The Permission to Rest: Why Taking Care of Yourself Isn't Procrastination
You know what you need to do this weekend.
The backend processes need updating. The workshop needs to be added to your events calendar. Client work is waiting. That summit presentation isn't going to write itself.
Logic says your evenings and weekends should be for building your business if you don't have time during the day.
But what if logic is wrong?
What you need to know
Here's what most entrepreneurs get backward: Rest isn't the opposite of productivity. It's the foundation of it.
When you're building a business while working a 9-to-5, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking every free moment should be spent "hustling." That your weekends are for catching up. That taking time for yourself is something you'll do "when things slow down."
But here's the truth: if you're constantly running on empty, you're not building a sustainable business. You're building toward burnout.
And for those of us designed to work in cycles and flow (Projectors, I'm looking at you), forcing ourselves into constant output mode isn't just exhausting-it's actually working against our design.
The Real Cost of the "Always Be Working" Mentality
When you're operating from the belief that rest is procrastination, you're making decisions from guilt and fear instead of wisdom and clarity.
This shows up as:
Guilt every time you do something for yourself - That voice saying "I should be working" during your bath, your workout, your time with friends
Diminished energy and creativity - You can't access your best ideas when you're running on fumes
Resentment toward your business - The thing you're building starts to feel like an obligation instead of an opportunity
Lost connection to your intuition - You can't hear your inner guidance when anxiety is drowning it out
Physical burnout - Your body will eventually force the rest you won't give yourself
And here's the part that keeps you stuck: you've been socialized to believe that things that feel good are somehow wrong or indulgent. That if it doesn't feel hard, you're not doing it right.
Why Projectors Need to Hear This Especially
If you're a Projector like me, this message is critical.
We're not designed for constant output. We're designed to work in bursts, to rest deeply, to wait for the right invitations and opportunities.
When we try to operate like Generators or Manifesting Generators-pushing, forcing, initiating constantly-we burn out faster than any other type.
Our gift is being able to see clearly and guide effectively. But we can't do that when we're exhausted and depleted.
The right people will find you regardless. You don't have to force it. You just have to be present, be that lighthouse, and trust your process.
The Integration: Trusting Your Design Over Logic
Last weekend, I had a to-do list a mile long. Backend processes to complete. Events to add to my calendar. Client work waiting. A summit presentation to prepare.
I'm building a business while working a 9-to-5. Time is precious.
So naturally, I spent Saturday at brunch with girlfriends, went to a local greenhouse and bought a plant, drank wine, made dinner for my family, did artwork with the kids, and played Monopoly.
On Sunday-when I "should" have had the whole day to work-I went to Pilates, took a long luxurious bath (something I hadn't done in forever), woke up early to meal prep, and did laundry.
Hours I worked on my business that weekend? Zero.
And for a moment on Sunday afternoon, while making my dense bean salad for the week, that familiar anxiety crept in: I should be upstairs working.
But then I reminded myself: No. You need to rest and recharge. You've been working really hard. This is what you feel called to do right now.
There is more than one way to take care of yourself.
The Practice of Trusting Yourself
Here's what I had to remember (and what you might need to hear too):
The right people are going to find you no matter what.
If the right client is on their way to you, there's already content out there. Your voice is already on a podcast. There's already an article they can discover. I've had people Google "Human Design" and become clients.
There's nothing more you need to do but be present. When it's time to work on the next thing-whether that's the next day or in three days-you'll get to it. And it will get done.
This is growth. This is transformation.
The old version of me would have never taken a long, luxurious bubble bath. She would have done a quick 30-minute workout at home instead of going to a class and chatting with people. She would have consolidated everything to leave more time to get the stuff done that she thought she should do.
But instead, I spent time doing things I wanted to do that felt good.
And because of that? The next day, I woke up with the energy to tackle everything. I felt good about my path forward and the progress I'm making.
Try This: The "What Feels Good" Practice
This week, I want you to practice something radical:
Do one thing that feels good, even if logic says you should be doing something else.
Not because it's productive. Not because it leads to a goal. Just because it feels good.
Maybe it's:
Taking that yoga class instead of squeezing in "just one more hour" of work
Meeting a friend for coffee when you have emails waiting
Reading fiction instead of another business book
Taking a nap when your body is tired
Then notice: What voice comes up? What does it say?
"I should be working." "This is selfish." "I don't have time for this." "Successful people don't take breaks."
Those voices? That's conditioning talking, not wisdom.
Your next step is to thank that voice for trying to protect you, and choose differently anyway.
What to Expect When You Start Honoring Your Energy
When you begin trusting your design and your need for rest, here's what might happen:
You'll feel guilty at first. That anxiety will creep in during your bath, your walk, your time with friends.
You might worry that you're falling behind or that you're not doing enough.
Others might not understand. They might question why you're not "hustling harder" or wonder if you're really serious about your business.
But here's what's also true: You'll have more energy. More clarity. More creativity. More presence.
The work you do will be better quality because you're doing it from a place of alignment instead of depletion.
And the opportunities that come will be the right ones-the ones that actually fit who you are and how you're designed to work.
The Truth About "Good Things Feeling Good"
We've been socialized to believe that if something feels good, it must be wrong or indulgent.
That things that feel good are terrible for you. That if it doesn't feel hard, you're not doing it right.
But here's what I need you to understand: Good things feel good because they're meant for you.
Even when you're working on growth, building your business, living your purpose-it should never feel painful.
It should feel exciting. Interesting. Invigorating. New.
If it feels like a constant struggle, if it feels heavy and hard all the time, that's information. It might not be the thing for you to be doing-ever, or at least not right now.
And it's okay to pivot. It's okay to pause. It's okay to do things differently.
Practice Being You
This is my invitation to you:
Practice being you. Practice trusting you. Practice doing things that feel good.
It takes practice because we've been conditioned against it. But each time you choose rest over guilt, each time you choose alignment over "shoulds," you're building your capacity to trust yourself more deeply.
You're learning that taking care of yourself isn't separate from building your business-it's essential to it.
You're discovering that you don't have to force, push, or hustle your way to success. You can flow your way there.
And that takes courage. But it's worth it.
What's Next?
If this resonates with you and you're ready to understand how your unique Human Design supports (or sabotages) your ability to rest and trust yourself, here's how I can help:
Take the Clarity Quiz: Discover where you are in your journey from confusion to clarity and get your next aligned step
Book a Discovery Call: Let's talk about how your Human Design can help you build a business that works with your energy instead of against it.
About the Author:
Matalya Onuoha is a Human Design Strategist and Clarity-to-Prosperity Guide for Women & Teams. She helps women transform confusion into clarity and purpose into prosperity using Human Design, NLP, and somatic techniques. Host of the Worthy of Wealth podcast.
