Slingshot Weekly (10/15/25) | Active Rest and Recovery

Rest isn’t the opposite of progress - it’s what makes progress sustainable.

Yet many of us treat rest like a prize at the finish line. We give ourselves permission only after every email is answered, every task is checked off, every need around us has been met. By then, exhaustion has already set in. The truth is simple: rest isn’t earned - it’s required.

That’s where active rest comes in.

Active rest isn’t just about stopping. It’s about recovering on purpose. It’s the small but intentional practices that refill your energy rather than drain it. Think of it as the reset button your body, mind, and heart need to keep going.

Active rest might look like:

• Going for a walk instead of forcing one more hour of screen time

• Stretching or moving your body in ways that release tension

• Journaling or reflecting instead of numbing out on autopilot

• Creating something - music, art, writing - that brings you joy

• Simply breathing, unplugging, and being still

This kind of rest doesn’t mean laziness. It means strategy. Just as athletes plan recovery days to prevent injury and build strength, active rest allows us to reengage with more clarity, creativity, and resilience. Neuroscience backs this up: studies show that intentional breaks improve focus, problem-solving, and long-term performance.

Consider leaders and innovators who guard their downtime as fiercely as their work time. Bill Gates famously took “Think Weeks” away from the office to read, reflect, and recharge - periods that sparked some of Microsoft’s most innovative ideas. Artists like Leonardo da Vinci often stepped away from their work, believing space was necessary for breakthroughs. Their example reminds us: rest isn’t wasted time. It’s preparation.

So if you’ve been running on low battery, here’s the challenge for the week:

• What would it look like to rest without guilt?

• What kind of active rest could you schedule on purpose?

• Where could you choose recovery over exhaustion?

Burnout doesn’t prove your worth. But rest reveals your wisdom. When you embrace rest as part of your rhythm, you stop running on fumes - and start moving forward with strength that lasts.

Reflections of the Week:

• When was the last time I felt truly rested - and what contributed to that feeling?

• How could I build small moments of active rest into my daily rhythm instead of waiting until burnout?

• What would it look like to protect my rest with the same intentionality I protect my work?

• Where am I carrying guilt around resting - and how might releasing that guilt change my energy?