The Cost of Never Slowing Down
Originally shared January 23, 2025 in the Naked Sunday Newsletter. Adapted for the journal.
What’s the real cost of never slowing down?
It’s easy to shrug it off when you’re in the middle of the grind. Another late night here, another missed meal there—it feels like the price of success. But when you step back, the cost starts adding up in ways that are hard to ignore.
Last week, a client told me she’d been sick for over a week. On our last call, we talked about taking a sick day to rest, reset, and finally recover. But when I asked if she had done it, she admitted, “No.”
She’d powered through her endless to-do list, telling herself she’d rest later. But “later” never came, and the sickness lingered. It left her drained, frustrated, and behind on everything she was trying so hard to stay ahead of.
We discussed it further, and made note of this event for the future when she comes to the same cross-roads (because life has a way of repeating itself until we learn the lesson…). She’ll use this to remind herself of the consequences it has when she’s not kind to herself.
But let’s zoom out and think of more of the ripple effects of this type of burnout-cycle.
What are the costs you are overlooking from never slowing down?
Your health: When rest and care keep getting pushed aside, notice what happens to your energy and your routines.
Your family: When you’re running on fumes, it’s hard to show up fully for the people who matter most. You’re there physically, but not emotionally. How many fights did you have with your spouse because you were tired and cranky? How often are your kids upset because you don’t have the energy or focus to do anything meaningful with them?
Your work: The irony? Pushing through doesn’t make you more productive. Mistakes pile up, creativity drops, and everything takes longer to fix later. More time and more money WASTED…
And what about the internal cost?
You know?…
Those voices of guilt and self-doubt.
They just get louder when you’re burnt out, feeding the very cycle you’re trying to escape.
“I’m not doing enough.”
“I can’t stop now.”
“What will people think if I slow down?”
What would it look like to choose rest instead?
If you took a step back to recharge your energy and focus, do you think you will:
Make better, clearer decisions?
Show up fully for your work, your family, and yourself?
I bet you’re nodding your head “Yes, I’d be so much better at those things.”
Rest doesn’t mean giving up. It means giving yourself the space to thrive. Slowing down isn’t a setback. It’s the first step toward a more aligned, intentional life.
So, ask yourself:
What’s one thing you can let go of this week to make space for rest?
What would it feel like to work and live at your full capacity instead of just getting by?
All that’s left to do is give yourself permission to follow through.
Related reflections
Until next time…
Love. Every. Body.
