Rest guilt – that uneasy feeling when you pause instead of produce – is more than an annoyance. It can sap your mental health, fuel burnout, and keep you trapped in overwork.
Say it’s the weekend, your last few days at work have been tough, and you’re more than ready to wind down by binge-watching a new drama that’s been recommended to you by a friend.
But as you settle down on your couch, bag of chips in hand, you can’t stop thinking about the burgeoning list of tasks awaiting you on Monday…and feeling like you’re wasting your time in front of the TV not trying to do anything to minimise that list at all.
And as you sit in that shame, you don’t even pause to wonder why you’re feeling bad about taking a break – even though labour laws dictate that you’re rightfully meant to be relaxing.
Instead, you turn off the TV, put aside your chips, and go to your computer to sacrifice a few hours of your weekend to do something your future self will thank you for.
Is your willingness to turn down rest in favour of productivity a sign of just how hardworking and responsible you are – or is there more to it?
The Shameful Emotion That Is “Rest Guilt”
If you’ve found yourself feeling anxious whenever you prioritise your own downtime, then what you’re dealing with is rest guilt.
And good news: the fact that it has a name means that you’re not the only one who’s caught it.
Also termed productivity guilt or leisure guilt, it’s normally the product of that little voice inside you calling you lazy for wanting to just chill, insidiously convincing you to do some fix-ups for a project well after office hours, or respond to work notifications when you’re on a family vacation in the Bahamas.
But how did this relaxation critic of ours even come into existence?
When Achievement Is Tied to Identity
We’re all familiar with hustle culture; society has emphasised to us since young about the importance of our accomplishments, first in the form of good grades, then in the form of good performance reviews.
But this expectation to achieve has also taught us to associate measurable outcomes with our self-worth, driving us to work longer, harder, and faster. This mentality can lead to greater productivity and success, but tying our value to visible results means that pausing to break can be discomforting, and even make us feel stagnant.
Our only succour is giving in to the guilt and going back to doing something “useful”.
When We Compare Ourselves to Others
Furthermore, achievements tend to be promoted, so seeing what other people are able to accomplish can make us fear that we’re not as productive and successful. This can make us feel that rest will only cause us to fall back.
Even social media is inundated with images that can lead us to fall into the trap of comparing our lives and attainments to people online, pressuring us to overwork if we want to keep up.
When We’re Constantly Connected
It doesn’t help that we live in a fast-paced world that we’re never unplugged from. We could be halfway across the globe, and still have access to work emails and notifications.
We can even get pulled into meetings whenever we’re home on sick leave thanks to the pervasive concept that is teleconferencing.
The easy exposure to the constant bombardment of alerts doesn’t only inspire a sense of urgency towards getting work done (even when it’s not very urgent), it also gives us the feeling that we have little excuse to disengage.
The guilt trip can cause us to make productivity a priority.
In the end, experiencing rest guilt means that taking a break can feel like something we have to justify or earn, so we end up shunning it more than we should.
Unfortunately, pushing ourselves to be productive when we need proper rest can be detrimental to us in the long-run.
Why Resting Is a Need
Our downtime is actually when our brain decides it’s the best time to consolidate information and strengthen neural connections, which helps support memory, problem-solving, and even creative thinking.
Rest also aids us immensely when it comes to managing our emotions. Taking a break gives our cortisol levels an opportunity to lower, enabling us to better regulate our stress and avoid emotional fatigue.
Conversely, by driving ourselves into mental exhaustion, we set ourselves up for burnout. This can result in physical fatigue, generate negative feelings towards our job, and reduce our work performance – which completely disaffirms our reasons for working so hard in the first place.
Turning Guilt Into Self-Care
Rest isn’t an option when it’s that crucial to our wellbeing.
But knowing that may not silence the inner critic telling us to choose work over play.
So what can we do?
Challenge the Inner Critic
Being able to turn off from the demands and stresses of daily living is crucial to our mental health – which means that the first step to getting over rest guilt is to accept the fact that it’s alright to prioritise rest.
Try to change the mental habit of viewing rest in a negative light. Interrupt any critical internal dialogue by reminding yourself that rest is essential to your health and long-term productivity.
Schedule Your Rest
Carve out time to relax by setting it on the same level as a “productive” task. For instance, having to tick it off a to-do list legitimises the idea of rest as compulsory, ensuring you get the downtime you need.
Pursue Non-Work Activities
According to Ms Priscilla Shin, a principal psychotherapist at Range Counselling Services, in CNA: “Rest is about engaging in whatever genuinely replenishes our energy.”
Indulge in activities that help your mind disconnect from work, whether it’s reading, knitting, or cycling.
“The goal is to choose activities that feel enjoyable and replenish your energy without added pressure.”
It’s alright to give yourself permission to recharge and prioritise your wellbeing.
You deserve it.
External References
- Howard, A. (2025, July 1). How to Manage Guilt and Negative Self-Talk When Relaxing. Healthline. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/how-to-manage-guilt-and-negative-self-talk-when-relaxing-productivity-guilt
- Lam, N. (2024, December 7). There’s no need to feel guilty about ‘wasting’ your leave just because you’re not travelling overseas. CNA. Retrieved from: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/today/mental-health-matters/holiday-travel-leave-rest-break-4788551
- Mejia, N. (2025, May 17). 4 Ways I Overcame My Guilt Over Doing Nothing, From a Chronic Overachiever. Verwell Mind. Retrieved from: https://www.verywellmind.com/how-i-overcame-my-guilt-doing-nothing-11736537
- Public Libraries Singapore. (2025, June 26). Feeling Rest Guilt? How to Find True Rest in an Always-On World. Medium. Retrieved from: https://medium.com/publiclibrarysg/feeling-rest-guilt-how-to-find-true-rest-in-an-always-on-world-9ee42486c4c5
- Sim, J. (2024, January 1). Commentary: How hustle culture is robbing our youths of self-discovery. CNA. Retrieved from: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/new-year-resolutions-youth-hustle-culture-learn-self-reflection-4015916
- Wei, M. (2025, April 14). How to Rest Without Guilt. Psychology Today. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/urban-survival/202503/how-to-rest-without-guilt
