If you are reading this, you are probably tired. Not the kind of tired that a good night’s sleep can fix, but the bone-deep exhaustion that comes from months, maybe years, of pushing through. You have told yourself you’ll rest later. Maybe after this project, after the holidays, or after you’ve proven you deserve it. But “later” never comes, does it? This is your permission slip. You don’t have to earn rest. You are allowed to stop.
Dear Exhausted One,
I see you.
You’re holding it all together with sheer willpower and caffeine. You’re the one everyone depends on, and you’ve internalized the belief that rest is something you have to earn by doing more and being more.
You scroll through social media and see other women talking about self-care, and you feel a pang of guilt because you can’t remember the last time you gave yourself permission to truly rest. You think there’s something wrong with you. There isn’t. The system is broken, not you.
Rest Is Not a Reward You Have to Earn
Somewhere along the way, we absorbed the toxic belief that rest is a luxury, a reward for productivity, something we have to earn by working ourselves to the bone first. But rest isn’t a trophy. It’s a biological requirement. Your nervous system needs it. Your body needs it. Your soul needs it. You don’t have to justify it, optimize it, or make it “productive.” You’re allowed to rest simply because you are a human being who is tired.
The Solstice Knows What You've Forgotten
Today we welcome the Winter Solstice on December 21st, the longest night of the year. It’s nature’s way of forcing a pause, a deep, sacred exhale before the light begins its slow return. The earth rests. The animals rest. The trees rest. And yet, we, wired into our phones, our calendars, our endless to-do lists, keep pushing.
The Solstice is a reminder that rest is not weakness. It’s wisdom. It’s the natural rhythm of all living things, and you’re not exempt from that rhythm simply because you have responsibilities.
What Rest Actually Looks Like (It's Not What You Think)
Here’s the truth: rest doesn’t have to look like a spa day or a week-long vacation (though those are amazing). Real rest is often much simpler and much more accessible. Rest is:
- Saying “no” to one thing on your calendar that you don’t actually want to do.
- Lying on the couch for 20 minutes without your phone.
- Letting the dishes sit in the sink overnight, because you’re too tired.
- Canceling plans without offering a detailed excuse or apology.
- Sitting in your car for five extra minutes before going inside because you need the silence.
- Choosing the easiest version of dinner and feeling zero guilt about it.
Rest is any moment where you choose your own energy and well-being over external expectations. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be yours.
Your Lunar Living Tip for This Week
We are in the final days before the new year, and today is the Winter Solstice (December 21st). This is the most restful, restorative energy of the entire lunar cycle. The cosmos is practically begging you to slow down.
- One Practical Practice: Cancel or postpone one non-essential obligation this week, so you create space to rest without needing a reason. If guilt shows up, gently remind yourself “The Solstice is rest. I am allowed to align with that.”
The Permission Slip You've Been Waiting For
So here it is, in writing, so you can come back to it whenever you need to:
You are allowed to rest.
You are allowed to be tired.
You are allowed to do less.
You are allowed to disappoint people.
You are allowed to change your mind.
You are allowed to take up space without being productive.
You are allowed to simply exist, without justification.
This isn’t laziness. This isn’t selfishness. This is survival. This is you remembering that you are a living being, not a machine, and that rest is your birthright.
You Are Allowed to Exhale
I know it may not feel like it, but the world will keep spinning if you rest. Your worth is not determined by your output. You don’t have to be “on” all the time. The longest night is here, and it’s whispering a truth you’ve been too tired to hear: you are allowed to exhale. So please, dear exhausted beautiful soul, put this down and rest. You have more than earned it. You always have.
Your next step: let support come to you
You don’t need more discipline. You need gentler systems that arrive when you forget. That’s why I’m building Luna SMS, a moon-phase aligned text service that delivers 30–60 second micro‑practices to your phone. No searching. No guilt. Just a timely nudge that meets you where you are.
Join the waitlist, so you’ll be the first to know when we launch. You can lock the founding rate and get support when the next cycle begins. If you’re not ready, add a calendar note to revisit in a week.
