What if you gave yourself permission to pause? 

This episode explores why rest is essential, not optional, covering the seven types of rest, the cost of burnout, and practical ways to create your own “pause week.” Consider this your reminder that what doesn’t bend, breaks; and that even small pauses can refill your cup.

Rather than a luxury, rest is a necessity for our mental, emotional, and physical well-being

Key Takeaways:

• Pause is rest, and rest is essential for survival and life.
• There are seven distinct types of rest as identified by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith—physical, mental, emotional, social, sensory, creative, and spiritual—and each plays a role in our well-being.
• Burnout isn’t just exhaustion; it’s a warning sign that something has to change.
• Burnout is not sustainable; intentional rest prevents breakdown.
• Long-form content and slower rhythms can reawaken our capacity for focus and depth.
• You don’t have to pause from everything; you can choose one area to pull back from in order to nourish another.
• Rest strengthens resilience, helping us bend instead of break.
• Scheduling rest in your calendar is an act of self-commitment, just as important as any external obligation.
• A pause can look different for everyone: travel, nature, time with loved ones, or simply creating quiet space at home.

This solo episode with Nina Rodriguez is also your invitation to look at your own calendar and schedule in a "pause week", whatever that looks like for you.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• "You Deserve Rest" social media post
• Resting Grief Face on Substack

Grief Support Resources for the Road:

• Grief Tending Toolkit
• Access our online community

About the Host:

Nina Rodriguez is a podcaster, grief-informed coach, speaker, writer, and the creator of GRIEF AND LIGHT, a podcast and support platform born from the sudden loss of her only sibling. She helps grievers navigate life after loss with curiosity, compassion, and agency, on and off the mic. Through her work, Nina invites others to honor the full spectrum of being human and build sustainable practices that embrace the both/and of life.

• Visit: griefandlight.com
• Connect: @griefandlight

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