I’m Terrible at Rest (And It’s Killing My Weekends)

My wife thinks I work too much.

She’s not wrong—she just didn’t grow up in the cult of hustle like I did.

You know the one. The “5 AM Club.” The motivational quotes on Instagram. The YouTube videos with dramatic music, telling you to grind while they sleep. I’ve sent her all of it. Literally. I’ve tried to get her to wake up early and study for her exam. I’ve tried to pull her into the world of atomic habits and back-to-back podcast clips.

She doesn’t buy it. And honestly… I’m starting to see her point.

Hustle culture doesn’t know how to shut up.

Even when I’m not working, I am.
I’m running errands. Planning content. Reading newsletters. Chasing some version of “enough” that never shows up.

My Sundays should be slow. Holy. Peaceful.
But between parenting, the inbox, and grocery lists, the only real pause I get is my Sunday nap.

Even that feels like a productivity hack, not rest.

My layoff should’ve been rest. It wasn’t.

I was given an unexpected Sabbath—a season of space where I could breathe, reflect, reset.

I filled it with projects.

Resting made me feel lazy. Not valuable. Not serious.

The truth? I don’t know how to rest. I don’t know how to do nothing. And that’s a problem—not just for me, but for anyone who’s building something from scratch, especially small business owners like me who carry their entire vision on their backs.

We don’t clock out.
We never really stop.
And that’s the trap.

What if God didn’t design us to work all the time?

I believe in seasons.
The Bible talks about six days of work and one day of rest—not because we earn it, but because we need it.

Not just physically. Spiritually.

What if the weekend wasn’t just a pit stop for chores and playdates?
What if it was a sacred practice of slowing down?

Even our tools work against us. Our calendars optimize every second. Our productivity apps make us feel efficient. But we’re not satisfied.

We don’t need more hustle.

We need Relaxpartner.

Yes, Pinkypartner is cool—but I want Relaxpartner.

There’s this cute little app called Pinkypartner—a playful way for couples to set micro-goals together. It caught my eye. It fits the hustle life perfectly: fun, smart, fast, connected.

But the opposite idea hit me just as hard:

What if there was an app for rest?

Something like Relaxpartner.

• It plans relaxing moments with your partner.
• It randomly selects sabbath days throughout the year—ones you can’t cancel.
• It helps you create sacred rituals of slowness.
• It dares you to do nothing. Like a “spiritual detox challenge.”
• It reminds you that intimacy and presence matter more than inbox zero.

(If someone builds this, I want founder credit.)

Here’s what I’m trying instead:

If you’re a small business owner, side hustler, or parent chasing dreams, here are a few new “hustle hacks” I’m testing:

• Sabbath Scheduling: One day per week with no to-do list, no laptop, and no guilt.
• Rest Rituals: Sunday breakfast with my wife. Afternoon walks. Candles and music at dinner.
• Digital Shutdown: 8pm phone-off rule (I break this, but I’m trying).
• Rest Check-Ins: Instead of asking “What did you get done?” ask, “Did you get any rest?”
• Spiritual Intention: Treat rest like a commandment, not a suggestion.

Final thought:

You weren’t designed to grind 24/7.

You don’t need to earn your rest.

You just need to take it.

Not as a weakness, but as a rebellion. A sacred protest against a culture that wants to keep you tired, distracted, and endlessly striving.

Let the world hustle.

I’m learning to rest.