Welcome to The Great Rest Experiment
Let me start with this:
This is not a productivity hack.
This is not a step-by-step programme.
And no, this is not another thing to 'keep up with.'
THE GREAT REST EXPERIMENT is something gentler.
It’s part story, part soul-nudge: a companion for tired women (like us) navigating caregiving, calendars, and the unrelenting group text.
It started as my own creative rest experiment.
Writing it felt at times like tending a garden.
Some seasons it bloomed.
Sometimes I managed to kill a lot of ideas.
Some seasons, I ripped it out by the roots and started again.
Sometimes I wasn’t sure if anything would grow at all.
But something always did.
And now, I want to invite you to start your own experiment: not perfectly, but playfully.
Rest isn’t quitting.
Rest isn’t weak.
Rest is the quiet rebellion that declares,
Actually, no - I will not squeeze in just one more thing.
Three Small Reflections
You don’t need an empty weekend or a silent retreat. You just need a few honest breaths and a willingness to look inside the cracks of your day.
Here’s where your rest experiment begins:
1. The Myth of Busy
When did you last feel secretly proud of how 'busy' you were?
Write about that moment.
What did you gain from wearing busy as a badge of honour: and what did it cost you?
2. Cracks and Corners
If rest could sneak into the cracks of your day (between the cleaning, the school run, or your mum’s third phone call), where would it fit?
List three small, imperfect ways rest might already be hiding in plain sight.
3. Your Permission Slip
If you gave yourself a handwritten permission slip for rest, what would it say?
Be playful. Would it excuse you from dishes? Grant you a nap on the sofa? Remind you that scrolling TikTok counts as 'social research'?
Micro-Pause Practice: The 3-Breath Reset
Put down whatever’s in your hands (yes, even your phone!).
Take three slow breaths: in through your nose, out through your mouth.
First breath: let go of 'busy.'
Second breath: notice where you are, right now.
Third breath: imagine handing yourself that permission slip.
That’s it. You’ve just rested in under a minute.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll share snippets from the book: stories, experiments, and reflections that don’t demand perfection… just your presence.
Where are you at right now?
Tired? Curious? Already thinking about skipping this whole thing?
I’d love to hear.
As always, please be gentle with yourself,
With care,
Carolyn x