I used to think sleep was optional.

Something I could skip, shrink, or “catch up on” later.

Like it was an extra topping on the wellness pizza—nice to have, but not essential.

But over time—through burnout, brain fog, and being a therapist—I’ve learned something simple and powerful:

😴 Sleep isn’t optional.

It’s foundational.

It’s the ground floor of our health, our mood, our memory… our everything.

As an occupational therapist, I’ve seen this in my clients.

The ones who “just can’t focus.”

The ones who feel anxious for no reason.

The ones who feel like they’re doing everything right—but nothing’s working.

Sometimes, the missing piece isn’t another strategy.

It’s rest.

Real rest.

The kind that doesn’t involve guilt, blue light, or falling asleep to emails.

And so I ask you, like I ask myself often:

✨ If your body could speak right now… would it be begging for rest?

Because mine was.

Until I finally listened.

Now I treat sleep like oxygen: not negotiable, not shameful, not something to “earn.”

If you’re constantly tired, it doesn’t mean you’re failing.

It might mean you’re overdue for recovery.

Let’s normalize honoring rest—before the crash, not after.

SYNERGY