What I wish women knew about rest

What I Wish Every Woman Knew About Rest

After years of working in the stressful world of middle management in a Long-Term Care facility, I can safely say: I know what it means to keep pushing and never allow myself to truly rest.

Even with a background in nutrition, I was cheating my body out of the support it needed to survive the demands I put on it each day. Speaking from the other side now, what I wish I had known then is this: Whatever I was chasing was never worth the damage I was doing to my body, mind, and soul.

There was no finish line.

The list was never complete.

There was always more expected of me.

What I know now is that pausing to catch my breath — resting for a while — wasn’t laziness. It was healing. It was medicine. It was necessary.

And yes, I had to fight through all that negative inner dialogue that told me otherwise. I had to teach myself that I deserved rest. That it wasn’t selfish to indulge in a jammie day. That slowing down wasn’t a weakness — it was wisdom.

When I began to rest, my body and my life slowly started to come back into balance

.When I started to meditate and reconnect with my inner and higher self, it felt like I floated through my day — even though I was still in that stressful job.

My body began to function properly again with the right nourishment and rest.

My mind was clearer. I could focus longer. I had more energy.

All of this because I gave myself permission to pause.

As I healed, I realized how many other women needed this too. That seed of understanding grew, and over the last 16 years, it blossomed into what is now Jenn Prothero Wellness — a sacred space where women can step away, reconnect, breathe, pause, and learn the tools to support both their struggles and their successes in life.

If you’re feeling the nudge to take that first step toward true rest, I invite you to browse the details for each of my upcoming retreats in the wellness retreats tab.

I am here to answer any questions you may have — you can email me directly at jennprotherowellness@gmail.com.

You are worthy of rest. You always have been.