How to Actually Rest This Labor Day Weekend: A Guide for Anxious Professionals
You've built a successful career. You manage projects, lead teams, and hit deadlines that others might find overwhelming. Your drive and attention to detail have gotten you where you are today. But here's something we see all the time at our Lee's Summit office: the same qualities that make you excel at work can make it incredibly hard to actually rest.
If you're reading this on your phone while mentally reviewing your Tuesday to-do list, you're not alone. Many high-performing professionals in the Kansas City metro area struggle with truly resting, especially during long weekends like Labor Day.
The irony? Sometimes rest is the most productive thing you can do.
Why Is It So Hard for High Achievers to Rest?
Rest feels unproductive when your brain is wired for achievement. Your anxiety and drive have been valuable tools. They've helped you prepare for presentations, anticipate problems, and stay ahead of deadlines.
But here's what happens: your nervous system gets stuck in "on" mode. You've trained your brain to always be scanning for the next task, the next problem to solve, the next goal to reach.
This isn't a character flaw. It's actually pretty normal for driven professionals. Your success has come from being proactive, prepared, and slightly ahead of everyone else. That same anxiety that can feel overwhelming is often what's driven your success.
The challenge comes when you can't turn it off. Even during a beautiful weekend at one of Lee's Summit's peaceful parks, your mind is already at Monday morning's meeting.
What Does Real Rest Actually Look Like?
Real rest isn't just sitting on your couch scrolling your phone. It's actively engaging your parasympathetic nervous system—the part of your body that helps you feel calm and safe.
Here's what genuine rest might include:
Taking a walk around Longview Lake without checking work emails
Reading a book that has nothing to do with your industry
Having coffee with a friend and actually being present for the conversation
Spending time in your garden without thinking about your quarterly goals
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, engaging in activities that genuinely restore you is crucial for maintaining both mental health and peak performance.
Rest doesn't mean you're lazy. It means you're strategic about your energy.
How Can Driven People Practice Rest?
Think of rest as a skill you can develop, just like any other professional competency. This is where your high-achieving mindset actually becomes an advantage.
Start with micro-moments of rest. You don't need to spend the entire Labor Day weekend in meditation. Begin with five minutes of deep breathing between calls. Notice the feel of your coffee mug in your hands. Look out the window and actually see what's there.
Schedule rest like you'd schedule an important meeting. Put "rest time" on your calendar. Treat it with the same respect you'd give a client presentation.
Set boundaries that make rest possible. Maybe that means not checking work emails after 6 PM this weekend. Or turning off Slack notifications during your morning coffee.
The goal isn't to become a different person. It's to use your natural determination to get better at something that will ultimately make you more effective at work.
Why Do Some People Need Help Learning to Rest?
Sometimes the patterns that got you here are too strong to break alone. If you've been operating in high-stress mode for years, your nervous system might need some professional guidance to remember how to calm down.
This is especially true for professionals who are managing significant work stress and anxiety. Your brain has learned to associate stillness with danger. It thinks if you're not constantly moving forward, you're falling behind.
Working with a therapist who understands high achievers can help you learn rest without losing your edge. At Aspire Counseling, we love working with driven professionals because we know you'll bring the same commitment to therapy that you bring to everything else.
Even when your "assignment" is to practice sitting still for ten minutes, you'll find a way to approach it strategically. And that's exactly what makes therapy effective for people like you.
What If Rest Still Feels Impossible?
If the idea of resting makes you more anxious, you're not broken. You might just need to start smaller than you think.
Try this: instead of planning a full day of rest, commit to one hour tomorrow morning. Set a timer. During that hour, do something that doesn't involve your usual productivity tools—no laptop, no work phone, no planning.
Maybe drive to downtown Lee's Summit and walk around the farmers market without checking your task list. Sit on your back porch and listen to the sounds around you.
If your brain starts racing with all the things you should be doing, notice that. Don't fight it. Just acknowledge it and gently bring your attention back to where you are right now.
Getting Support for High-Performing Professionals in Lee's Summit
The truth is, learning to rest while maintaining your professional excellence is a skill worth developing. It's not about becoming less driven. It's about becoming more sustainable.
High-achieving men and women often benefit from therapy that's designed specifically for their unique challenges. You need a therapist who understands that your anxiety isn't just a problem to solve—it's also been a tool that's served you.
At Aspire Counseling, we work with professionals throughout the Kansas City area who are tired of feeling like they can't turn off their brains. Our approach honors your strengths while helping you develop the ability to truly rest and recharge.
You've mastered complex skills in your career. Learning to rest is just another skill you can develop—and one that will make everything else you do more effective.
Start This Labor Day Weekend
This Labor Day, give yourself permission to practice rest. Not as a luxury, but as an investment in your long-term performance and well-being.
Your future self—the one who can be present for both work achievements and life's quieter moments—will thank you for starting now.
If you're ready to learn how to rest without losing your edge, we're here to help. Our therapists in Lee's Summit understand the unique challenges facing driven professionals, and we'd love to support you in finding a sustainable way to maintain your success while actually enjoying your life.
Ready to take the next step? Contact Aspire Counseling today by calling 573-328-2288 or filling our our online contact form to schedule a free consultation. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is ask for help learning how to rest.
About the Author
Jessica Tappana, LCSW, is the founder and Clinical Director of Aspire Counseling, with locations in Lee's Summit and Columbia, Missouri. With extensive experience working with high-achieving professionals throughout the Kansas City metro area, Jessica specializes in helping driven individuals learn to manage anxiety and stress while maintaining their professional excellence. She understands the unique challenges facing ambitious professionals and uses evidence-based approaches like EMDR, CPT, and IFS to help clients develop sustainable strategies for both success and well-being. Jessica is passionate about helping high performers discover that rest isn't the opposite of productivity—it's what makes sustained achievement possible.
