I have a confession: I skipped yoga this morning to take a power nap in my podcast studio.

The last few days I’ve found my Self more tired than usual. You probably wouldn’t be able to tell if you were sitting across the table from me—I’m not moving around like a slug or appearing down, but I know how I normally feel internally, and I’m tired.

And, I know exactly why my body has been telling me to rest; it’s a lag from my trip to Joshua Tree last week. But, it’s not the lag you might be thinking.

Sure, I was off my normal routine, slept in a foreign bed, and in a different time zone for about three days, and yes, I got back home at 3:00 AM on Saturday—it’s not unreasonable to interpret my tiredness as needing to catch up on some rest, but that’s not what my body is telling me through my fatigue.

My body is telling me to rest up because I’m about to enter another creative and growth phase.

My fatigue is a result of operating at an elevated frequency in Joshua Tree. It’s a result of flowing creativity for an extended period of time—creativity for my Self and creativity for those at the retreat. It’s a result of being fully present with my cohort members—have you ever noticed how exhausting it can be when you are deep in a conversation and fully present with someone? And it’s a result of tapping into a future version of my Self—it takes a lot of energy to pull from the future.

I didn’t immediately realize why I’ve been tired. I was even a little frustrated because I came back from Joshua Tree inspired, motivated, and ready to build, but I didn’t have the energy.

And then it clicked.

I don’t know when my energy will return, although I know it won’t be much longer. I know this feeling—it’s not my first time being told by my body to rest up. I know what’s coming and I’m excited.

Until my energy returns, I’ll focus on nourishing my Self, getting back into my workout routines, and getting a little more rest whenever I can. Our culture would tell me to push through and to keep grinding, but I know my Self, and I know what my body is telling me. Grinding harder today would be the worst thing I could do, because it would only delay the return of my energy.

It’s important to understand what your body is telling you because if you aren’t connected with it, you might end up doing the opposite of what you actually need.

See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,

JC