Why I’m Choosing Rest Over Hustle

I have huge dreams for Awe Kids. I want to enjoy designing new pieces for little ones and for people to go 'awwwwww' when they see a child wear it with confidence. I want little ones to feel empowered by the words or pictures they wear. I want parents to love the outfits too. I want adults of the future to look back at their childhood pics and have positive memories that Awe outfits were a part of - and in turn, dress their own little ones in affirmations and prayers.

I also want to support young people stepping into their careers. I want their CVs to proudly include 'Awe Kids' or 'Awe ____', with a role that helped them get their foot in the door. A period of their life where they could try things, learn what they love and don’t, find clarity for their next step, and know they were part of something that mattered.

But I also want to be a present mum. I want to enjoy a healthy marriage with my best friend as we navigate life together. I want to be the friend and community member who shows up for others - and is open to being loved back.

That requires a lot - as I shared in my piece about balancing. And while it seems like achieving this would demand endless work - which it does - I’ve also been learning the power of rest as part of my workload.

Why Rest Felt Wrong

Rest used to feel like a period of inactivity and only deserved when enough work had been done. But as someone who can never be satisfied and suffers from imposter syndrome, rest ended up also coming with guilt and unsettled feelings about all the stuff I should be doing. Sometimes it would only come after being so exhausted and burnt out that I was forced to recover, usually alongside whatever illness my son brought home from nursery that week.

However, this year brought two moments that changed my view of rest:

1. Grief. After losing a family member just before New Years, the notion of a vision board or fresh January goals no longer mattered. In fact, the meaning of life itself was brought into question as we all tried to find ways to reconcile the why and how of what happened with logical explanations that didn’t exist. That, combined with first trimester fatigue (need I explain), meant 2025 started goalless, aimless, and with the businesses neglected. In that period, I was forced to feel all the feelings and sleep, with work on autopilot and life lived on minimal energy.

2. Obedience. On annual leave, I had planned a jam-packed business day. But the Holy Spirit instructed me to rest. No work, no busyness, just stillness. To my surprise, the very next day I was more productive than ever, with accelerated execution.

So How Do I Embrace Rest Now?

Some changes made over the past year include:

• No Booking Saturdays: Days where no plans are accepted, just space to breathe.

• Restful Sundays: If it isn’t a chilled plan - like catching up with friends or family - then we stay at home and enjoy a quiet afternoon.

• Scheduling Worries: A tool I learnt in therapy. Instead of letting worry mess with my productivity, I either confront it (if it can be solved quickly), schedule it (if it requires more time), or let it go (if it’s out of my control).

• Listening to My Body: Dismissing my alarm when I can  (mind you, this does not happen on my 9-5 job days). I also accept when I’m not feeling well - that includes mentally checking in and and even pausing when I’m mentally overwhelmed. After all, I started building Awe Kids so I can afford to work at my own pace.

I’m encouraging others to embrace rest too. That’s meant nudging my husband to sleep despite deadlines (it worked!), guiding my intern to reflect on balance, and reminding friends - especially fellow parents - to lean on their community for childcare so they can nap. And now, I’m writing this blog post, so that maybe you’ll be inspired to embrace rest too.