When Your Nervous System Chooses Rest Before Your Mind Does
I stopped writing in June
Welcome back to Leading the Way. The Substack place where I, Tiffany Leader, LCSW, CEO/Founder of See the Wonder, LLC is writing, pondering, sharing, and leading the way towards sustained burn out recovery for helpers, high achievers, and neurodivergent individuals. (aka. ME. hah.)
Welcome. SO glad you are here.
I was scheduling my next Substack post when I realized something.
I accidentally took the entire month of June off from writing and podcasting.
Or... maybe I didn’t.
The more I sat with it, the more I realized this wasn’t really an accident.
Somewhere beneath my awareness, my body had already made the decision before my mind caught up.
As someone who has spent years teaching about burnout recovery, nervous system regulation, and sustainable rhythms, I smiled a little when I noticed it.
Because apparently...
I still need the reminders too.
Sometimes Our Bodies Know Before We Do
There are a lot of beautiful things happening behind the scenes at See the Wonder right now.
We’re refining. Creating. Making decisions. Pivoting. Dreaming about what’s next.
And I’ve noticed something about myself over the years.
Whenever there are big shifts happening inside the business, I often pull away from the very things I love most.
Writing & Podcasting
The spaces where I process life out loud.
I’m still curious why that happens.
Maybe creativity needs spaciousness.
Maybe my nervous system quietly protects my capacity by asking me to simplify before I even recognize I need to.
I don’t fully know.
But I’ve learned to stop dismissing those patterns and start paying attention to them.
Because our bodies often tell the truth long before our minds are ready to listen.
I Also Stepped Away From My Business
This month wasn’t only a pause from creating content.
I also took a week away from work.
I spent my days in the sunshine. Swimming. Laughing. Being with people I love.
Letting myself be present instead of productive. (which still is hard at times for me)
Every vacation teaches me something.
This one was no different.
It reminded me that:
My business isn’t going to burn down without me.
My team is incredibly capable and genuinely enjoys supporting one another.
My love for writing and podcasting always comes back when I give it space.
I still have more to delegate. (Always.)
It’s funny how the stories we fear before vacation rarely become the stories we tell afterward.
I’ve Been Learning to Trust My Natural Rhythms
One framework that’s helped me become more curious about myself is Human Design.
While I don’t view it as truth or identity, I do appreciate how it has given language to patterns I’ve noticed for years.
As someone described as a 2/4 Generator, I naturally move through seasons of engagement and seasons of pulling away.
Whether Human Design resonates with you or not, I think many of us experience this.
Especially if you’re a helping professional.
A high achiever.
Someone who’s neurodivergent.
Or someone recovering from burnout.
We’ve been taught that consistency means showing up with the same energy every day.
But our nervous systems don’t actually work that way.
Capacity changes.
Life changes.
We change.
Learning to honor those rhythms has been one of the healthiest shifts I’ve made—not because I’m working less, but because I’m working more honestly.
Loving Your Work Doesn’t Mean Doing It All the Time
For a long time, I thought loving my work meant I should always want to be doing it.
Always creating.
Always responding.
Always building.
But I’ve learned that’s not actually sustainable.
I don’t need to do everything. (say it again. on repeat. :) )
I need to spend more of my energy doing the work that brings me alive.
Of course there are emails to answer.
Administrative tasks.
Responsibilities that simply come with running a business.
But when those things consistently outweigh the work that gives me energy...
I notice it.
My creativity gets quieter.
My capacity shrinks.
Work starts feeling heavier than it actually is.
Sometimes burnout isn’t only about doing too much.
Sometimes it’s about spending too much time disconnected from the parts of your life and work that make you feel most like yourself.
Rest Doesn’t Always Look Like Solitude
One thing I’ve also been learning is that being restored doesn’t always mean being alone.
Sometimes what my nervous system needs most is connection. (see posts about my journey in discovering community in this new season of life)
Long conversations.
Being with family.
Laughing with close friends.
Sharing meals.
Floating in the water.
The beach has always been one of those places for me.
My coach, Andrea, often reminds me to intentionally spend time in places that nourish my soul.
Not because it’s indulgent.
Because it’s preventative.
That’s a distinction I’m still learning to embrace.
Maybe the Pause Was Exactly What I Needed
So yes...
I accidentally took June off from writing and podcasting.
But maybe my body knew before my mind did.
Maybe this wasn’t procrastination.
Maybe it wasn’t inconsistency.
Maybe it was wisdom.
Behind the scenes, we’re building some exciting things at See the Wonder that I’m looking forward to sharing with you soon.
Thank you for giving me the space to step away.
Thank you for continuing to read.
And thank you for reminding me that this space has never been about producing content on a schedule.
It’s about sharing honestly.
Helping you take a moment.
And learning, together, what it looks like to build a life that doesn’t require us to abandon ourselves in order to be successful.
There are some beautiful changes coming to this Substack.
I can’t wait to share them with you.
Take a Moment
Before you move on to the next thing, I want to leave you with a gentle invitation.
Not to analyze. Not to fix. Just to notice.
I wonder...
Has your body been trying to tell you something that your mind keeps talking you out of?
Have you been calling yourself inconsistent when, perhaps, your nervous system has simply been asking for a different rhythm?
Where have you been overriding your capacity because false urgency convinced you everything needed your attention right now?
And what might change if you trusted that rest, play, connection, and stepping away aren’t interruptions to your life or work...
They’re part of how you sustain it.
You don’t have to earn your way back to yourself.
Sometimes your body is already leading you there.
Maybe today is simply an invitation to listen.
Until Next Time,
💜 Tiffany