Why Slowing Down Might Be the Smartest Move for Your Growth
The bright blue sky with the sun, the slowly waving ocean and the standing still pods the green leaves and grass somehow invites all of our human minds to relax, pause and reconnect. But some of us wouldn`t feel productive enough if they would let in to this calling. High-achievers have this constant struggle if they can let themselves rest or not and most of the time they convince themselves that its only for the lazy people or they have to work even harder to earn that rest. But we are all human. And humans need space to breathe. This summer is a perfect time to try slow down if you can relate. Maybe that is the thing you need exactly to grow, lead, and live fully.
1. Why Slowing Down Feels Hard (But Is Necessary)
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes... including you.” – Anne Lamott.
But if resting is so natural to human nature why more and more people feel the need to neglect it nowadays? Lets face it we live in a hustle culture and the external pressure is a big portion of this problem where we kind of internalize the productivity pressure day by day. Thanks to the internet we can see day and night that right now when you would take a rest maybe someone else works on their goals or achieves some big milestone and by seeing that we can feel guilty even just thinking about resting when other people work so hard and thinking If I rest I will be falling behind.But here’s the paradox: growth doesn’t always come from pushing. Sometimes, the biggest breakthroughs happen when we stop trying so hard. When we rest, we create space for clarity, creativity, and emotional regulation—key ingredients for sustainable success.
If slowing down feels difficult, it’s not because you're broken. It's because your brain has been trained to survive in a high-pressure environment. But just like with physical exercise, recovery is when strength is truly built.
2. Rest as a Strategic Advantage
Slowing down isn’t lazy. It’s smart strategy.
Top athletes know the importance of rest days in their training routines. CEOs take annual retreats to zoom out and realign. In nature, every cycle includes a season of dormancy. So why do we believe that always being “on” is the only way forward?
Here’s what rest can really give you:
💡 Mental clarity – Decision fatigue is real. Pausing refreshes your thinking.
🔋 Emotional resilience – You can handle pressure better when you're not always at capacity.
🌱 Creative insight – Our best ideas come when we stop trying to force them.
By treating rest as part of your growth system rather than a reward at the end, you start to play a different game: one that values energy management, not just time management.
3. Coaching Questions to Reflect On
One of the first steps in coaching high-performers through burnout or imbalance is to pause and ask better questions. If you’re feeling the weight of constant striving, ask yourself:
When was the last time you truly paused, without guilt or distraction?
How much of your self-worth is tied to your output?
What would change in your life if you rested without needing to earn it first?
These are not easy questions—but they’re powerful ones. Often, what comes up is a sense of fear. Fear of being left behind. Fear of appearing lazy. Fear of losing control. But those fears lose their grip when you look at them with compassion and curiosity.
4. Reclaiming Summer: A Season for Soul-Level Planning
Summer is more than just a time for vacations and longer days. It’s an invitation.
While your calendar might be filled with plans, ask yourself: What does your soul need this season?
Try this:
Block a day or weekend with no agenda
Practice “productive rest” (e.g. journaling in a park, reading for pleasure, walking without headphones)
Make a “Summer Soul List” – 10 things that make you feel alive, calm, or inspired—and plan for them like you would a meeting
The goal isn’t to escape your responsibilities. It’s to remind yourself that you’re more than your tasks.
You’re a whole human being—not just a to-do machine.
5. How Coaching Can Help You Rest Without Guilt
If slowing down still feels foreign or even dangerous to you, you’re not alone. Coaching can provide the structure, safety, and accountability you need to make intentional change.
Here’s how it helps:
We identify the limiting beliefs that keep you stuck in overdrive
We explore what rest and balance look like for you personally—not just what the internet says
We create strategies to rebuild your rhythms, so you’re not burning out between every goal
You don’t have to choose between success and sanity.
You can lead, achieve, and still feel like yourself at the end of the day.
Final Thoughts: This Summer, Pause to Grow
So if you've been waiting for permission to slow down—this is it.
Let this summer be your experiment in doing less, being more, and seeing what emerges when you stop constantly proving your worth.
Let your calendar breathe.
Let your mind rest.
Let your soul catch up with your ambition.
You might just find that everything you were chasing is easier to access when you’re not running all the time.
🧭 Want to explore this more? I offer 1:1 coaching sessions to help high-achievers like you rest, reset, and rebuild with intention.
