The Inner Pendulum: The Strategy of Counterbalance
Ever feel like your brain is running tabs on ten open windows, while your body whispers, “I’m done”? That invisible tug between ambition and exhaustion is something we all experience—yet most of us ignore it, pushing forward in the name of productivity.
But what if that sense of burnout or fatigue isn’t failure or laziness? What if it’s a sign that your internal pendulum is doing exactly what it’s designed to do: reset you.
You Can’t Escape Yourself—But You Can Recenter
Here’s a quiet truth we rarely admit: you can never, no matter how hard you try, be anyone else but yourself. And yet, your mind is constantly flooded with messaging that says otherwise. Social media, marketing, even well-meaning advice often implies you should be more—more driven, more successful, more polished.
These thoughts and comparisons move through your ”mind-field” like an endless reel of expectations. Some are fresh, others are old mental loops—beliefs and patterns that have lived inside you for years. And they’ve shaped how you move through the world.
But while we can’t rewrite our history, we can shift how we respond to it. That starts with acknowledging a powerful internal truth: we are open systems. What happens outside affects us inside, and vice versa. but also, what goes up must come down, and vice versa here as well. To move forward in an aligned, healthy way, we have to learn when to pause and honor our internal signals—especially the ones that whisper: “time to recalibrate.” Or pull ourselves away from our screens when it’s time to go out and get active.
Strategic Inaction as part of Action
Sometimes your internal driver—the part of you that gets things done—just… leaves the building. You wake up and feel flat. Unmotivated. Tired in a way that a cup of coffee won’t fix. Or sometimes you feel like your brain has become mush “just chilling out.”
We’re conditioned to resist these moments. Push through. Hustle harder. But after decades of experience, I’ve learned to take a different approach: embrace your inability.
Yes, really.
Cancel the non-essentials. Wear your softest clothes. Nap. Eat something that soothes you. Watch your comfort movie. Let your body and mind completely exhale. Because when you allow deep rest—real rest, without guilt—you tap into your body’s natural ability to reset, recover, and rebuild.Then once you’ve recharged, don’t over think it, get active again.
Just like kids crash after play, or animals rest deeply after exertion, we’re wired to oscillate between doing and restoring. That’s the inner pendulum in action. At the same time, once the reset has occurred, do you ever notice that they are raring to go again? The inner pendulum works both ways.
Rest Isn’t a Break from Performance—It’s Part of an ever shifting you
Counterbalance isn’t indulgence. It’s intelligence.
Try experimenting with how you can honor your own natural swings—resting when you need to, moving when you’re ready. Be smart, be kind, and get creative. We’re all unique, but we share a human need to find that middle ground between effort and ease.
Notice the difference in decisions made when you’re rested versus when you’re forcing things. Pay attention to how even a short period of intentional rest can dramatically change your physical and emotional bandwidth.
Over the last year, I’ve navigated massive life shifts: ending a long-term clinical practice, relocating across the country, supporting my son, starting a new relationship, managing real estate, and renovating homes. And I did it not by staying constantly “on”—but by surrendering fully to the moments when I had absolutely nothing left to give.
That space allowed me to refuel until the momentum was to return to action- but stronger than before.
Final Thought: Balance Is a Skill, Not a Luxury
We tend to treat rest as something earned—after a project is done, after the inbox is clear. But what if it’s not a reward, but a core tool of resilience? Just like charging our devices, we recharge to return to high functioning.
Practice reframing rest as a strategic skill set. One that keeps you aligned, focused, and truly effective—not just productive.
Your body and mind are not machines. They’re ecosystems. And like any intelligent system, they perform best when balance is part of the design.
