Hello, friend. I’m so glad you’re here.
If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve spent a lot of time trying to fit your life into a wellness box that wasn’t built for you. Maybe you’ve tried the 5 AM morning routines, the "no excuses" fitness challenges, or the rigid habit trackers that make you feel like a failure the moment your energy dips.
I want to start by saying: it’s not you. The system is just broken for bodies like ours.
In the world of "hustle culture," rest is seen as a reward, something you earn after you’ve ticked off every item on your to-do list. But when you live with chronic illness, disability, or fluctuating energy, that approach is a recipe for disaster. It leads straight to the "boom and bust" cycle, where you overdo it on a "good day" and pay for it with a week-long flare-up.
Today, I want to talk about a different way. A gentler way. It’s called Strategic Rest, and for those of us I like to call #Ablepreneurs, it is the single most important habit we can ever build.
When "Pushing Through" Isn't an Option
I know what it’s like to have the rug pulled out from under you. A few years ago, I went through a stroke-like episode that changed everything. I was sent home from the hospital not being able to walk, not being able to talk, and not even knowing who my partner or children were. All I was given was a single leaflet about Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).
My partner had to do his own research just so we could understand what was happening to my body. It took me two long years to learn to walk and talk again.
During that recovery, I remember my GP telling me, after I’d gained four stone because I was literally immobile, that I should "just join a slimming group."
That dismissive, "one-size-fits-all" advice is exactly why I founded Wellness Without Barriers. I realized that the traditional health world doesn't understand the nuance of lived experience. It doesn't understand that for some of us, "pushing through" can be physically dangerous.
What is Strategic Rest? (The Pacing Paradigm)
Most of us are experts at Reactive Rest. That’s the rest you take because you have no choice, the kind where you’re forced into bed because your body has hit its limit.
Strategic Rest is the opposite. It’s the act of resting before you need to.
Think of your energy like a daily budget. If you spend it all by 10 AM, you’re going to be "overdrawn" for the rest of the week. Strategic rest is like putting a little bit of energy into a savings account every single hour. It’s about keeping your nervous system regulated so you never hit that "red zone."
By integrating rest as a non-negotiable part of your routine, you stop the boom-bust cycle. You start to find a sustainable baseline that allows you to show up for your business and your life without the constant fear of a crash.
The 4 P’s for Ablepreneurs
If you're running a business or managing a busy household while navigating illness, you need a strategy that respects your capacity. I often use the "4 P’s" framework with my coaching clients to help them build rest into their day:
- Prioritize: Every morning, look at your list. What actually needs to happen for your business to survive? Not thrive, not skyrocket, just survive. On low-energy days, the "non-essentials" must go.
- Plan: Break your tasks into tiny, digestible bites. If you have a client call, plan a "dark room" rest for 30 minutes before and after. Don't leave your recovery to chance.
- Pace: This is the hardest one. It means stopping while you still feel "okay." If you feel like you could do another 20 minutes of work, that is exactly when you should stop. We want to finish our tasks feeling capable, not depleted.
- Position: Think about how you are working. Can you take that meeting lying down? Can you use dictation software instead of typing? Small adjustments to your posture can save massive amounts of physical energy.
Building Habits Around Your "Good, Better, Best" Days
The biggest mistake people make with habit-building is assuming every day will be the same. But with chronic illness, consistency looks different.
I teach a method called the Good / Better / Best framework. It’s a way to keep your habits alive without the guilt. Let’s use "movement" as an example:
- Best Day (High Energy): A 15-minute gentle walk outside.
- Better Day (Baseline): 5 minutes of seated stretching in the living room.
- Good Day (Flare Day): 2 minutes of mindful breathing while lying in bed.
On a "Good" day (which is often our hardest day), you still "win." You kept the habit alive, but you adapted it to fit your body's current capacity. This is how we build long-term sustainability. Wellness should be for every body and mind, regardless of what that body can do today.
Why the "80% Rule" is Your Best Friend
In the "normal" world, people are told to give 110%. In our world, we aim for 80%.
When you feel like you have a burst of energy, it is so tempting to try and "catch up" on all the things you missed while you were unwell. Please, resist that urge. That "extra" 20% of energy is your safety net. It’s the buffer that keeps you from falling back into a flare.
When you leave a little in the tank every day, you start to build trust with your body again. You prove to yourself that you can do things without hurting yourself.
Let’s Make it Practical
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, I have a few resources that might help you find your footing:
- The Gentle Habit Audit: If your current routine feels heavy, this is a kind way to re-evaluate what’s actually serving you.
- The Gentle Reset Toolkit: This is my free gift to you. It’s full of low-energy wins and pacing tips to help you get through those tougher days. You can grab it here.
- Understanding Wearables: If you like data, I’ve written about how smartwatches can actually help with pacing: if you use them the right way.
You Are Enough, Exactly As You Are
Whether you managed to answer ten emails today or your only "win" was staying hydrated while resting, you are doing enough. Your worth is not tied to your productivity, and your wellness journey doesn't have to look like anyone else's.
Strategic rest isn't "giving up." It's the most proactive, courageous thing you can do for your future self. It’s about building a life and a business that actually has room for you in it.
Softly,
Gemma
#Ablepreneurs
