SPC: The Rest Era

💬 The Intentional Drop: From me to you

The more I heal the less ambitious I become. Like everyone else I read the super viral article on Substack sometime last year and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. I was 16 when I first stumbled upon girl boss hustle culture and was instantly enamored with the aesthetic. Working hard became my personality, something I could control in a world where I couldn’t control much. I ignored any and every sign that I was burned out, leading to several fainting spells in college. And I was rewarded for that hustle, landing coveted job after job and promotion after promotion (my career journey).

Fast forward to now and I’ve entered a completely different stage of life. It’s currently 10:47am and I’m sitting in my pjs, sipping on a pumpkin spice latte watching my baby girl marvel at the color of our indoor plants. I have nothing on my to do list but rest, relax and listen to her adorable coos (and maybe change a few diapers ofc). A year ago this new reality would have made me crash out; I always needed something to do, always needed to feel productive. But slowly by slowly I’ve been rewiring my brain to see rest as productive and life as more than just a place I collect achievements.

This rewiring has also made me way more chill (hence why this newsletter is late). I don’t need to cross off every single thing on my list to feel good about myself anymore. Some days, I frame rest as resistance, especially as a Desi woman, when I think about how our ancestors never had the luxury to slow down. Other days, I remind myself that I don’t need any excuse to rest. And those are the days I feel most healed.

🤍 Current Mood Board 🤍

💻 The Soft Power reframe

Here are some tips to enter your rest era

1. Build micro-rest into your day (not just weekends).​
Your nervous system doesn’t wait until Saturday to collapse.

2. Practice “non-apologetic no’s.”​
If rest is resistance, then “no” is a full sentence.

3. Replace self-criticism with self-preservation.​
Ask: What would the future version of me wish I did right now?

4. Create a soft schedule.​
Not rigid time blocks — energy blocks.
What do you need to feel like yourself?

5. Honor your capacity, not your expectations.​
Soft power is knowing when to pause so you don’t quit.

This is your Rest Era — not because you’re weak, but because you’re wise.
Your power doesn’t come from being constantly available.
It comes from being deeply rooted, deeply rested, and deeply you.

Rest is resistance. Rest is reclamation. Rest is soft power.

💌 From the Clubhouse: What the girlies are saying

“I hate that we're always glorifying burnout and I'm so glad you don't promote burnout. Sometimes I just need a break...”
– Amina Aliza on Tiktok

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