So it’s Monday morning, and honestly? I feel so much lighter. My head’s clear. I actually feel rested. Like, properly rested. I’d genuinely forgotten what that felt like.
And the reason is a bit funny, because this weekend I basically did nothing.
I’d been sick all week, and by the time the weekend rolled round, my body was just done. So I stayed home. We ate leftovers. I ordered the groceries in. I lived in my lounge wear the whole time. No posting, no planning, no “let me just quickly catch up on this.”
The only things I really did were spend time with the Qur’an, do my dhikr, and rest. That’s it. That was the whole weekend.
Did the guilt creep in? Of course it did. Saturday afternoon, I’m lying there and that little voice pops up: You should really get up and do something. After a whole week of being ill! And still, part of me felt like I hadn’t done enough to deserve a lie-down.
I didn’t get up though. And now here I am on Monday, feeling refreshed, and I keep thinking: why on earth did I feel like I had to earn that?
You know that voice, right?
I’m guessing you’ve got one too. The one that says you can sit down once the kitchen’s clean. Once the emails are done. Once everyone else is sorted.
Mine’s been with me for years. And the funny thing is, that “once” never actually arrives, does it? There’s always one more thing. So we just keep going, until our bodies make the decision for us. Which is pretty much what happened to me.
What I was reminded of
Lying there on Saturday, I kept coming back to the fact that Allah made our sleep a rest for us (78:9). It’s not an extra. It’s part of how we’re made.
And the Prophet ﷺ said our bodies have a right over us. I love that word, right. It’s not something you get once you’ve been good enough. It’s just… yours.
That honestly took the pressure off. I wasn’t being lazy. I was just giving my body what it needed.
The kind of rest I mean
Just so we’re on the same page, I don’t mean switching off in a way that leaves you more frazzled than before. I mean the kind of rest that actually gives something back.
For me this weekend, that looked like:
Letting my body recover. Lying down when I was tired, without arguing with myself about it.
Keeping things quiet. Less noise, fewer screens, no posting.
Staying close to Allah. Qur’an and dhikr, gently, not as another thing to tick off.
Keeping it simple. Leftovers, groceries delivered, lounge wear. Nothing had to be impressive.
And the thing I didn’t expect? It wasn’t just my body that rested. My heart did too. Allah says hearts find rest in His remembrance (13:28), and I really felt that this weekend.
So, from me to you
If you’re reading this tired, still waiting until you’ve “done enough” to sit down, I just want to say: you’re allowed to rest. Really.
You don’t need to finish the list first. You don’t need to get sick first like I did. Put the kettle on, put your feet up, open your mushaf if you want to, and just stop for a bit. Everything will still be there when you get back. I promise.
Curated tea set and candle, gifted at the perfect time
I’m sitting here on Monday with a clear head and a lighter heart, and all I did was stop.
So go on, rest up. You’re allowed. 🤍
