Maybe Sleeping Beauty Was Ahead of the Curve: Rest as Reclamation
By Sterling Carr
With everything happening in the world, it has started to feel increasingly costly to be constantly self-involved—emotionally, mentally, and energetically. Between supporting different causes, showing up for others, and remaining socially aware, I reached a point where I felt completely depleted. Emotionally ran through. Since quitting my retail job and intentionally pouring into myself—genuinely and authentically—I’ve experienced a peace of mind I didn’t know was possible. For the first time in a long time, I don’t feel like a hamster running endlessly on a wheel with nowhere to go. Maybe Sleeping Beauty was right. Maybe rest, reclamation, and a hard reset were exactly what I needed to move forward.
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I worked myself into the ground for years. From college into my work life, everything felt monotonous and restrictive. I didn’t have the mental space or physical energy to pursue what I actually wanted. Whether I was in retail or food service, I felt chained to my desk, boxed into survival mode. At times, it felt like a modern form of servitude, which is deeply ironic, considering my ancestors endured far worse so that I wouldn’t have to. I knew, on a gut instinct level, that I needed to stop. Not just to rest, but to break a cycle. To break generational patterns of overworking and self-neglect. I can’t create anything meaningful if I don’t feel fulfilled.
After quitting my job, I allowed myself to “bed rot” with intention. And that intentional rest became one of the most productive periods of my life. I reorganized my dreams, clarified my plans, and re-envisioned my future in a way that might look stagnant to others but was deeply effective for me. Reading, writing, watching films, exercising, eating nourishing food, drinking water, and sleeping a full eight to ten hours each night gave my body and nervous system the reset they had been begging for. Nearly two months later, I feel refurbished, refreshed, and recalibrated—ready to pursue my goals with focus and purpose. Burnout runs deep in my family, and continuing down that path would have only prolonged my mental and physical exhaustion.
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This time away also gave me clarity about my relationships. I realized how often I overplayed my position in other people’s lives, both platonic and romantic. If I were still working 30 hours a week for barely $500, I don’t think I would have reached that realization. Meaningful rest created the space for honest self-reflection. Instead of pouring energy into places that weren’t reciprocal, I could have been investing in myself—specifically in building my forward-facing identity within the fashion and entertainment industries. Through rest, I’ve been able to reintroduce myself to who I truly am, while consciously letting go of the version of myself that was holding me back. I’m only upset that it took me so long to give myself this gift—not just rest, but the truly restorative, regenerative kind.
During this break, I’ve also shown up more confidently and authentically. I worked on promotional content for a makeup brand, filmed a mini ad, spent time at the library, and still accomplished the bulk of my daily goals—without feeling drained. Rest gave me the ability to finally see what others have always seen in me, and more importantly, to understand how to develop and use my potential intentionally. What felt like a pause turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
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Rest didn’t just recharge me, it protected me. It saved me from making decisions rooted in exhaustion and poor mental health. Maybe Sleeping Beauty wasn’t waiting to be saved. Maybe she was becoming who she needed to be. Maybe her rest saved her, not the prince. I choose to believe in trusting my intuition, reclaiming my rest, and treating it as an act of reclamation—not just for others, but for myself.
