Learning to Give Yourself Permission to Rest with Rachelle Glendon
On this episode of the Choosing Change Podcast, I speak with life coach Rachelle Glendon about the importance of making time for rest and self-care. Rachelle shares her personal journey of constantly feeling the need to prove herself and never allowing downtime.
After experiencing burnout in her 20s, Rachelle realised she no longer needed external validation to give herself permission to rest. A defining moment was when she had her first child and struggled with exhaustion. She learned to put her son's needs first by sleeping on the floor with him, prioritizing rest over rigid routines.
Rachelle emphasizes that true rest is taking a break from daily activities, not just napping. Small steps like short walks helped build tolerance for stillness. Journaling thoughts and to-do lists prevent anxiety when relaxing. Through self-compassion, she now recognises needing rest as a sign to recharge, not a failure.
Rachelle offers practical tips for making rest a priority. These include having a cup of tea without distractions to sit in discomfort, writing thoughts down to quiet the mind, and going to bed instead of staying up late in "bedtime revenge procrastination."
This insightful conversation provides permission and encouragement to prioritise our own needs for rest. In a fast-paced world, we must refill our cups through downtime to avoid burnout and best care for others.
I can’t wait for you to listen to this conversation.
Highlights from this episode:
- We often avoid rest because we don't feel we've "earned" it or we're afraid of what thoughts may come up when still.
- It's important to give ourselves permission to rest and recognize when our bodies need it.
- Rest doesn't just mean napping - it can be any relaxing activity like going for a walk, gardening, etc.
- Small steps like taking short breaks during the day can help build tolerance for stillness and rest.
- Writing thoughts down can help quiet an anxious mind and make it easier to relax.
- Seeing needing rest as a sign we need to recharge, not a failure, can reduce guilt about taking time for ourselves.
BEST ONE-LINERS:
"No one is going to come along and tell you that you've done a good job or that you've done enough or that you've proven yourself enough." - Rachelle Glendon
"If you can rest and if you have got the ability to slow down, then you must, it's your responsibility to." - Rachelle Glendon
"Nobody's coming to tell me that I've done enough, I have to tell me." - Rachelle Glendon
"It's totally okay to occasionally not have the energy, but that's part of being human. You're not a robot." - Rachelle Glendon
"We live in a world that wants you to behave like a mobile phone and and be charged up 100% Battery Level every day. And that's just not possible, particularly for women without varying hormonal fluctuations." - Rachelle Glendon
Do reach out to us to continue this conversation.
Connect with Rachelle
Rachelle Glendon is a life coach and matrescence educator specialising in helping burnt out mothers ditch the martyr mothering and move towards slower living. Rachelle is the host of the podcast How To Live Slow and writes the column Slow Notes on substack. She has 2 soccer mad sons with her husband and lives in sunny Brisbane.
Links:
https://howtoliveslow.substack.com
www.instagram.com/rachelleglendon_slowcoach
Connect with Lizzie
HOST OF THE CHOOSING CHANGE PODCAST
Web: www.lizziemoult.com
Facebook: @lizziegmoult
Instagram:@lizzie_moult
Love the Choosing Change Podcast?
Then I need your help! Podcast reviews are super important to help us reach more people who need help changing their lives. The more reviews we receive the more likely iTunes will share our podcast with those that need it most.
Please spread the word and share this episode with anyone who you feel needs to hear the message today.
If you've loved this podcast, never miss another one! All you have to do is SUBSCRIBE to the Choosing Change Podcast on iTunes.
WANT TO BE ON THE SHOW?
If you have a story to share, I would love to hear from you, this show is about everyday people doing the work. Email me at [email protected] and tell me your greatest life lesson.
