A Letter On: Honouring Your Feelings—The Courage to Rest

Week 09, 2025

ℱ𝓇𝓸𝓂 𝓂𝓎 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇𝓈... 🫶💌☕

This past week, I hit a wall—physically and emotionally.

I’m not sure if it was a cold or something else, but suddenly, I was sneezing nonstop, my nose was running endlessly like a tap, and I felt so exhausted I could barely keep my eyes open. My muscles and bones ached. The strangest part was how disconnected I felt—like I wasn’t even really here. All I wanted was to crawl into bed and rest.

Normally, I would’ve pushed through, taking just one day off to recharge before returning to work the next. I would’ve told myself, “You can’t just lie here; you have to keep going.” But being wiped out by whooping cough last year taught me to choose differently this time, so I stayed in bed and gave myself the rest I truly needed—not just a couple of hours, but the whole day.

I knew deep down that I wasn’t ready to return to work the next day either, so I honoured that truth and remained steadfast. My word for this year is 'intention'—to stay aligned with what truly feels right for me, even when it’s difficult.

How do you feel in your body right now?

Are there any areas of tension, or does something feel particularly heavy today?

Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, allow your body to soften, just a little bit.

The truth is, I needed to validate my feelings.

We can be so quick to dismiss what we’re feeling—whether it's exhaustion, overwhelm, sadness, or even frustration. It’s easy to think, “I’ll be fine, I just need to push through.” But sometimes, that’s not the answer.

When we ignore our emotions, they don’t just disappear. They get stored in our bodies, showing up as tension, anxiety, or other physical symptoms. It can make things worse in the long run.

This is why I’ve been working on truly validating my feelings, especially when my nervous system is feeling out of balance.

What would it feel like to let go of the pressure to “keep going” and instead listen to what your body is asking for?

Imagine honouring any fatigue you might have and giving yourself permission to rest fully, without guilt.

What would that space feel like?

By giving ourselves permission to feel, we can start to process and release those emotions instead of letting them build up over time.

Can you think of a time recently when you pushed through your emotions or physical exhaustion, even though you knew you needed to rest?

What happened when you ignored your needs?

Can you imagine what might have been different if you had allowed yourself to pause and validate your feelings instead?

This past week, by honouring my need for rest, I was reminded how essential it is to listen to my body and emotions. It wasn’t about being lazy—it was about self-care, about giving myself permission to feel and to rest when I needed it.

And I want to remind you: it’s okay to do the same. Your feelings matter. Your needs are important. You don’t need to explain or justify them to anyone.

This is your permission slip to pause, to breathe, to feel what’s really going on for you.

Embracing stillness on my walk home from work late last week (post lurgy)

Permission to Feel

In the quiet of your soul,
there’s a place where emotions unfold.
It’s not always easy, this space inside,
but give yourself permission, and let them reside.

You don’t have to push them away,
let them breathe, let them stay.
Whether joy or sorrow, anger or peace,
give yourself the grace to release.

Feel the weight, feel the light,
without rushing to make it right.
All your emotions, all your tears,
are part of you, they’re always here.

Give yourself permission to be,
to feel, to breathe, to simply see.
No need for answers, no need to fight,
just honour your feelings, day or night.

I wrote this poem because it felt like the perfect way to express what I’m trying to share with you. The journey of allowing ourselves to feel isn’t always easy, but when we honour our emotions, we allow space for growth and healing.

You don’t have to rush through your feelings. You don’t have to fix them or make them go away. Just give yourself permission to feel what’s there. It’s the first step towards finding peace and balance.

Take care of yourself, dear friend.

Honour your emotions, wherever you are.

Your feelings are valid, and you deserve the space to truly be.

𝒲𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒢𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓉𝓊𝒹𝑒,

🙏 𝒟𝒶𝓃𝒶 𝓍𝑜