There is a particular kind of exhaustion that can arise from this time of year – in business of good, important, and meaningful things – and yet, when everything is a priority and important, nothing is a priority and important. The nervous system doesn’t differentiate between joyful stress and just plain stress—it simply registers demand. And in May, the demand can feel relentless. We find ourselves pushing through because we care, we want to celebrate and be present, and we know that people are counting on us. But somewhere in the middle of all that caring, we quietly disappear from our own lives and cease being present at all. We become managers of moments instead of participants in time.

And then comes the quiet question, often whispered at the end of the day: Why am I so tired? Simple: Because you have been carrying too much for too long without pause.

Rest, in a season like this, can feel almost irresponsible. There are emails to send, events to attend, details to finalize. Who has time to rest when everything is urgent? But what if rest is not the reward at the end of the season, but the very thing that allows you to move through this season with any sense of presence or integrity?

Rest is not avoidance, rest is resistance—a quiet refusal to believe that your worth is measured by your output. Even small acts of rest matter. A few minutes of stillness in your car before walking into the next obligation; A slower breath between meetings; Saying no—not to everything, but to something; Letting one thing be enough for today.

Year after year, May will continue to be full. The calendar will not magically clear. But you can choose how you move within it. You can choose to pause. You can choose to breathe. You can choose to rest—not as an afterthought, but as a necessity. 

So, in the midst of MayCember, please remember to take a rest.

Blessings to you on this journey