When Procrastination Steals Your Rest: A Confession, A Lesson, and an Invitation to Do Better
Can I be honest for a moment… again? In last week’s blog post, I told you we shouldn’t take time off work to catch up on work. And listen, that message is still 100% true. But I mayyyy have left out one tiny detail.
I hope my husband doesn’t mind me sharing this (love you, babe), but he occasionally uses his time off work to catch up on work because (1) his workload is genuinely that heavy and (2) focusing the way he wants to focus is sometimes… a journey. A scenic route. A winding path with snacks and detours and one too many “wait, what was I doing again?” moments. And honestly, who can’t relate to that??
Everything gets done by the deadline, sure. But the process? Whew. It is not linear, and it likely is not efficient. It certainly isn’t restful. So today, let’s talk about that thing we all battle but rarely name out loud:
Procrastination makes it hard to rest because we wasted our good working hours on nonsense.
This isn’t about shame; this is about honesty, compassion, and reclaiming your peace even when your habits are fighting you for it.
Rest Requires Rhythm, Not Chaos
As unfortunate and unpopular as it sounds, rest doesn’t magically appear when we want it. Rest at its best requires rhythm, structure, boundaries, a plan, and commitment. But when procrastination enters the chat? Baby, the rhythm becomes a remix no one asked for.
I’ve been there too. I’ve lost entire mornings, afternoons, and weekends hyper-focusing on the wrong task, rearranging my desktop folders, deep-cleaning the kitchen, playing games on my phone, or “just checking” my email. (Side note: Why do we keep opening the same apps like something new will pop up and save us?) And then suddenly, it’s 8pm and the thing that only takes 15 minutes that I could’ve done hours ago now needs to stretch into tomorrow (because I obviously am not doing it tonight).
This is the kind of cycle that keeps high-achieving, purpose-driven folks (especially my fellow caretakers, helpers, social workers, and educators) from experiencing actual rest. And I see it every day when I teach, consult, and lead workshops on rest for high-achieving professionals. The main point is that procrastination doesn’t just delay tasks; it steals rest from tomorrow.
The “Good Hours” We Waste and Why It Matters
It can be hard naming this out loud, so let’s do it together: Inevitably, there are times that we all waste our best hours. Not because we’re lazy or because we lack discipline, but because
We’re overwhelmed
We’re overstimulated
We don’t know where to start
We need a break but don’t take one
Our perfectionism convinces us the conditions aren’t “right” yet
Or… we think we have more time than we really do
Too personal? Let me talk about me for a minute. Even as “The Rest Dr,” I’ve absolutely had days where I planned to finish working on a workshop by 1 PM only to start it the next day because I spent the afternoon answering “just a few quick emails” and refused to start working on a project at 6:00 p.m. (Spoiler: there is no such thing as a “quick email”). Shoot, even now I’m drafting this blog at almost 9:00 p.m. because I want to make my deadline of scheduling the post so it will go out on time.
Unfortunately, when our “good hours” are gone, we start chasing productivity at the exact time our bodies and brains are begging for rest. That’s when we start using vacation days to catch up, when creative people lose their spark, when helpers and healers hit burnout, when boundaries get blurry, when rest feels unearned… the list goes on…
And that’s exactly why I create continuing education and professional development workshops that center humanity, not hustle. It’s also why my social media platforms (and these blog posts) are all about rest. Because if we don’t name the phenomena pulling us away from rest, we normalize them.
Breaking the Cycle: Grace + Strategy + Practice
Now that we have a good understanding of the “what” and the “why,” let’s shift to the “how” (as in, how we can start to do things differently). It’s time we focus on solutions.
Breaking the procrastination/rest cycle requires three things:
1. Grace (Because Shame Has Never Helped Anyone Work Faster)
You are not a machine, so please stop expecting to be on 100% every day. Some days, the focus simply isn’t focusing, and that’s okay. Before you ridicule yourself, allow yourself to be human and thank your mind and body for getting you as far as it has. And if that doesn’t work, remind yourself that even copiers break down, printers run out of toner, phones need to be charged, and modems need to be reset. You’re welcome (ha!).
2. Strategy (Because Rest Needs Structure to Exist Effectively)
Try this:
Identify your top two “good hours” of the day when your brain is kind, clear, and cooperative.
Protect those hours like you protect your phone battery when it hits 6%.
Use the time only for the task(s) that will matter most tomorrow, not just today.
This is how you stay aligned with your purpose, not just urgent tasks.
3. Practice (Because Rest Is a Skill, Not a Reward)
The more you practice choosing rest early and regularly, the less you’ll rely on panic productivity later. That means:
Stop starting big tasks 20 minutes before a meeting.
Stop telling yourself “I’ll do it tonight” when you know you won’t.
Stop confusing pressure with motivation.
Stop wasting your sharpest hours on scattered tasks.
(Yes, I’m talking to myself too. I promise.)
When you stop procrastinating on the front end, you stop sacrificing your rest on the back end.
CTA: Ready to Rest Like a Grown-Up With Boundaries?
If you’re tired of being productive only under pressure, if you want to reclaim your rest without guilt, and if you want real strategies that work in real life, explore my offerings from rest-centered professional development workshops, to keynotes, to resources designed for Black women, caretakers, and high-achieving professionals who are tired of carrying everything.
Your rest is a right. Let’s get it back together.
FAQ:
1. Why do I procrastinate even when I want to rest?
Because your brain is overwhelmed, overstimulated, or avoiding discomfort. Procrastination is often a response to pressure, not a personality flaw.
2. Can procrastination actually affect my mental health?
Absolutely. Chronic avoidance increases stress, anxiety, and guilt, all of which steal the restorative rest your nervous system needs.
3. How do I stop feeling guilty about resting when I haven’t finished everything?
Shift from a “rest is earned” to a “rest is required” mentality. Rest allows the work to get done more effectively tomorrow.
4. What if my “good hours” change every day?
That’s normal. Identify patterns, not perfection. Protect your high-energy windows, even if they shift week to week.
5. Do you offer focused sessions on this topic?
I do! Head to my contact page so we can discuss bringing this message to your agency or organization!
