Happy Valentine's Day
Love Is an Action
Why Rest Is One of the Most Powerful Forms of Self-Care
Valentine’s Day often centers on flowers, cards, and grand gestures directed outward.
Real love — the kind that supports long-term health, resilience, and well-being — is quieter and more consistent and it starts on the inside.
If you can't love the unique, beautiful and special person you are, how can you truly love anyone else?
We know love through action. How we take care of ourselves is a great representation of how we truly feel about ourselves.
Love is an action. And one of the most overlooked acts of love is rest.
In a culture that glorifies productivity and “pushing through,” rest is often framed as weakness or laziness. From a biological standpoint, the opposite is true. When we choose rest intentionally, we are not quitting — we are caring. We are showing ourselves love, patience, kindness and respect.
What Rest Actually Does in the Body
Rest is not passive. It is an active biological process that allows the body to repair, regulate, and adapt.
During rest:
The nervous system shifts from sympathetic (fight-or-flight) to parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) dominance
Stress hormones such as cortisol decrease (this is huge for anyone struggling to lose weight)
Tissue repair, immune activity, and memory consolidation increase (trying to build muscle? Rest is when this happens)
Chronic under-rest keeps the body in a prolonged stress state, which research links to increased inflammation, impaired glucose regulation, hormone disruption, and delayed recovery from exercise or injury.
Simply put: Your body cannot heal, adapt, or grow stronger without rest.
Rest, Recovery & Physical Progress
Whether the goal is strength, fat loss, mobility, or healthy aging, rest is not optional — it is foundational. And it is a an action of love!
During resistance training, muscles experience microscopic damage. Adaptation happens during recovery, not during the workout itself. Without adequate rest:
Muscle protein synthesis is reduced
Injury risk increases
Performance declines
Motivation and consistency suffer
Sleep and recovery are also essential for regulating growth hormone and testosterone, both of which support muscle repair, bone health, and metabolic function in all adults.
Training without rest isn’t discipline. It’s incomplete physiology.
Rest, the Brain & Emotional Health
Rest is just as critical for the brain as it is for the body.
During sleep and intentional downtime:
The brain clears metabolic waste via the glymphatic system
Emotional regulation improves
Learning and memory are consolidated
Chronic sleep deprivation has been associated with increased anxiety, depressive symptoms, impaired judgment, and reduced stress tolerance.
If you feel more reactive, overwhelmed, or emotionally fragile when exhausted — that’s not a personal flaw. That’s neurology. And that shows up in our relationships with others!
Love as a Daily Practice
Choosing rest doesn’t mean disengaging from life. It means engaging with it sustainably.
Love, in practice, can look like:
Taking rest days without guilt
Pausing when pain or exhaustion signals appear
Prioritizing sleep even when it’s inconvenient
Letting recovery be part of your wellness plan
When you rest, you’re not being lazy. You’re telling your body: I’m listening.
That is love in action.
A Valentine’s Day Reminder
You don’t have to earn rest.
You don’t have to justify it.
You don’t have to be exhausted to deserve care.
Rest is not a reward — it’s a requirement.
And when you choose it, you are practicing one of the most powerful forms of self-respect and love there is.
What Rest Actually Looks Like (And What It Doesn’t)
Rest is not one thing — it’s a spectrum of behaviors that allow your nervous system, muscles, and brain to recover. Many people think rest only means sleep, but the body needs multiple forms of recovery.
Physical Rest
Supports muscle repair, joint health, and nervous system recovery.
What it can look like:
Sleeping 7–9 hours consistently
Taking rest days between strength sessions
Gentle mobility or stretching instead of intense exercise
Sitting or lying down before exhaustion sets in
What it’s not:
Collapsing only after burnout
Pushing through pain “to be tough”
Mental & Cognitive Rest
Reduces cognitive overload and improves focus, memory, and emotional regulation.
What it can look like:
Taking breaks from screens and constant input
Doing one task at a time
Allowing moments of quiet without productivity
Letting your mind wander without guilt
What it’s not:
Scrolling endlessly while overstimulated
Filling every pause with noise
Nervous System Rest
Shifts the body out of fight-or-flight and into a state where healing can occur.
What it can look like:
Slow breathing (longer exhales than inhales)
Gentle walks without tracking pace or distance
Warm showers or baths
Sitting outside or in natural light
What it’s not:
Constant urgency
Living in a state of “on edge”
Emotional Rest
Allows space for feelings without suppression or judgment.
What it can look like:
Saying no without over-explaining
Acknowledging fatigue, sadness, or stress honestly
Taking breaks from emotionally draining conversations
Choosing compassion over self-criticism
What it’s not:
Ignoring emotions until they surface as burnout or illness
Rest as an Act of Love
Rest becomes an act of love when it’s intentional, not reactive.
It sounds like:
“I’m stopping because I respect my body.”
“I don’t need to earn recovery.”
“Listening now prevents injury later.”
This kind of rest builds trust — between you and your body.
Gentle Tips for Practicing Rest Without Guilt
Schedule rest like you schedule workouts
Stop when at discomfort before it becomes pain
Leave one hour per day unscheduled
Aim for consistency, not perfection
Remember: recovery is part of progress
If rest feels uncomfortable, that doesn’t mean it’s wrong — it means it’s new.
How Can You Show Love
Resting When I need it
Staying on social media for hours
If you’re learning how to listen to your body, rebuild trust, or create a more sustainable relationship with wellness, remember: you don’t have to do that alone. I am available to help you reach your goals.
References & Science-Backed Sources
Irwin, M. R. (2015). Why sleep is important for health: a psychoneuroimmunology perspective.American Psychologist, 70(2), 143–154.https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038379
Walker, M. (2017). Why We Sleep. Scribner.
Dattilo, M., Antunes, H. K. M., Medeiros, A., et al. (2011). Sleep and muscle recovery: endocrine and molecular basis.Sports Medicine, 41(10), 861–888.https://doi.org/10.2165/11593170-000000000-00000
McEwen, B. S. (2007). Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation.Physiological Reviews, 87(3), 873–904.https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00041.2006
Xie, L., Kang, H., Xu, Q., et al. (2013). Sleep drives metabolite clearance from the adult brain.Science, 342(6156), 373–377.https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1241224
