We often wear busyness like a badge of honor, but let’s be honest—sometimes it’s just a distraction from what truly matters.

When a deadline looms, many of us flip into overdrive. Adrenaline kicks in, and suddenly we’re productivity ninjas, checking tasks off like they’re about to vanish. (Picture an actual ninja karate-kicking tasks off a board—satisfying, right?)

Not only do we power through work, but we somehow find the energy to tackle life’s backburner tasks—replying to long-forgotten emails, scrubbing the house clean, or even reorganizing the dreaded Tupperware drawer. And let’s admit it: it feels amazing. Energy creates energy, and there’s a real high in riding that wave of momentum.

But here’s the thing: what goes up must come down. No one can stay in overdrive forever, and trying to do so is a recipe for burnout. While pushing ourselves can be necessary at times, it’s just as important to hit the brakes and give ourselves permission to rest.

Why is rest so hard?

Because busyness feels good. Achieving things gives us a rush—it’s tangible, rewarding, and reinforces our sense of purpose. Slowing down, on the other hand, forces us to reconnect with ourselves. It requires dealing with emotions, thoughts, or needs we’ve conveniently pushed aside.

Yet rest is vital—not just to recharge physically but also to let our minds and hearts catch up. Without it, we stay stuck in “fight or flight” mode, where cortisol levels soar and our hormones suffer the consequences. Spoiler alert: no one wants hormone havoc.

We can sometimes wear busyness like a badge of achievement, when in actual fact, it’s just diverting our attention away from the things that truly matter.

So how can we navigate this fast-slow dance of life? Here are six practical tips:

1. Be aware of your modes

Start observing how you feel when in “superwoman mode” versus “rest-and-repair mode.” How is your energy? Your sleep? Your thoughts? Awareness is the first step toward balance.

2. Manage transitions

Switching gears is tricky. After a deadline or big project, plan a transitional activity—something that eases you from high-energy hustle to a more sustainable rhythm.

3. Redefine downtime

Downtime isn’t just Netflix and chill (though that’s great sometimes!). Activities like yoga, journaling, or connecting with a friend can calm your mind in deeper, more restorative ways.

4. Ask for help

When life gets busy, don’t be afraid to delegate. Whether it’s asking a partner to pitch in or letting the laundry wait, lighten your load wherever possible.

5. Communicate openly

Let people know when you’re in crunch mode. Stress-cleaning aggressively is not the best way to signal you need help (though it might feel oddly satisfying).

6. Build calming habits now

Incorporate tools like meditation, yoga Nidra, or journaling into your routine before life gets hectic. These habits will be easier to lean on when things heat up.

Life isn’t meant to be lived in perpetual overdrive. We need the ups and downs—the fast and the slow—to keep us balanced and thriving.

Remember, even our ancestors didn’t sprint away from saber-tooth tigers all day long. They ran, they rested, and they thrived. So let’s take a page from their book: hustle when needed, but never forget to pause, breathe, and reconnect with what truly matters.

It isn’t bad to work hard, in fact it’s really important to be able to switch gears and power through work and life to meet deadlines, but it’s really important we don’t stay there all the time.

When it comes to our hormones, we have been designed to be able to push hard when we need to – our ancestors needed the hit of adrenalin to escape from the Sabre-tooth tiger but they couldn’t maintain this level of stress all day long. We need to sometimes push, but we also need to rest. When we stay in the fight or flight mode for too long it pushes up our cortisol levels, which then plays havoc with the rest of our hormones. 

So work hard, play hard but rest hard too. We go up and down, we move fast and slow, and this is what makes life interesting, we just need to be aware of these different modes so we can manage them best for ourselves, our work and most importantly those around us.

Image Credit: Bas van Est, Robert-Bye, Jared Rice