Rest Is a Power Move: Because Burnout Is Not a Badge of Honor

By Dr. Lauren Loyless-Bouabid, Founder of Bouabid & Co. Consulting

We do not talk about it enough in leadership and consulting spaces, but let me say it clearly. Rest is not a luxury. It is not something you earn after overextending yourself, and it is not a reward for productivity. We need to stop framing it that way. Rest is a necessary reset, and it is essential if you want to lead with clarity and confidence.

I remember a moment several years ago when everything felt like it was coming at me all at once. I had been in back-to-back meetings, juggling deadlines, managing expectations, and doing everything I could to not only stay ahead, but stay afloat. One afternoon, I walked out to my car, shut the door, turned on the engine, and just sat there. No music. No notifications. No noise. Just silence. I had not realized how long it had been since I allowed myself that kind of pause. For the first time in days, I felt my emotions. I gave them space. I let myself breathe.

In that quiet, I could finally think. I felt my shoulders drop. The tension began to leave my body, and my thoughts slowly started to untangle. That simple act of stepping away gave me back my focus. It reminded me that I do not need to wait until everything falls apart to slow down. I can build moments like that into my day. I can protect space for clarity before the stress takes over.

Today, I block what I call mental health breaks into my calendar. They are non-negotiable thirty-minute windows, twice a day, separate from my lunch break. This is not entitlement. This is a professional right.

This is something we speak about often at Bouabid and Co. When we guide our clients through strategic pivots, leadership transitions, or personal brand development, we always return to one foundational truth. Clear thinking requires space. You cannot lead, create, grow, or communicate with impact if your mind is constantly overloaded and overstimulated. You do not need permission to take a break and reset your headspace. You just need to decide that it matters.

Too many professionals are operating in survival mode, juggling packed calendars and overwhelmed minds. We are simultaneously living in a culture of constant output. The result is a reactive way of working that leads to decision fatigue, misaligned priorities, strained teams, and stalled momentum.

The problem is not always the workload. More often, it is the lack of constructive recovery. Leadership is not about pushing through. It is about intentionality. And intentionality cannot exist without rest.

Rest does not have to mean a vacation or even time off. Rest does not require a plane ticket or a week away. It can be as simple as a few quiet moments in the middle of your day. It can be turning your phone off during lunch or closing your laptop when you said you would at the end of the day. It can be choosing not to respond to that after-hours email as a remote employee. Rest can be a walk outside between meetings, sitting in stillness before your next call, or setting aside time to journal and organize your thoughts.

These resets may seem small, but over time they become momentous. They allow your mind to slow down and catch up with the pace of your life, which most of us were never meant to maintain without pause. These moments sharpen your perspective, create space for insight and creativity, and reconnect you with what actually matters.

At Bouabid and Co., we do help our clients build strategies that move their businesses and personal brands forward. But most importantly we also help them create habits that support long-term clarity, creativity, and leadership. That includes protecting your energy, setting boundaries, and learning how to step back without guilt. When you lead from a place of burnout, your vision gets blurry. When you lead from a place of rest, you lead with focus, strength, and purpose.

So let me be clear. Rest is not something you need to earn. You do not need permission to take care of yourself. You do not have to wait until the end of the week to breathe. Rest is a right. It is a necessary, non-negotiable part of sustainable professionalism and leadership.

If no one has told you lately, you are allowed to step away. You are allowed to take a breath. You are allowed to come back with a clearer mind and a stronger voice.

This is not about doing less. This is about doing what matters most, with more focus, more energy, and more intention. A mental health break is not a distraction from your work. It is actually how you do the work well.

Take one moment today to pause. To reset. To remember that your mind is your greatest asset. Protect it. Care for it. Make space for it.