The Work You Can’t See
September 30, 2026 | Vol. 10
Greetings from the road! I’m about to wrap up the first part of my travels in Knoxville and next, I’m heading to meet my son and his girlfriend for a week of fun adventures!
This first part of the trip has been spent helping a longtime friend recover from surgery, which has included cooking, cleaning, spending time together, and helping with whatever she might need while her body begins to heal. Being here has brought back so many memories from my own surgery and recovery just a few months ago. It has also led to several conversations between us about how difficult it can be to allow our bodies to rest, especially once we begin to feel a little better.
Ohhh, how we fight it. 😂
The moment we have a little more energy or the pain begins to ease, we start thinking about everything we should be doing. We feel guilty or lazy for lying around “not doing anything.” We begin measuring what we can accomplish rather than remembering what our bodies have been through.
Surgery is a significant experience for the body. Even when we begin feeling better, healing is still happening beneath the surface in ways we cannot see. Rest may look like inactivity from the outside, but internally, the body is doing an incredible amount of work.
We tend to trust the work we can see. A cleaned kitchen, a completed project, a workout, or everything crossed off the list gives us visible evidence that we did something. Rest doesn’t always offer that same evidence, but that doesn’t mean nothing is happening.
This applies beyond recovering from surgery. When we’re sick, exhausted, emotionally depleted, or simply noticing that our energy is low, our bodies may be communicating that they need us to slow down. When we push ourselves before we’re ready, we can make recovery harder and delay the very healing we’re trying to rush through.
Listening to your body isn’t always about identifying the next thing to do. Sometimes the message is to stop. To sleep. To be still. To let your body use its energy for the work you cannot see.
Rest isn’t separate from healing. Rest is part of the healing.
Where might your body be asking you to rest, and what story makes it difficult to give yourself permission?
Hit reply and share it with me. I’d love to hear what comes up for you.
This Week on the Pure Possibilities Podcast
What Is This Really Doing for You?
When there’s a behavior we want to change, our first response is often to judge it, control it, or try harder to make ourselves stop. But what if the behavior isn’t the deepest thing asking for our attention?
In Episode 37 of the Relationship Series (and episode 150 of the show 😍) we explore what food, movement, rest, scrolling, staying busy, or other familiar behaviors might actually be doing for us. They may be offering comfort, relief, distraction, connection, control, or protection from something we aren’t ready to feel.
This isn’t about justifying choices that no longer support us. It’s about replacing immediate judgment with curiosity. Instead of only asking, “Why do I keep doing this?” we can ask, “What is this really doing for me?” Once we understand what a behavior may be providing, we have more information about what we actually need and more choice in how we want to care for ourselves.
New episodes drop every Tuesday at 12:00 a.m. Pacific.
What if Weekly
I’m still traveling, and my Magic of What If™ cards are apparently still enjoying their vacation at home without me 😂 So this week’s question came directly from the conversations my friend and I have been having during her recovery:
What if I allow rest to be part of the work?
Notice what comes up when you consider that question. Does it bring relief, resistance, guilt, or an immediate list of everything you should be doing instead?
Rest does not always need to be earned, and it isn’t evidence that you’re doing nothing. Sometimes rest is the most supportive thing you can offer your body.
What’s Unfolding...
Your body is communicating with you all the time. Have you learned how to listen?
Listen to Your Body Talk™ is a guided experience designed to help you recognize how your body communicates, understand what influences the way you respond to life, and build the emotional and nervous system resilience to make choices that feel aligned with the life you desire.
The next live experience is coming soon, and the waitlist is now open! Add your name to be the first to receive the details when enrollment begins.
LEARN MORE & JOIN THE WAITLIST
Until next week, pause, notice, reconnect... and remember that rest is part of the work.
Much love 💜
Shannon
