Rest seems like the most natural thing in the world, yet for so many of us it feels almost… wrong. I used to think rest was only allowed once I had completed every task, solved every problem, and proved I was productive enough. Even when my body and mind were exhausted, there was a voice in the back of my head saying, “You don’t deserve a break yet.” Rest became something tied to achievement rather than humanity, and I didn’t realise how harmful that mindset was until I reached a point of complete burnout.

I’m not alone in this. Many teens feel pressured to always be doing something: revising, organising, planning, improving, competing. Our schedules are packed, our expectations are high, and our brains rarely switch off. The guilt around resting usually comes from the belief that slowing down means falling behind. But the irony is that pushing ourselves relentlessly does the exact opposite. It drains motivation, scatters concentration, and eventually leads to shutting down emotionally or mentally. Rest is not the opposite of productivity; it’s part of it.

My realisation came during exam season, when I found myself sitting at my desk for hours without absorbing anything. I stared at pages that looked blurry, reread sentences without taking them in, and grew increasingly frustrated with myself. I kept thinking I just needed to “push through,” but my brain was so exhausted that no amount of pushing made a difference. I felt guilty even considering a break. I convinced myself rest was something for later or a treat I would earn once everything was perfect. But everything never became perfect, and so I never rested.

It was only when I forced myself to step away, taking ten minutes to stretch, breathe, or sit quietly, that I realised how desperately my mind needed the pause. Those moments weren’t lazy or irresponsible; they were necessary. It made me wonder why I was so comfortable giving compassion to others but so strict with myself. If a friend told me they were exhausted, I would encourage them to rest. Yet I expected myself to function like a machine.

Slowly, I began to challenge my beliefs around productivity. I stopped seeing rest as an absence of effort and started seeing it as maintenance. Just like we charge our phones before they die, we need to recharge ourselves before we crash. Resting before you’re burnt out is an act of maturity, not weakness. It’s acknowledging your limits and responding with care instead of criticism.

Another shift happened when I stopped comparing my work capacity to other people’s. Some students can study for hours at a time, while others need more frequent breaks. Some people thrive on constant activity, while others need space to breathe and process. There is no universal rhythm. There is only what works for you. When I finally accepted that my needs weren’t “less valid” because they looked different, the guilt around rest slowly started to fade.

If you struggle with feeling guilty for resting, try asking yourself one thing: do you truly believe your worth comes from how much you accomplish? Because you are so much more than your productivity. Rest doesn’t make you weak, lazy, or behind – it makes you human. And humans are not built to run without pausing.

You don’t need to earn rest. You simply need it. And learning to rest without guilt may be one of the most important forms of self-respect you ever develop.

Sabrina Kanli