Depressed or Deep Rest? The Truth Your Body Already Knows, The Secret Hidden in the Word Itself

Nat Creasy
Oct 6
4 min read

Updated: Oct 27

Nat in blue-green patterned shirt reclines against a large tree trunk in a park; relaxed mood, barefoot on grass, sunny day.

Inside Nat's Notebook - Real Reflections for Real Change

Ever noticed that "depressed" sounds like "deep rest" when spoken aloud?

Go ahead, say it: “Dee-prest.”

See? This isn’t just wordplay; it’s wisdom.

On some level, we know that when we feel depressed, we don’t need to “snap out of it” or “push through.” We don’t need to “stay positive” or “keep going.” What we truly need is to stop.

To allow ourselves to sink into something we have been depriving ourselves of for far too long:

Deep. Rest.

But let’s be real. I was not about to stop when I most needed it.

Stopping meant stillness. Stillness meant feeling things. No, thank you! I had a plan.

A master plan to avoid being alone with my own thoughts.

My Foolproof (But Actually Very Foolish) Plan to Unknowingly Avoid Rest

I was booked and busy. I had back-to-back plans for everything.

Morning walk and breakfast with a friend.

Drive on for an hour to meet another friend for a late lunch and a browse of the shops while catching up.

Straight over to another friend for dinner and dancing plans.

Weekdays were no different. I was out the door at 6 AM on my way to work, home close to midnight. If by some miracle I found a spare hour? I’d fill it. I’d call a friend (they don’t call me Chatterly for nothing), catch up on work, or cram in errands. Anything but rest.

Rainy day? No problem. I had endless distractions at my fingertips.

Because if I kept moving, I wouldn’t have to hear the quiet whispers inside saying,

"This isn’t it."

Do you know that voice too? Maybe that’s why you stay so busy, too, right?

The Biology of Deep Rest (AKA: Your Nervous System Knows Best)

Depression isn’t just a mood. It’s a biological signal.

A quiet but insistent whisper from your nervous system saying:

"You’ve been carrying the weight of your identity for too long. It’s time to put it down for a while."

When we’ve been running on stress, expectations, and sheer willpower for too long, our nervous system eventually steps in.

First, it tries alerting us (we feel drained, irritable, or mentally foggy).
Then, it nudges us harder (our motivation disappears, we start feeling numb, everything feels like a chore).
And if we still ignore it? It pulls the emergency brake.
We shut down. Everything feels too heavy. We can’t muster the energy to care.

That’s not failure. That’s biology.

Your body isn’t betraying you. It’s trying to save you.

Because deep down, your body already knows that deep rest is missing.

Why Deep Rest Feels Impossible (and Why We Resist It)

Here’s the hard part:

Most of us don’t let ourselves truly rest until we have no choice.

We push through exhaustion.
We keep ourselves busy.
We tell ourselves, “I don’t have time to rest.”
Or worse, “I don’t deserve to rest.”

But let’s be real. If pushing through was the solution, wouldn’t we all feel amazing by now?

The reason deep rest feels so hard is that we’ve been taught to fear it.

Somewhere along the way, we learned that rest = laziness.

That slowing down = falling behind.

That stopping = failing.

So we avoid it. We ignore the signals.

And then we wonder why our body forces us into shutdown mode instead of letting us gently recharge.

But what if we didn’t wait until we hit that breaking point?

What if we reclaimed deep rest before our nervous system had to demand it?

How to Offer Yourself Deep Rest (Without the Guilt)

Most people think “rest” means sleeping more or doing nothing.

But deep rest isn’t just about stillness; it’s about release.

Real rest happens when your nervous system feels safe enough to let go.

And that requires more than just closing your eyes.

Try this:

🧡 Lie down. Yes, actually.

🧡 Sense your body—notice where it’s holding tension.

🧡 Consciously relax your jaw, brow, shoulders, hands, belly, and feet.

🧡 Now, soften your breath—don’t control it, just let it happen.

🧡 With every exhale, let your body feel heavier and soften a little more.

🧡 That’s it. Do nothing. Just watch and feel as it happens.

This is the first step in deep rest.

And it’s exactly what your body has been demanding.

And before you tell me, “I don’t have time to lay down”…

How much time did you spend doom-scrolling today?

Exactly!

RebelMoment:

The Permission Slip You’ve Been Waiting For!!

Rest isn’t a luxury. It’s a biological need.

Your nervous system already knows this; it’s just waiting for you to catch up.

So if you’ve been waiting for permission to rest, here it is:

Dear You,

You don’t have to earn rest.

You don’t have to justify it.

You don’t have to feel guilty about it.

You are allowed to stop.

Love

Your Nervous System

Now, go take that deep breath.

Lay down. Let your body be heavy.

And just for a moment, let yourself rest.

If resting feels impossible, come practice it with us in The Reset Room. Tuesday & Wednesday evenings. Laughter, learning, and the deep exhale your nervous system has been craving.

Grab your spot here: https://little-soul-shack.heymarvelous.com/calendar