Episode 77: The Difference Between Resting and Feeling Restored
What if the reason you still feel flat on Monday has nothing to do with how much rest you actually got?
Episode Description
In this solo episode of the Writing with Purpose podcast, I'm talking about rest and restoration, and specifically why so many of us can have a full weekend off and still feel pretty flat by Monday morning. I unpack a distinction I've been exploring in July's Journalling Circles: rest and restoration are not the same thing, and understanding the gap between them changes how you approach recovery.
I walk through the energy audit, a simple two column journalling exercise that helps you work out what genuinely restores you rather than what you've been told should. I also share some UK statistics on stress and burnout, a couple ofjournalling prompts to try, and what's coming up in August before the podcast pauses for a summer break, returning on the 12th of September.
“Rest is the pause... restoration is what that pause, that stopping doing something will give back to us.”
In This Episode
- The real difference between being rested and feeling restored, and why the two get confused
- Why identical amounts of sleep can leave two people feeling completely differently recovered
- UK statistics on stress and burnout, and what they reveal about why rest alone often isn't enough
- The belief that rest has to be earned, and how that shows up in an endless to do list
- What's on in August's Journalling Circles, and a first look at who's joining the podcast in September
Practical Wisdom
I share a few techniques for anyone who feels rested but not restored, including:
- The energy audit, a two-column journalling exercise using 'drains' and 'restores'
- The rest sprint, a three- to five-minute free write on where tiredness shows up in the body
- A sentence stem to complete: 'A form of rest I keep putting off is...'
“What restores you might drain somebody else completely.”
August Journalling Circles and Events
- In-person Journalling Circles: 21st August at Hub and Health, Alsager, and 28th August at the Nantwich Clinic
- Slow Morning Sanctuary with Claudia Brown: Saturday 15th August, Nantwich Clinic, 3 hours, £49
- Nature Journalling Walk at Rode Heath Rise: Friday 27th August, 10am
- Online Journalling Circles: Wednesday 19th August, 9am and 5pm sessions via Zoom
- Introduction to Journalling: Monday 7th September, 9am, online via Zoom, 2 hours
Also Mentioned in This Podcast
- Mental Health UK, 2025 Burnout Report
- Brainz Magazine, article on rest and restoration
- Staffordshire Signal Magazine, monthly column
- Claudia Brown, yoga expert and Slow Morning Sanctuary co-host
- Free journal planner and entrance meditation
- Find Your Voice Again – on-demand journalling course
- Rachel Woods, author of Let's Take This Outside: The Business of Thinking in Nature (guest, 12th September)
- Ian Boyd, CEO of Mind Over Mountains (upcoming guest)
- Ellie Reynolds, scientist, author, and ocean rower (upcoming guest)
Podcast Chapters
01:01 Understanding Rest vs. Restoration
02:55 The Gap Between Rest and Feeling Restored
07:08 The Energy Audit Exercise
11:09 Journaling Prompts for Self-Discovery
15:19 Upcoming Events and Conclusion
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