This Flu Got Hands
A Necessary Reminder to Slow Down and Reconnect
Dawg…
Getting sick sucks. There’s no way around it.
It’s that time of year when the first big sickness hits—making you miss the days when swallowing wasn’t a struggle, and standing up didn’t feel like running a 10K. It’s the ultimate physical reboot—a forced power down, reset, and recharge.
Of course, flu season always sneaks in just after the whirlwind of summer events and deadlines. It’s like everything I tried to pack into September and October catches up all at once, leaving me asking: When was the last time I intentionally took a day just for myself?
Not the kind of day where you procrastinate or scroll endlessly, but a real, intentional rest day—one without guilt. The kind where you just sit, exist, and breathe. For all the times I preach about the importance of rest, here I am, burning out because I didn’t take my own advice.
Now I find myself couch-hopping between my bed and the sofa, half-reading a book, half-watching TikToks, too drained to commit to anything for long. And honestly, it sucks. But this time, instead of forcing myself to push through, I’ve been sitting with it—reflecting on what this exhaustion is really trying to tell me.
Rest and the Urgency Trap
Beneath the exhaustion, I noticed a familiar feeling bubbling up: urgency. A mix of fear and shame, whispering things like:
“You should watch that educational video so you don’t fall behind.”
“Read that article for work—stay ahead.”
And for the first time, I asked myself: Who am I doing this for? Who is setting these expectations?
It hit me: Most of these pressures are self-imposed. They’re invisible rules we adopt from society’s demands, trapping us in the endless loop of "doing"—chasing achievements, meeting goals, and performing to feel worthy. It’s like running on a hamster wheel, with no clear finish line in sight.
This is where our nervous system kicks into overdrive, triggering a constant fight-or-flight response. We get caught in the loop of "If I don’t keep moving, I’ll fall behind.” Our mind and heart send mixed signals—our heart says, “rest,” but the mind says, “do more.” And that’s when we feel stuck, overwhelmed, and disconnected from ourselves.
At the core of this urgency is a root-level pressure—one that tells us we must keep moving to survive. Our world has conditioned us to believe that we must earn everything we need—rest, money, success, even love. These beliefs, deeply embedded in our nervous system, keep us chasing, performing, and grinding. But the truth is:
Our worth is inherent. We are enough simply because we exist.
Resting as Rebellion
Rest is a radical act because it breaks this cycle. It forces us to slow down, tune in, and reconnect with our inner compass. It teaches us to listen to our bodies—to feel safe in stillness, even when the world around us is speeding by.
And yet, it’s hard to rest when everything around us is chaos. Every notification pings us into fight-or-flight mode. Newsfeeds are filled with hot takes, election updates, balloon-popping videos, and memes that cut a little too close to home. It’s easy to feel like we need to keep moving just to keep up with the world.
But here’s the thing: Clarity comes in rest.
When we slow down, we zoom out. We start to see the bigger picture and notice what really matters. Rest allows us to act from a grounded place—aligned with our heart and mind, instead of being driven by fear or external pressure.
The Power of Choice: Red or Green Light?
We’ve been conditioned to believe that doing is the way to get what we want. But what if we reframed that belief? What if we saw rest not as a reward, but as a necessary part of the journey? It’s in those moments of rest that we recharge, reflect, and make intentional choices about where we want to go next.
Think of it like The Queen’s Gambit:
In chess, there are times when you need to pause, assess the board, and make a strategic move. You can’t force every outcome—you need to know when to move forward (green light) and when to wait (red light). That’s where real power lies—in the pause.
Reclaiming Worth and Trusting the Process
Tonight, as I lay here on the mend—still too tired to write, still uninspired to plan—I received a message from Mia, my old roommate and one of my dearest friends from Chicago. Her simple words reminded me to keep going.
It was exactly what I needed to hear—a small act of kindness that hit my heart in just the right way. Mia’s note reminded me of something I’d forgotten: I’m not doing this alone. The people around us—the ones who check in, share a meme, or leave a comment—are part of our journey. They are the reason we keep going, even when we feel like giving up.
This post is dedicated to Mia, and to all of you who inspire me every day—whether you say, “same, sis,” tell me your favorite part of my mixes, or share something that makes me smile. Your thoughtfulness fuels me.
So tonight, I urge you: Reclaim your rest.
Take the time to slow down, reconnect, and listen to your body.
Define what self-worth means to you, on your own terms.
Surround yourself with people who inspire you, remind you of who you are, and walk alongside you on this journey.
Because rest isn’t the end of the story—it’s the beginning of a new chapter.
A chapter where you move from a place of trust, alignment, and self-love. Where you play the game of life not as a pawn, but as the hero of your own story.
And as Mia reminded me: Keep going.
You’re exactly where you need to be.