When Your Body Says Stop — But Your Mind Says Keep Going
I didn’t plan to learn a lesson about rest from a swollen ankle, but life has a way of forcing what we resist.
Last Saturday, I went for what was supposed to be a peaceful trail run at Great Falls Park in Virginia, the kind of run that clears your mind and reconnects you with nature.
By the end of the trail, I felt in my flow, steady breath, calm mind, complete ease.
Then, out of nowhere, my foot slipped on a rock and I heard a sharp pop.
A few minutes later at urgent care, still trying to process what just happened
Instantly, pain shot through my ankle. I looked down and watched it swell like a balloon. I was only 0.3 miles from my car, close enough to see the finish line, but far enough that every step felt impossible.
That’s when the thoughts came rushing in.
“I have a flight tomorrow at 5am. I can’t miss that.”
“I have a speaking engagement in a few days. I can’t change that.”
“What if I broke it? What if I can’t run for months?”
“I’ll rest after this week. I just need to get through this.”
Each thought came faster than the last. And that’s when I realized something: even in pain, my first instinct wasn’t to care for myself, it was to keep going.
I didn’t want to stop. I didn’t want to rest. I just wanted to push through.
Because that’s what high achievers do, right? Push through the pain, smile through the stress, and call it resilience.
I hobbled back to the car and drove to urgent care.
After a few tests, the nurse looked at me and said, “You may want to get an x-ray.”
And my first response?
“I have a flight tomorrow at 5am. Do I have to get it today?”
That’s when I caught myself, even injured, I was still negotiating with rest. Still trying to prove I could do instead of be.
That’s when it hit me: our culture still prioritizes doing well over being well.
The x-ray centers were closed on Saturday, which meant I’d have to wait until Monday. So, what did I do? I took my swollen ankle and caught that 5am flight to Atlanta.
Three days later, I finally got the x-ray. Thankfully, nothing was broken, just swelling. But here’s the truth: I still struggled to rest.
Even after getting good news, I kept walking, standing, and putting pressure on it. Now, as I write this, my ankle is swollen again.
The Lesson
When you don’t listen to your body, it will find a louder way to speak.
The more I ignored the pain, the more I delayed my healing. Every time I tried to “push through,” I extended my recovery.
You can’t heal in the same mindset that created your burnout.
Rest isn’t the enemy of progress; it’s the foundation of it.
We all do this in different ways:
Ignoring the headache that’s begging for a break.
Saying yes to one more meeting even though we’re mentally spent.
Skipping lunch because we want to “get ahead.”
These moments seem small, but they’re the same pattern. The body whispers, and we keep sprinting until it screams.
So today, I’m practicing what I preach: slowing down, letting go of control, and trusting that the world won’t fall apart if I take a break.
Maybe slowing down isn’t a setback. Maybe it’s your body’s way of saying, “You’ve done enough for now.”
Because sometimes the body will whisper, until it has to scream.
Final Reflection
If this story hit home, it’s because rest isn’t a luxury; it’s a leadership skill.
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Chazz Scott | Resilience & Sustainable Performance Expert | Founder, Supra Mentem Consulting | Author of Success Starts Within
Creator of the Rise & Reclaim Blueprint™ – Helping professionals and teams break free from burnout, boost retention, and build success that actually feels good.
