk with no phone

• Having real conversations

• Praying slowly

• Journaling

• Reading something nourishing

• Doing absolutely nothing for a while — on purpose

Examples of unproductive rest:

• Doomscrolling

• Worrying about work the entire vacation

• Planning future goals on your rest day

• Calling it a “break” but secretly multitasking

And I’m guilty of a lot of these. Still.

Why is rest so hard?

Because rest forces us to stop performing.

It strips away the roles. The numbers. The notifications.

And when the noise is gone… we meet ourselves again.

That’s scary.
Uncomfortable.
Quiet.

Sometimes, in the middle of “rest,” I’ll get a new business idea.

I get excited.
I can’t wait to work on it.
I want to open the laptop. Now.

And that’s the trap.

Because the idea came because I rested…

But if I chase it while resting — I ruin both.

I get neither full rest nor full work. Just diluted fragments of both.

Then I return from the break feeling half-empty —

thinking, “I wish I actually enjoyed it.”

What I’m learning now

I’m still figuring this out.

But I’ve been searching, reading, and reflecting.

Here’s what I’m starting to believe:

• Rest is not something we earn — it’s part of the cycle

• Real rest is not a reward — it’s a discipline

• If you never learn to rest, you’ll never sustain the growth you’re chasing

So I started building rest into my day — not waiting to earn it at the end of a breakdown.

Instead of working nonstop and crashing later…

I work fully until 3 or 4pm.

Then I unplug.

Gym. Friends. Reading. Silence. Nature.

That micro rest helps me avoid the need for macro escape.

But even when I take a bigger break, I remind myself:

“I am not my content. I am not my sales. I am not a machine.”
And even then, I still mess up sometimes.

That’s okay.

This is a skill too.

One final note

When we take a vacation or break, we often throw out everything — including our habits.

But habits aren’t just work tools.
They’re life tools.

• Walking

• Journaling

• Reading

• Praying

• Checking in with yourself

These aren’t “productivity hacks.” They’re anchors.

That’s why even on slower months or rest days, I still use Second Brain 6.0, not to push myself, but to see my progress.

To track discipline. To stay grounded.

It’s not about output. It’s about direction.

Rest when you need.
But stay close to what matters.

👉 Get Second Brain 6.0 and stay consistent

Thanks for reading.

And if you’re like me — still learning how to rest —

You’re not alone.

– Oussama (aka OLS)