Rethinking Resilience: Why Pushing Through Isn’t Always the Answer
What if resilience isn’t about pushing through, but knowing when to pause?
In this reflection, I explore how stepping back, resting, and slowing down can actually lead to greater clarity, confidence, and sustainable success.
For a long time, I thought resilience meant pushing through no matter what: staying strong, handling everything on my own, and proving that I could keep going even when things felt heavy.
But over time, I’ve realised that resilience isn’t about doing more. It’s about knowing when to pause, reset, and refocus.
The Shift That Changed Everything
One of the biggest turning points for me was understanding that rest isn’t a reward, it’s a crucial part of the process.
For years, I associated productivity with constant action. If I felt stuck, overwhelmed, or exhausted, my instinct was to push harder. To work longer. To force my way through. And when that didn’t work, I’d assume I just wasn’t strong enough.
But I was wrong.
It wasn’t a lack of strength that was holding me back, it was the lack of space to reset.
The times when I’ve felt the most stuck weren’t because I needed to push through; they were because I wasn’t allowing myself to step back and breathe.
And the interesting thing? The moments I’ve actually given myself permission to pause, rather than power through, are the ones that have led to my biggest breakthroughs.
Why Slowing Down Can Help You Move Forward
We’re often taught that success requires non-stop effort, that if we’re not actively working toward something, we’re falling behind. But in reality, growth happens in the spaces between the action.
It’s in the moments of rest that clarity emerges.
It’s when we step back that we can see the bigger picture.
It’s in the pauses that we find the energy and direction to move forward with intention.
Slow down to speed up.
When we allow ourselves to step back, we don’t lose momentum, we gain it. Slowing down isn’t about stopping; it’s about resetting so we can move forward with more clarity, confidence, and purpose.
Think about it: Have you ever had a moment where stepping back actually helped you move forward?
Maybe taking a break from a tough problem led to an unexpected solution.
Maybe giving yourself time to recharge allowed you to show up stronger.
Maybe loosening your grip on an outcome made everything fall into place more naturally.
Your Reminder for Today
If this resonates, consider this your permission slip:
👉 You don’t have to do more to be better.
👉 Rest isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a strategy for success.
👉 Slow down to speed up.
👉 Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is pause, reset, and trust that you’re on the right track.